EPSRC Impact! exhibition Royal College of Art, 16-21 March 2010

Engineering and the physical sciences has a huge impact on the world around us – fighting crime and terrorism, improving transport and healthcare, and developing solutions to challenges such as climate change and energy production.

Some of the technology we take for granted - the internet, mobile phones, and MRI scanners - exist because of basic research undertaken by EPSRC scientists in the past. Moreover, EPSRC research is central to the cultural development of the UK, helping us understand the world around us and investigating fundamental phenomena which might lead to applications in the future we haven’t yet dreamed of.

EPSRC’s IMPACT! campaign aims to communicate the impact that our research has on the world around us and show how engineering and the physical sciences are vital for our future.

As part of this IMPACT! campaign, EPSRC is working with the Royal College of Arts and NESTA, to coordinate a mixed media exhibition of original design proposals which will explore the relationship between science and society. The exhibition will feature conceptual designs from any art medium, including videos, photographs, interactives, prototypes, system diagrams and illustrations.

We have paired 16 EPSRC funded research teams with designers from the Royal College of Arts. The designers will be exploring the possible social, political, economic, cultural and ethical implications of the research, and translating them into design proposals.

This exhibition will be open to all, from 16 to 21 March 2010 at the Royal College of Art, London. More details will follow in the coming months.

We have also set up a networking site called IMPACT! Exhibition, where all the designers and researchers are able to discuss their experiences and ideas. It also contains more information about the people and projects involved.