24School of Computing, Engineering and Information Sciences School of Computing, Engineering and Information Sciences The School has over 50 researchers and over 80 PhD students bringing together expertise in engineering, mathematics, physical sciences, and computer and information science, enabling it to address a variety of topics and disciplines, in particular those that require an interdisciplinary approach. The research groups are engaged in fundamental as well as applied research in collaboration with national and international partners and supported by regional and national industries. The groups have an excellent track record in attracting considerable research funding from a number of sources including research councils, the EU, regional bodies and industry. Research staff have a significant and increasing presence at a national and international level, including invitations to present at national and international conferences, editorships, research council college membership, and chairing and membership of international conference organisation committees. They regularly publish their research findings in high- quality peer- reviewed international journals and at international conferences. In the last three years more than 420 papers, book chapters and invited articles have been published by the researchers. The School has extensive and excellent facilities for research and student projects, each research group having dedicated laboratories with state- of- the- art equipment. The School is committed to the pursuit of excellence in research and technology transfer and offers a vibrant research environment where the traditional disciplines in Electrical, Mechanical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Information Science and Systems, Complex Systems and Organisations and Records Management come together to create a unique synergy.

www. northumbria. ac. uk25 In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise ( RAE) the School submitted in three units of assessment: the General Engineering and Mineral & Mining Engineering ( the main submission), and joint submission with Business and Management Studies and Nursing and Midwifery. This time the feedback given to University departments was in the form of a profile rather than one summative measure. The profile rating the School of Computing, Engineering and Information Science received was excellent and showed great progress on the previous assessment exercise. As a School, we are proud of our investment in research infrastructure and equipment ( more than £ 8 million in the last few years) and aim to continue developing a dynamic and positive research environment. For the School to align itself commercially to support growing high- tech companies in the region it has set up a ' One Stop Enterprise Solution Centre' to provide technical feasibility evaluation for research and consultancy. For further information please visit the School website: www. northumbria. ac. uk/ sd/ academic/ ceis/ Research Groups Energy Systems and Advanced Materials This is a multidisciplinary research group of physicists, material scientists, electrical and mechanical engineers involved in the research areas of energy supply technologies ( especially renewable energy technologies), delivery mechanisms and energy materials. There are two main subgroups: Northumbria Photovoltaics Applications Centre ( NPAC), which has an international reputation in photovoltaic devices and systems, and Power and Wind Energy ( PAWER). The research in NPAC encompasses a range of activity from thin film solar cell fabrication to the integration of solar systems into buildings with further activities in environmental impact assessment for energy technologies. NPAC has two research laboratories with facilities for the fabrication and characterisation of photovoltaic devices, working with photovoltaic systems installed in a range of locations. PAWER provides a focus for research and development in wind energy and power conversion.