Radio Frequency (RF) engineering and communications are an important part of the Electronics sector in the UK; however the decline in numbers of young people taking an interest in radio communications has created a specific skills shortage. To help tackle this, the UKESF collaborated with the Radio Communications Foundation (RCF) to run a competition to encourage undergraduate interest in RF Engineering.

The Competition

This national competition was open to undergraduates who were completing their major individual project (3rd or 4th year; 4th or 5th year in Scotland), with a principal focus on RF engineering and communications. Entrants were required to submit to their university contact a summary of their project in the form of either an A1 printable poster, a video (via YouTube) or a report (no more than 1,500 words, including any references and footnotes). Their summary must have included:

  • Aim and objectives relating to RF engineering and communications
  • A circuit diagram (if applicable; projects based on simulations still eligible)
  • Results
  • Impact and outcome in relation to RF engineering and communications
  • Next steps

Entries were submitted to the UKESF via the entrant’s university. Each university then submitted their top three entries to the UKESF, and winners were announced in the autumn.

Prizes

The overall winner received £1,000, with one runner-up receiving £500. Winners were expected to help promote RF Engineering and Communications.

Eligibility

To qualify, entrants must:

  • Be registered at a UKESF partner university on a BEng or MEng degree that contains a substantial amount of Electronics or Electronic Engineering;
  • Qualify as a UK or EU student for tuition fees or be a British National, with a permanent right to work in the UK upon graduation;
  • Submit their own work; no pairing or team entries will be accepted.

Any questions, please email [email protected].

Past Winners

2021

Winner: UKESF Scholar Patrick Hope (Surrey/R-P-R)

Runner-up: Max Rigby (Loughborough)

L–R: Trevor Gill, Patrick, Max, Stew Edmondson

2020

Winner: UKESF Scholar Matthew Bridges (University of Surrey/SEA)

Runners-up: Tom Moody (University of Southampton/Meggitt) and Jessica Kelly (Loughborough University)

L–R: Matthew, Jessica, Tom

2019

Winner: UKESF Scholar Andrey Miroshnikov (University of Bristol/Dialog Semiconductor)

Runners-up: Edward Lewis (Lancaster University) and Calum Bolland (University of Edinburgh).

L–R: Stew Edmondson, Trevor Gill, Calum, Edward, Andrey, Prof Kevin Morris

2018

Winner: Jonathan Rawlinson (Imperial College London)

Runners-up: Max Landles (Heriot-Watt University) and Scott Dearnaley (Lancaster University)

L–R: Merv Haynes, Scott, Trevor Gill, Jonathan, Andy Nix, Max, Stew Edmondson

2017

Winner: Mihnea Trifan (University of Sheffield)

Runners-up: Samantha Heyes (Loughborough University) and Rob Astill (University of Bath)

The 2017 finalists with Don Beattie and Trevor Gill from the RCF