The funding, which forms part of a £1 million donation to the UK's top design and engineering universities, aims to encourage young engineers to pursue their interests at postgraduate level. The money will provide financial support for outstanding students who demonstrate a passion for engineering, enthusiasm for the research topic and financial need.
The UK produces only 24,000 engineering graduates a year, compared to 300,000 in China and 450,000 in India.
James Dyson said: "Studying design and engineering is costly. But it's vital. We don't produce enough engineers to get the country out of economic doldrums with new technology. The challenge is ensuring the best don't drop out in favour of banking careers.”
The donation will fund one new three-year postgraduate bursary of £25,000 per annum each year from 2011 to 2013. The funding, totaling £225,000, will be available to students undertaking PhDs at the University of Bristol.
Professor Sally Heslop, Head of the Graduate School of Engineering at the University of Bristol, added: “We are delighted with this generous donation from the James Dyson Foundation. The extra funding this will provide for PhD students who would not otherwise be able to afford postgraduate study is very important for the Faculty. It will benefit some of the UK’s most exceptional young engineers, and we look forward to forging strong links with such an innovative organisation as Dyson.”
Bristol's engineering heritage is world famous, and the city continues to be an international leader in the field. The University’s Faculty of Engineering has spent over £25 million on infrastructure and laboratory equipment, which keeps it at the forefront of teaching and research.
The James Dyson Foundation also offers support for new ideas, last year the charity made its largest single donation of £5 million to the Royal College of Art, to help fund a major new building in London. This building will provide a lecture theatre, gallery space, studios and 40 business incubator units - that will encourage the UK's next generation of design engineers to take the plunge and start their own ventures.