The Ken Dale Travel Bursary offers young building services engineers the opportunity to experience technical, economic, environmental, social and political conditions in another country and to examine how these factors impact the practice of building services engineering.
The Ken Dale Travel Bursary has been established by CIBSE to commemorate Ken Dale's contribution to the Institution and the building services profession. The Bursary makes awards available of between £1,500 and £4,000 to CIBSE members in the developmental stage of their career who wish to spend three to four weeks outside their own country researching aspects connected to their field of work and which will benefit CIBSE, their employer, their clients and the profession. CIBSE is especially keen to encourage applicants to take up the award for research that articulates CIBSE's concern for the environment.
Our 2023 winner is Ibrahim Qadir! Read our press release.
The award is the subject of an open competition among members of CIBSE and has an annual closing date. The CIBSE panel will generate a shortlist of applicants based on their proposals and final selection will take place following presentations by the shortlisted candidates at interview.
If shortlisted for an interview, you will then be asked to provide an estimate of the amount of money you would require to undertake this project. If you are applying for or have obtained funding from elsewhere, please inform us at this stage. Please note that we cannot pay for secretarial assistance, computers, stationery, and replacement staff costs or for unpaid study leave while you are undertaking the study.
Applications open
We are now accepting applications for the Ken Dale Travel Bursary 2024, please refer to the prepare your application document before completing your submission.
The deadline for applications is Wednesday 1 May 2024
If you have any questions please email [email protected]
Terms and Conditions
Please read the following terms and conditions carefully before completing the application:
- The successful candidate will travel for research connected with the applicant’s field of work which will benefit CIBSE, their employer, their clients, and the profession.
- The amount awarded depends on the scope of the project to be undertaken, its length and the country or countries proposed for the study, but will not exceed £4,000.
- A written report of 5,000-10,000 words, based on the research and travel experience, will be produced, and its findings presented at the next October President’s Prize dinner. A further, more detailed presentation to the CIBSE Council may also be conducted.
- A certificate presentation will be made at the President’s Dinner in October to the successful applicant.
- The awards are administered by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).
- The report will be the property of CIBSE.
- The candidate’s employer may supplement the award, but there must be no restriction on open disclosure and comment of all matters covered by the study/research for which the award was granted.
Previous Winners
Ibrahim Qadir, Building Services Engineering Apprentice at Vital Energi scooped this year’s CIBSE Ken Dale Bursary with his proposed research project, Technical Challenges and opportunities of future AI technology in buildings: A comparative study.
“With a focus on technical challenges, economics, and environmental impact, I aim to provide practical solutions, attract investment, and raise awareness. Together, we can drive sustainable advancements for CIBSE and the wider community.”
Joey's report looks at the The Domestic Retrofit Challenge whilst John tackles Sustainable ventilation in commercial building environments for the 'new normal'.
Here our winners present their reports:
Ken Dale 2020 Winner Joey Aoun explores the challenges of domestic retrofitting - YouTube
Lucy is joint-chair of the CIBSE Young Energy Performance Group (YEPG). Previously a Sustainability & Energy Consultant, she has spent the past year completing a scholarship at Swansea University and wrote her report on Demand Management: Photovoltaics, Electric Vehicles and the Strive for Decarbonisation.
Lucy said, “The Ken Dale Bursary has been a wonderful experience which I am grateful to CIBSE for. It’s not every day you get funded to travel the world and research a topic of your choice at this developmental stage of your career. The experience has been a positive one and I have learnt many things beyond the scope of this report. I have been challenged and as a result grown in knowledge and confidence in my practice. I have enjoyed meeting interesting people across the world who contributed to my research and their support has been very encouraging. If as you’re reading this, you are in the developmental stages of your career and have a bright idea to research for CIBSE, I encourage you to apply for this bursary.”
You can view Lucy's report here
The winner of the Ken Dale Travel Bursary 2017 was St John Townshend, Graduate Building Performance Engineer for Hydrock Consultants. St John investigated air pollution and the built environment: the response to air quality, using building services as a tool for change. His research took him to India, China, South Korea and Singapore and he visited a range of buildings that excelled in tackling indoor air quality, and received outstanding accreditation for their design.
Aluwaine will be assessing the impact of using off-grid solar-powered DC LED lighting systems to improve reliability and access to lighting in southern Africa's rural buildings.
Aluwaine said "The Ken Dale Travel Bursary gave me an opportunity to travel to rural areas located in Zambia and Zimbabwe. I had an opportunity to interact and also get a first-hand experience with how lighting affects productivity in buildings during the night, especially in those areas that are not electrified. The Kendale Travel Bursary really gave me a lifetime opportunity that I was really looking for in my career growth. I hope more people can benefit from this opportunity and carry out research on various topics in the building environment."
You can read Aluwaine's report here
Raphael completed a BSc in Architectural Engineering and Design Management in 2013 and an MSc in Low Carbon Building Design and Modelling in 2015. Raphael now works as an Energy & Sustainability Development Consultant for Hurley Palmer Flatt.
Raphael's proposed research on the design of offices in relation to female occupancy caught the judges eyes and took him across the world to Rio de Janeirio, San Franciso and Doha; with research involving over 190 particpants.
Raphael said “The Ken Dale Travel Bursary has been a great experience all around. It has given me the opportunity to explore a research topic, provide detailed analysis of my case studies and report findings to an unlimited audience through CIBSE. I have taken away key skills that will go on to further assist with developing my career – analytical thinking, networking, presenting. All very much needed in the ever-changing world we live in.”
You can view Raphael's report on 'A Global Study: Designing for Gender Equality' here
Antoni completed a BSc in Building Engineering/Architectural Technology in 2013 at the Polytechnic University of Valencia & University Iberoamericana of Puebla Valencia. Spain & Puebla. Mexico. In 2014 Antoni moved to London to study for his MSc in Building Services Engineering with Sustainable Energy at Brunel University. Antoni joined WSP as an engineer in 2014 and has currently been working in the building services industry for three years. Antoni impressed the judges for the Ken Dale award with his presentation for his proposed study on Resilience and Adaptive Capacity for Upcoming Climate Challenges.
Antoni said, "Winning the CIBSE Ken Dale Travel Bursary means gaining new perception by visiting new countries, meeting engineers around the world and experiencing new ways of working. It’s a unique opportunity to discover, learn and develop things that are not written in textbooks. Furthermore, this award will allow me to add my bit to the industry towards designing better buildings."
You can view Antoni's report here
You can view some great pictures of Antoni's trip on his Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/antonisapina/
Elie researched Energy reduction in airports. Elie travelled to Hong Kong, Stavanger, Bergen, Oslo, Galapagos Islands and San Francisco. You can view Elie's report here