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Content: The need for ongoing research into the uninterrupted supply of essential services delivery (such as heating, mobility, sewage removal) is growing due to multiple and growing challenges, which arise locally and globally. Disruptions threaten infrastructure services. This 30 credit module over terms 1 and 2 enable small groups of students to work together on a research project whose topic is set by the National Infrastructure Commission in the National Infrastructure Strategy. The research project enables students to develop teamwork through the process of group work which will contribute to scoping and addressing a technical design issue. The identification of literature on appropriate research and technical methods will be the focus in term 1. Term 2 will focus on data collection, ideation and design of a potential solution to an infrastructure challenge (such as security) which will involve comprehensive risk and uncertainty assessment, data and ethics considerations, data collection and analytics, formulation and application of a hybrid design. Writing the report will develop your skills to influence scientific and engineering decision making.

Teaching delivery: This module is taught over two terms. Each term has 10 weekly lectures lasting 2 hours each.

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Indicative Topics: ÌýGroup working, individual strengths and collaboration; setting research questions from requirements given by infrastructure stakeholders; literature search, selection, analysis and coding; qualitative and quantitative research methods; data collection, processing and analysis; visualization and presentation of information for influencing decision making; report writing and presentation.

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Module Aims and/or Objectives: This module will develop the skills you will need to plan, do and learn from a research project in the field of infrastructure systems. The objective of the module is for you to experience the design and development of a research project, which will give you an appreciation of scientific literature, the value of data, and the wide range of methods/techniques to choose from. The module builds on the knowledge that engineering projects are collaborative and that you will to identify and build on the strengths of your group. You will learn the importance of framing good research questions which provide responses to contemporary challenges in infrastructure systems. Your oral and written skills will be developed through interim and final reports and presentations.

Recommended reading:

• Reed, M. S., Ferre, M., Martin-Ortega, J (2021) ‘Evaluating impact from research: A methodological framework’, Research Policy, 50(4). doi: 10.1016/j.respol.2020.104147.

• Aitsi-Selmi, A., Blanchard, K. and Murray, V. (2016) ‘Ensuring science is useful, usable and used in global disaster risk reduction and sustainable development: A view through the Sendai framework lens’, Palgrave Communications. Nature Publishing Group, 2(May). doi: 10.1057/palcomms.2016.16.

Additional costs: There are no additional costs.

Learning Outcomes:

• Development of a comprehensive ability to frame and deliver a research project, including selection, collection and analysis of literature and data in order to advance progress in the field of infrastructure systems.
• Capability to work as a team to solve a challenge, drawing out each student’s strengths, and taking accountability for individual contributions to the goal of the group project.
• Creation of skills for collaborative technical design of integrated or hybridised methods to solve a particular research challenge.
• Ability to articulate complex challenges and designs to non-technical audiences.