OVERVIEW

Teaching and learning experience can be enhanced through lecturers' and students' involvement in research activities and in the development of fields related to the nation's growth.

The faculty ensures that each research and development project run by the lecturers falls into the niche areas identified by the faculty in order to utilize its strength found in its pool of expertise and physical facilities.

Research Centers

The faculty had identified a number of niche areas which have critical mass at faculty level in order to become the Centre of Excellence.  The Centre organized research and development programs, consultancy and focused professional training which involved expertise from other disciplines in the university.  The objective was to secure contracts from the public or private sectors in order to generate income for the faculty.  At present, four Centers' of Excellence had been established by the faculty as listed below.

Road Safety Research Center (RSRC)
Housing Research Center(HRC)
Mountainous Terrain Development Research Center (MTDRC)
Centre of Excellence for Wireless and Photonic Network (WiPNET)
Centre of Excellence on Lightning Protection (CELP)

The faculty had also initiated professional chairs with sponsorship secured from corporate sectors.  The objectives are:

1. to facilitate researchers from inside and outside the faculty to execute research with local and oversea research institutes
2. to invite prominent scientists for short and long term visits
3. to prepare financial budgets to sustain post doctoral research

Research Projects

The Eight Malaysia Plan ended in 2005 and during its duration, most of the approved research projects were completed.  Under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation offers 3 research grants : Technofund -Innofund and Sciencefund.  In addition, the Ministry of Higher Education initiated the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme and  UPM offers the Research University Grant Scheme.