Grant spurs aerospace research forward
DR Chai Ai Bao from the Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus ( UNMC) received an Early Career Academic grant of £ 2,000 ( RM10,463) awarded by the Association of Commonwealth Universities ( ACU).
“I am delighted and extremely thankful to receive this grant and would like to express my sincere appreciation to ACU for the opportunity provided to me,” she says.
“This grant to attend ICMAE 2016 ( International Conference on Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) will enable me to generate creative and innovative research ideas from this prestigious conference, which will be beneficial for my future research grant proposal writing and application.
“Lastly, I am also grateful to my family members and colleagues for their endless support in establishing my research work at UNMC,” says Dr Chai.
The grant was launched in 2013 in answer to a series of calls to assist young academic staff from ACU institutions to attend conferences in other commonwealth countries.
The maximum amount of each grant is £ 2,000, which can be used to cover travel and visa costs, conference fees, accommodation and subsistence.
With 30 grants available this year, Dr Chai was one of those selected out of some 220 applicants from ACU institutions, which include 500 member institutions in 37 countries across the Commonwealth.
Dr Chai will be using the grant for her research project that focuses on natural rubber biocomposites for aerospace application. This research project studies the potential of food solid waste materials as biofillers in natural rubber biocomposites for aircraft interiors.
The grant enabled Dr Chai to participate in the 7th ICMAE held from July 18 to 22 this year in London, the United Kingdom.
Upon obtaining her PhD ( Doctor in Philosophy) in the field of mechanical aspect of polymer from the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Dr Chai was appointed an assistant professor at UNMC in the Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering in 2014.
“The university as a whole has always been supportive in helping early career academics move forward with their career progression,” says Prof Ng Hoon Kiat, head of the Department for Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering at UNMC.
“The research work undertaken by Dr Chai and the impact of her work is remarkable. We are particularly proud of her for the award she received.” For more information, visit