PhD Opportunity in Engineering Design and Creativity

[Aurisicchio, Marco]

Imperial College London
Department of Mechanical Engineering
PhD Studentship in Engineering Design and Creativity
Applications are invited for an Industrial CASE Studentship in the field of Engineering Design and
Creativity, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The post is to conduct research within the
Design Engineering Group and is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK/EU student rate)
provided by EPSRC and Rolls-Royce plc.
The Design Engineering Group is interested in how a product is developed and realised and how
the process by which this is achieved can be improved. The Group works in close partnership
with the Innovation Design Engineering (IDE) Group at the Royal College of Art and Design
London.
Creativity can be viewed as the invention and development of new ideas of value, and is critical
for commercial competitiveness. Within the design process, creativity is a critically important
quality for the members of a design team. Integrally linked to creativity, effective representation
of design information allows identifying and understanding the connections and relationships
between the elements of a design problem therefore supporting new ideas generation. The
project will involve undertaking research on methods and techniques to enhance generative
activities (e.g. TRIZ, brainstorming, morphological analysis, six hats, etc.) and to create
knowledge and information maps (e.g. argumentation maps, mind maps and functional analysis
diagrams) with the aim of understanding how their appropriate integration and implementation
can lead to improved design processes for both individual designers and groups.
The studentship is for 3 years ideally starting in January 2010 and is available for UK and EU
candidates meeting the Research Council criterion of having been resident in the UK for the
previous 3 years, but other sources of funding might be available for highly qualified students.
You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for
enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College. You will have a background in Mechanical or
Aerospace Engineering or a related field and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research
together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. Training will be given in engineering
design and investigative techniques. You will become a skilled communicator, comfortable in an
international situation. Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.
To find out more about research at Imperial in this area, follow this link:
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/mechanicalengineering
For information on how to apply please follow this link:
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/mechanicalengineering/research/phdopportunities/.
For further details of the post contact Dr Marco Aurisicchio m.aurisicchio@... -44 (0)
20 7594 7095. Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Aurisicchio
on the above e-mail address. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic
application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by
College Registry.
Closing date: 9th November 2009
Valuing diversity and committed to equality of opportunity.
We are also an Athena Silver SWAN Award winner and a Stonewall Diversity Champion.

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Dr Marco Aurisicchio
Lecturer in Engineering Design
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London
Exhibition Road, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: m.aurisicchio@...
URL: http://www.imperial.ac.uk