Lawrence awarded fellowship post

James Lawrence, a PhD student from University College London, UK, has been named as the second successful applicant for the Ashok Kumar Fellowship.

The Fellowship, jointly funded by IChemE and the North East of England Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC), will see Lawrence spend three months at the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology (POST) where he will produce a short briefing paper, contribute to a longer report or assist a select committee in a current inquiry relevant to chemical engineering or the process industries.

The fellowship was introduced as a tribute to former Member of Parliament and IChemE member Ashok Kumar, who died suddenly in 2010 and was the only serving chemical engineer in UK Government at the time of his death. Lawrence will succeed Iwan Roberts, the inaugural recipient of the fellowship later this year.

Lawrence expressed his delight in securing the fellowship post saying:  "Obviously I'm thrilled to have been picked for the internship. I'd like to get into a government advisory or policy-making role after I finish my PhD, so it'll be ideal experience in that respect. I also think it's quite important for post-grad researchers to be able to communicate their work to wider, non-scientific audiences, and this internship is a great opportunity to do just that.”

Roberts, whose POST briefing paper has focused on low carbon technologies for energy intensive industries, says: “The experience of working n Westminster has been fascinating and I have been fortunate enough to witness firsthand the ways in which our industry interacts with parliamentarians and government departments and how this helps to shape policy. I think my time here has really opened my eyes beyond my EngD research and subset of chemical engineering to appreciate the bigger picture and opportunities the discipline faces.”

IChemE ceo, David Brown said: “IChemE is delighted to be running this important fellowship for a second year. Not only does the fellowship pay a fitting tribute to a great man, but it flies the flag for science and engineering in Parliament.” 
 

Related links:  

Ashok Kumar Fellowship >> 

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