Institute of Sound and Vibration Research
The Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR) was founded in 1963. It is an internationally recognised centre of excellence for research and training in acoustics and vibration. The ISVR is committed to improving our understanding of acoustics and vibration and their impact on the wellbeing of the community and the quality and performance of engineering products. The Institute is internationally acknowledged for its contributions to reducing noise and vibration in engineering applications – rail and aircraft noise for example – but also for fundamental work on understanding how humans hear sounds and process this information; research which leads to technical innovations such as improved cochlear implants and hearing devices which transform the quality of life for the hearing impaired and profoundly deaf. The ISVR offers undergraduate and postgraduate taught degrees in Acoustical Engineering and Audiology in which students are trained to apply their expertise to the solution of practical problems.
ISVR was awarded a 2006 Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education. The prize is part of the national honours system and is awarded every two years to only about 20 university and FE departments across all disciplines. It was awarded to us for sustained excellence and outstanding achievements in research in the field of sound and vibration.
The Institute is unusual, as part of a university, in that external research contracts and grants provide over two-thirds of our financial support. This comes from industry, research councils, government departments, health authorities and from overseas.
ISVR has grown over the years so that we now have 30 academic staff as well as a large number of research staff and students working in four research groups:
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Human Sciences: Human Factors Research Unit and the Hearing and Balance Centre
As well as MSc courses in sound and vibration, we offer undergraduate courses in acoustical engineering, acoustics and music, and audiology. There is also an MSc Audiology.
The ISVR also undertakes consultancy and research to industry and government departments through its Enterprise unit, ISVR Consulting.
