About Our Research Projects

Research at University College Falmouth

Research and enterprise are central to Falmouth University's identity and aspirations as a global arts university. Our overarching aim is to develop and sustain an entrepreneurial and internationally distinctive research programme that drives the University's academic profile and underpins its contribution to economic, social and cultural advancement.

Our research objectives

Four key objectives underpin this overarching aim for the period 2010-2015:

To establish a profile of international excellence in selected areas of research through strategic and targeted investment
To maximise the impact of this research in support of Cornwall's growing, creative economy
To ensure provision of a sustainable, high quality and stimulating research environment within which both to develop staff capabilities and to frame postgraduate research student programmes
To ensure that research and enterprise activity directly enhances learning and teaching

Active Projects

Project ASPECT

Project ASPECT was born from a more general search for new communication tools to help the wider public engage with important but inaccessible issues. In particular, the project considers the complex issue of climate change.

ASPECT recognises that to date, climate change communication has engaged a narrow audience and stimulated a limited public dialogue. As a result, ASPECT explores how the wider public might connect to the climate change discussion through digital storytelling.<...

Path: /research-projects/project-aspect

Research Bites

'1st Wednesday Research Bites' is a monthly lunchtime research forum for staff and postgraduate research students at Falmouth University. The forum provides a space for researchers to share and discuss their work in an informal and friendly atmosphere, over lunch. Research Bites will be of interest to academic staff, research assistants, and postgraduate researchers who wish to engage in dynamic discussions, receive feedback on current research, and foster collaborative working.
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Path: /research-projects/research-bites

AIR Studio Events Series

The studio ethos

The AIR Studio is a venue and a community, linked by a shared interest in research and development that aligns with the research being undertaken at Falmouth. The studio draws from the experience of the successful Pervasive Media Studio in Bristol.

Path: /research-projects/air-studio-events-series

eServices on Demand for Connected Homes - How Assisted Living Technologies Improve Care

In the UK, the number of people aged 85 years and over will increase from the current rate of 1.5 million to 5 million people by 2050 (Office of National Statistics). With the rapidly growing ageing population, the demand for care homes will increase along with the demands on care home staff.

Care homes provide high level support and care for people with disabilities, physical frailty, cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative disorders. Despite the value of care homes in society...

Path: /research-projects/eservices

Homebrew CNC Drawing

Dr Katie Bunnell, Tavs Jorgensen, Dr Justin Marshall

The Autonomatic team has used various bits of CNC kit to produce drawings in a variety of media combining CAD data with the subtleties of traditional mark making tools such as graphite and charcoal to produce drawings with visual complexity, richness and depth.

Path: /research-projects/homebrew-cnc-drawing

One Liner

Reflecting on drawing in a digital age

Has drawing changed in an age of digital technology? Debate around the value of drawing has gained impetus as creatives, including artists, designers and makers are increasingly exploring the potential of and are influenced by the burgeoning creative opportunities that digital technologies offer.

Originally trained as a craft potter, Tavs Jorgensen, through his more recent engagement with digital design and productio...

Path: /research-projects/one-liner

University of the Village

University of the Village. Universities Connecting with Rural Communities is a project undertaken in collaboration between Falmouth University, University of Surrey, University of Glamorgan and BT, and rural communities in Cornwall, Surrey and Wales.

Path: /research-projects/university-village

Knowledge Exchange project with Truro Cathedral

For Truro Cathedral we are aiming to design a new highly inclusive interactive interpretation system. Truro Cathedral has over 200,000 visitors a year, and does a lot educational work in schools, and was looking for highly accessible new technologies solution to simplify their education programme. RFID was selected as the appropriate technology as it very simple to use, and can the wrapped up into standalone application that requires little technical ...

Path: /research-projects/knowledge-exchange-project-truro-cathedral

The New Independent School of Philosophy

The New Independent School of Philosophy is an initiative of a group of postgraduate researchers working across the arts in the Combined Universities of Cornwall.

We work between departments and institutions to generate dialogue between academic practitioners from all disciplines so that our research might produce all manner of exotic flower & fruit through the happy (or unhappy!) cross-pollination of ideas.

We have a wordpress blog set up whi...

Path: /research-projects/new-independent-school-philosophy

'Ideal' Homes: Design, Architecture and Suburban Modernity in England, 1908-2014

Dr Deborah Sugg Ryan's research project is funded by a British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship in 2012-13. It explores the architecture, design and decoration of the ‘ideal' home. It draws on and extends Deborah's research on the Ideal Home Show (IHS), which resulted in her doctorate (1995), a monograph (1997) and Design Museum exhibition ‘Ideal Homes' (1993). The proposed programme extends the focus on ‘ideal' homes to representations in novels, memoirs,...

Path: /research-projects/ideal-homes-design-architecture-and-suburban-modernity-england-1908-2014

Rural Connective

The Rural Connective is a new initiative, a partnership between Falmouth University, dot.rural (The Rural Digital Economy Research Hub) at The University of Aberdeen and BT. It is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

We are planning to hold four workshops with researchers, industry professionals and other stakeholders to explore how cultural and creative capital can be enhanced in rural communities through the availability of Superfast Broadband. It is envisaged tha...

Path: /research-projects/rural-connective

Researcher Development AIR Sessions

These lunchtime meetings combine Research Bites, a forum for sharing/disseminating research, and Development Bites, sessions to develop researchers.

Path: /research-projects/researcher-development-air-sessions

From Connectivity to Impact Through Making and Media

Arts and Humanities Research Council funded project: Community-Appropriated Research Model (CARM), From Connectivity to Impact Through Making and Media

A rich vein of creativity, resourcefulness, knowledge and skills runs through the villages, towns and cities of the UK where heritage groups, arts centres, allotment holders, sports clubs, craft projects, and a vast array of organisations and societies demonstrate the deeply felt need to ‘do things’, share and connect i...

Path: /research-projects/connectivity-impact-through-making-and-media

Arts and Humanities Research Council Collaborative Doctoral Award (CDA)

Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Collaborative Doctoral Award (CDA) for funded full-time research studentship working on the project: 'Use Your Hands for Happiness': crafts practice as a means of building community assets, health and well-being.

This collaborative doctoral project between Falmouth University and Arts for Health (Penryn) focuses on the diverse ways in which craft practice can enhance the well-being and health of communities in primary care health...

Path: /research-projects/arts-and-humanities-research-council-collaborative-doctoral-award-cda

AIR Pressure

The Academy for Innovation and Research (AIR), Falmouth University, invites enquiring minds and entrepreneurial souls to a week of activity responding to and communicating changing climate.

Path: /research-projects/air-pressure

Superfast Cornwall Labs

Superfast Cornwall Labs is the brand name for the community that is engaged in the key research challenges associated with the roll out of superfast broadband across Cornwall.

Members include Cornwall Development Company, British Telecom, Falmouth University and selected academic institutions and business representatives.

As the first County to benefit from 40Mbs-100 Mbs broadband there is a real opportunity to develop expertise and capacity to make the most of per...

Path: /research-projects/superfast-cornwall-labs

Knowledge Exchange project with Porthcurno Telegraph Museum

The Porthcurno Telegraph museum has a unique historic provenance: this is where telegraph cables that linked Britain with its Empire and other nations came ashore. The valley was the hub of international cable communications from 1870-1970 and also training college for the communications industry until 1993.

Our Project Jason Cleverly, Justin Marshall & Tim Shear

The museum holds a significant collect...

Path: /research-projects/knowledge-exchange-project-porthcurno-telegraph-museum

Current Focus

We engage in a wide range of research and enterprise projects working with regional, national and international research teams and businesses. Our our current focus is on two integrated themes: Sustainable Design & The Digital Economy

The Digital Economy

The creative application and competitive potential of convergent and emerging media technologies to support the development of new types of on-line content, new business models and connected audiences and communities, particualrly relating to opportunities afforded by the implementation of superfast broadband in a rural area,

For general enquiries about research and development opportunities in the Digital Economy theme contact: Professor Phil Stenton phil.stenton@falmouth.ac.uk

Sustainable Design

The application of contemporary design processes such as user-centred design methodologies and digital prototyping/manufacturing techniques to meet a wide range of social, economic and business challenges that improve financial and environmental sustainability in a rural environment.

For general enquiries about research and development opportunities in the Sustainable Design theme contact: Dr David Hawkins david.hawkins@falmouth.ac.uk