Dr Francesco Pomponi has secured prestigious funding from the Royal Academy of Engineering to carry out an ambitious plan of work on the circular design of emergency sheltering for Africa. This funding is part of the Academy’s Global Challenges Research Fund under the scheme ‘Frontiers of Engineering for Development’.
The funding will enable to welcome Lara Alshawawreh to REBEL given her expertise on the topic. The team include a significant number of African partners who will ensure strong relevance and impact of the research, and who will contribute with their fundamental knowledge.
Worth of note is the gender (im)balance of team; for once it is in favour of female researchers and academics as a small step towards real equality, diversity, and inclusivity – all fundamental elements for any form of development, not just the sustainable one.
Francesco is also Co-PI on another grant within the same programme (The Circular Economy in Motion) aimed at creating networks and hubs of expertise who can help promote a quicker transition to a more circular economy.