Power Networks Research Academy

自1990年代初以来，由于私有化、重组和其他部门的机会增加，在电力部门工作的工程师人数稳步减少。这导致该行业的年龄分布不利，预计未来会出现赤字。这一情况得到了认可，并于2004年成立了IET电力学院（PA），利用16家合作电力公司提供的慷慨奖学金，吸引有能力和有动力的学生进入选定大学的电力工程课程。与电力行业工程人员减少的同时，该领域基于大学的研究也缩减到最低限度，可用于教授本科生和进行研究的学术人员减少。电力工程师人数的减少，不可避免地影响了学术和研究人员的可用性：* 在本科和研究生阶段教授电力工程课程。这里特别相关的将是电力学院和其他国内学生以及英国传统上强大的海外市场。为英国提供电网工程研究解决方案，以应对电网更新带来的挑战，政府低碳政策的影响，并确保未来的网络弹性。此次申请成立电网研究院（PNRA）将为英国大学部门提供未来的学术/研究人员供应。PNRA通过颁发博士奖学金，将建立有效的机制，使电网公司和相关制造商和供应商能够与大学有效合作，帮助资助和支持所需的研究领域。因此，PNRA和PA有一个共同的目标，但有不同的目的地，提供未来的电力工程师。预计PA为建立PNRA提供了一个有用的模板，在第一次资金申请中，参与PA的大学将同样成为PNRA财团的一部分。从工业方面来看，英国输配电网络运营商以及制造商都支持这一提议。

Since the early 1990s, there has been a steady reduction in the number of engineers working in this power sector, due to privatisation, restructuring and increased opportunities in other sectors. This has resulted in an unfavourable age profile in the industry and an anticipated future deficit. This situation was recognised and resulted in the creation of the IET Power Academy (PA) in 2004 to attract able and motivated students into power engineering courses at selected universities, using generous scholarships from the 16 partner power companies. Parallel to the engineering workforce decline in the electrical power industry, university-based research has also shrunk to a minimum in this area, with fewer academic staff available to teach undergraduates and perform research. This reduction in the pool of power engineers has inevitably had an impact on the availability of academic and research staff to:* teach electrical power engineering courses at undergraduate and taught post-graduate level. Of particular relevance here will be Power Academy and other home students as well as the overseas market in which the UK has been traditionally strong.* provide power networks engineering research solutions in the UK to respond to the challenges arising from power grid renewal, the impact of government low carbon policies, and to ensure future network resilience.This application for the creation of the Power Networks Research Academy (PNRA) will provide a future supply of academic/research staff for the UK university sector. The PNRA, by awarding PhD scholarships, will establish effective mechanisms to enable power network companies and related manufacturers and suppliers to work effectively with universities in helping to fund and support needed areas of research. The PNRA and the PA, thus, have a common aim, but with different destinations, of providing future electrical power engineers. It is anticipated that the PA offers a useful template for the establishment of the PNRA and, in this first application for funding, the universities involved in the PA will, similarly, be part of the PNRA consortium. From the industrial side, UK transmission and distribution network operators as well as manufacturers are supporting this proposal.