Exeter College DPhil student wins Innovation4All Prize
Exeter College student Gayatri Sundar Rajan (2022, DPhil candidate in Engineering Science) has won the inaugural Worshipful Company of Engineers and Tech4All Innovation4All Research Award for her ‘INDECO’ project. The award comprised of £20,000 to support Gayatri’s work creating engineering-based solutions for issues leading to disadvantage or poverty.
INDECO strives to reduce water scarcity and hunger while generating income for smallholding farmers in low-to-middle income countries. The project’s goals are to develop low-cost, off-grid integrated desalination and cold storage systems that clean contaminated groundwater and provide storage for agricultural products, reducing food waste. The systems will utilise solar cooling to integrate renewable energy, clean water, and cooling capacity.
INDECO addresses the staggering issue of food and clean water insecurity; 800 million people around the globe do not have access to clean drinking water and 300 million tons of food is lost annually due to lack of refrigeration.
The new Innovation4All award highlights and supports engineers to alleviate global issues. Gayatri said about the award, “The award will support the experimental work and real-world impact associated with my DPhil project, INDECO, in developing a desalination and refrigeration cogeneration system for low-to-middle income countries. I would like to thank my research team, Professor Nick Hankins, Dr Binjian Nie, Dr Christian Peters, and Seda Zeynep Keles for their continued support in the project development.”
In addition to her studies, Gayatri is involved in Exeter’s Green Action team, supporting College sustainability goals with her engineering background.
Learn more about Innovate4All and apply for the 2024 Award here.
From left to right: Warren East – former CEO of Rolls-Royce, Giles Keating – Chair of Tech4All , Gayatri Sundar Rajan, Raymond Joyce – Master of the Worshipful Company of Engineers
