Engineering student teams and societies

Engineering students have the opportunity to take part in competitions and other practical activities to hone their skills in preparation for their careers.

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Engineering Student Led Teams

Avalon ROV - underwater robotics

The Avalon ROV team is a group engineering students with a passion for underwater robotics. Each year the team designs and builds an ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) to perform missions underwater such as installing turbines or retrieving samples.

ROV competition robot 2018
Engineers Without Borders - sustainability

Engineers Without Borders Sheffield is a group of student engineers who use sustainable technology to help remove barriers to development. The society run a wide range of projects based around sustainability and humanitarianism. They have serveal projects at the moment:

  • Rainwater harvesting - At Crewe Flats in Endcliffe, the project is designing a sustainable timber-framed structure with a rainwater harvesting system on the roof. This project will promote green urban building and sustainable living, as well as supporting the Sheffield horticultural society that uses the local allotments
  • Precious plastic - The project aims to make a series of machines (including a shredder, an extrusion machine, an injection machine, and a compression machine) from which recycled plastic can be converted into various small objects. Recycled plastic could then be collected from the university buildings which will be used to form different objects, which in turn can be given to charity.
  • Project kestrel - The project is building a prototype three-metre wingspan VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) drone that will be used for last-mile transportation of vital medical supplies in rural Africa, incorporating a modular design, virtually unlimited control range, and on-board image recognition. Project Kestrel is a collaboration between EWB Sheffield and Project Blueprint.
  • Wind Turbine - The project will be following a detailed material selection, design, and assembly design book by Hugh Piggott for creating small, cheap, and student-led wind turbines. The wind turbine will be installed at Whirlow farm where it will be used in one of their low power requirements building sites.

Contact: Facebook: EWB-Sheffield Branch Twitter: EWBSheffield  Website: EWB Sheffield

The iForge - makerspace

The iForge is the UK's first student-led makerspace, giving students the opportunity to collaborate, create and make outside of their academic studies.

A male and a female student use a 3D printer in the iForge
Project Hex

Project Hex are a student-led team with over 50 members at the University of Sheffield who design, build and fly Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS's).

Project Phoenix - aircraft

A student-led project to construct and pilot a 1920s, single engine, two seater Pietenpol Air Camper aircraft. The team consists of members from across engineering departments, plus some from outside of engineering.

Railway Challenge at Sheffield

Railway Challenge at Sheffield is an interdisciplinary team of engineers who design and manufacture a miniature locomotive to compete in the annual IMechE Railway Challenge.

RCAS 2021
Sheffield Bionics

Sheffield Bionics are a group of students who work together to design and create innovative prosthetic devices and biologically-inspired assistive technologies.

Sheffield Eco Motorsports

Student teams around the world design, build and drive the most energy-efficient vehicle. The competition runs under strict global technical and safety rules and rewards teams that excel both on and off the track.

SheffEV

A new project in 2021, aiming to convert a petrol/diesel car to electric! They aim to try and make the conversion as affordable as possible to prove it can be done on a mass scale. This project involves electrical, mechanical and chemical engineering as well as outreach and communication with industry.

Sheffield Formula Racing

Student teams from around the world design, build, test and race a small-scale Formula style racing car. This is an annual engineering competition held at Silverstone and run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Winners of the 2021 Formula Student UK Competition!

SheffHEPP - hydroelectric power

SheffHEPP (Sheffield Hydroelectric Power project) aims to deliver a temporary hydroelectric power installation for the village of Nether Langwith in order to power the Christmas lights on the green. The project is in collaboration with the Nether Langwith Parish Council.

Sheffield Space Initiative

SunbYte - The SunbYte project aims to  change this by proving that low cost telescopes launched on high altitude balloons can still collect high quality, research ready images.

SunrIde - The team was formed in 2017 with an objective of bringing together engineering skills and innovation for rocketry design.

SUNSat - Project SunSat’s aim is to develop a standardised service module where an experimental payload can be connected to a standardised interface and function using the EPS, ADCS, TC systems of SunSat.

SunStratos - Sheffield University Stratosphere Programme (SunStratos) aims to designing a High Altitude Long Endurance fixed-wing UAV, incorporating a foldable wing mechanism, that can be launched from a rocket and deploy autonomously. It will be equipped with a high-resolution camera that could be used for high altitude research, search and rescue operations or wildfire observation.

SunFire - SunFire is a collaborative project between the two Sheffield universities to build and fly a liquid rocket engine, designed with sustainability in mind.

MoonWorks - Project MoonWorks aims to develop a miniature lunar rover which can retrieve ice samples from the depths of moon craters.

MarsWorks - Creating a Mars Rover to compete in the European Rover Challenge.

Simurq Aeronautics

Created and run by students with the aim of taking part in aircraft design competitions. The team has successfully competed in the British Model Flying Association Heavy Lift and Electric Lift Challenges and also the International MAV (Micro Air Vehicle) competition. Projects include:

  • Project Hex, who are embarking on an enterprising two year long project to design, build and fly an advanced 3.2m wingspan VTOL Fixed Wing UAS to enter into the 2023 AUVSI SUAS challenge.
  • Project Volaticus, which was initially created with the goal of human powered flight. Now they use their fixed wing design skills to compete in the IMechE UAS Challenge, with June 2019 marking the first competition entered.
  • Project Falcon - creating the world’s first variable incidence winged octocopter to push the capabilities of modern flight research. The team aims to showcase their prototype in UAV tech fairs and compete in an international competition soon.

Facebook: simurqaero Twitter: SimurqAero Website: Simurq Aeronautics

Engineering Student Societies

AeroSoc

AeroSoc is a society for anyone studying Aerospace and for those who have an interest in it. They connect course-mates and those with similar interests together through socials, educational trips and their league winning sports teams.

Automatic Control & Systems Engineering Society

The ACSE Socety provides all ACSE students, both undergraduates and postgraduates, the opportunity to meet ACSE students across all courses and years by holding a variety of events such as pub quizzes, sports events or bar crawls. They  also have an annual visit to The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and an ACSE Ball at the end of the year.

Bioengineering Society

The Bioengineering Society is for those who are studying or are interested in the Bioengineering. The society connects students socially who are currently studying the degree, getting to know other like-minded people with similar interests. There are loads of different things that you can get involved with - so you can join in with whatever you want to.

Chemical Engineering Society

This is a faculty-based, student-run society for members of the Chemical Engineering department at the University of Sheffield. The Chemical Engineering Society is here to give students a chance to meet and socialise with other people on the course as well as those from other engineering faculties too.

Civil Engineering Society

CivSoc is the society for students studying any variation of Civil Engineering at Sheffield. It is run entirely by Civil & Structural Engineering students with the sole aim of ensuring that, for the duration of your course, you have a great time with your fellow course mates.

Computer Science Society

Sheffield CompSoc is open to everyone, not just computer scientists, so if you are a historian, chemist or electrical engineer and want to join, please do! They host a range of inclusive events, from beginner workshops to drinking and sober socials.

Electronic & Electrical Engineering Society

The official society of Electronic & Electrical Engineering runs socials, trips, sports, and careers events for EEE students and others.

GEM Society

GEMSoc (General Engineering Masters Society) represents the close-knit community of General Engineers studying at the University of Sheffield. The society's mission is to add to the university experience by supporting student wellbeing.

Materials Science and Engineering Society

MatSoc is a student-run society for the Materials Science and Engineering department. Activtities are: social events throughout the year, including an annual Freshers Black T-Shirt Social, Christmas Ceilidh, and Spring Ball.

Mechanical Engineering Society

The Mechanical Engineering Society organises industrial, social and sports events throughout the year for its members. They prode themselves in offering members as many opportunities as possible in all aspects of university life.

Sheffield BAME Engineers Society

The BAME Engineers Society was set up in 2022 and they aim to create a platform for under represented engineers to socialize and network with each other to help tackle the problems we face in industry.

Sheffield LGBT+ in STEM Society

Set up in 2021 the LGBT+ in STEM society are focused on supporting and meeting people who are in the LGBT+ community who also study STEM subjects.

Women in Computer Science Society

A society at the University of Sheffield creating a community of people who support Women in Computer Science.

Women in Engineering Society

The Women in Engineering (WiE) Student Society was founded in 2012 with the aim of redressing the gender imbalance in the discipline. Raising the profile of talented female engineers and widening the general understanding of engineering are key targets of the programme, particularly through outreach initiatives with school students

Related information

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International undergraduate scholarships

We offer a generous package of financial support for international undergraduate students, including scholarships worth £10,000 towards the annual tuition fee.

Applications are open for existing offer holders for an undergraduate degree programme starting in autumn 2025.

International Undergraduate Merit Scholarship 2025