Institute of Sound and Vibration Research
The Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR) was founded in 1963 and is one of the leading research centres for acoustics in the world. Our principal functions are graduate-level teaching and research in sound, vibration and related areas. We work to improve understanding of acoustic and vibrational phenomena as they affect the wellbeing of the community and the quality of engineering products, and to train students 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.
