Student Research Grants

Student Research Grants is sponsored by SFPE Foundation. To support innovative baccalaureate-level and graduate-level student research projects in fire safety science, fire protection engineering, and related fields, and to showcase the contributions of students to the advancement of fire protection engineering. While not directly HVAC, fire safety often involves thermal management.

Student Research Grants - Foundation Skip auxiliary navigation (Press Enter). The submission portal reopens on September 1, 2026 with a due date of October 1, 2026. Please note, the application system requires you to register for an account.

You will be able to save your application and finish it later, as well as check on the status of your application. We strongly recommend that you submit your application as early as possible, because setting up an account takes some extra time, and if you experience any technical difficulties, you may need to reach out for help. Contact Amanda Tarbet at atarbet@sfpefoundation.

org with any questions about the grants or the application system. About the Student Research Grant Program Goal: Realize the SFPE Foundation vision through providing educational and research opportunities for the next generation of fire protection engineers.

Purpose: To support innovative baccalaureate-level and graduate-level student research projects in fire safety science, fire protection engineering, and related fields, and to showcase the contributions of students to the advancement of fire protection engineering.

Support for the Student Research Grant Program is provided by generous donations to the SFPE Foundation from individual, SFPE Chapter, and corporate donors, including a matching gift from UL Research Institutes and UL Solutions. Read about our Past Recipients . Funding: Each awardee receives a $5,000 USD grant to support their research project as described in their proposal.

Travel Support: If needed, Student Research Grant winners are encouraged to apply for Student Travel Grant funding to offset the cost of traveling to attend and present their SFPE Foundation-funded research project at an SFPE or SFPE Foundation-affiliated conference or event. Applicants should not include travel costs for dissemination activities (such as conference presentations) in their grant budget.

Student Research Grants are not intended to substitute for Student Travel Grants. The strongest proposals will be for projects that can be completed within 12 months from the date of award. If funding is requested for a specific part of a multi-year project, the applicant must be clear in their proposal about what they expect to accomplish with this funding within the 12-month award period.

This program is intended for undergraduate and graduate students conducting research with a fire safety science or fire engineering focus. This program is not open to teams of applicants; proposals should name only one student as the intended recipient. Submission Portal: The grant proposal must be submitted by the student through this form and must include the student's faculty advisor's recommendation.

Note: We are using a new application system that requires you to make an account. If you do not already have a Blackbaud account, click the link to create an account. Late applications will not be accepted under any circumstances.

Plan ahead to allow sufficient time to set up your account in our system and complete all required components. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Required Elements: All applicants will be prompted to answer a series of questions in the online application and to upload a PDF file describing their proposed research project.

First, as part of our commitment to tackling the research priorities identified in the Foundation’s Grand Challenges Initiative (GCI), all applicants are strongly encouraged to select the GCI topic area that most closely corresponds to their proposed project (Energy & Infrastructure; Resilience & Sustainability; Climate Change; or Digitalization, Artificial Intelligence, & Cybersecurity).

All applicants must explain how their project is related to their chosen GCI topic area and the research needs described in the corresponding GCI white paper. If none of the four GCI categories apply, then applicants may elect to submit under the “Open” category. However, priority will be given to projects that align with our priorities under the GCI.

Second, applicants are asked to select keywords—drawn from the SFPE Research Roadmap—that best represent their project. Then, applicants are required to upload a PDF of their research project proposal. The PDF containing the proposal should not exceed 5 pages single-spaced (not including the cover page, bibliographic references, recommendation letter, Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form, or Research Integrity Agreement).

Any proposals that exceed the 5-page limit will not be considered. The proposal document should include the following elements: Cover Page: Title of the project; name, email address, and affiliation of the student; name and email address of academic supervisor/sponsor; and description of any prior financial support germane to the research project being proposed. (Does not count towards the page limit.)

Proposal Content: (All counts toward the page limit.)

Specific Aims (Objectives) Background and Significance Biographical Sketch of Principal Investigator, key staff, and/or students who will be involved in the proposed project Applicants will also be required to complete the following elements in the online submission portal (does not count toward the page limit): Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Form for SFPE Foundation Contractors & Grant Recipients ( required , complete the COI Form available here and upload in the submission portal) Research Integrity Agreement ( required , complete the form available here and upload in the submission portal) References/Letter of Support from Academic Supervisor/Sponsor ( required , enter contact information for references in the submission portal) All complete proposals adhering to the guidelines above will be evaluated by the SFPE Foundation Technical Committee using the rubric described below.

Note : To assist applicants in preparing the strongest possible proposal, we have provided a description of the qualities that would be consistent with an “excellent” submission in each category of the rubric. Please prepare your submission accordingly. Scientific Merit & Innovation (30%): Scientific merit will be gauged on the clarity of the objective of the proposal and the scientific validity of the approach.

The proposal should demonstrate the researcher's scientific knowledge of the problem. It should also demonstrate the innovation provided by the project.

Excellent proposals in this category will: Address a critical unresolved problem AND have the potential to have a high impact on practicing fire engineers Demonstrate strong understanding of the scientific method AND the ability to apply the scientific method to generate high-quality research outcomes and outputs that are NOT already widely available.

Show excellent command of the existing literature on the topic AND articulate how their project advances the state of the art into NEW areas of research and practice. Achievability (25%): The project must be shown to be achievable in the proposed timeline and within the budget of the award.

Proposed methods and procedures for achieving the objectives should be provided along with any significant risks that are perceived to completing the project. Any resources or perceived critical obstacles to the project should be identified.

Additionally, if this is supplemental funding, it should be made clear how the additional funds will be used, the source of additional funding, and if any potential conflicts or restrictions exist that would impact the presentation and publication of the research.

Excellent proposals in this category will: Be complete with at least one clear project deliverable within 12 months of the date of award and show a realistic understanding of the timeline involved. Include a budget and budget justification that is realistic, while also demonstrating clear value for money.

Use the funds for research expenses that are directly related to the project’s outcomes, such as materials or access to labs or lab equipment or fieldwork expenses; funds should not be used for conference travel. Demonstrate how this specific grant will make a difference to the amount of scientific progress that is possible; or, describe what is possible with this funding that would not be possible or achievable otherwise.

Include appropriate and realistic dissemination activities and project deliverables within the project timeline, consistent with the “Project Deliverables” section above, that also show a strong commitment to sharing research findings with the broader fire engineering community, including both researchers and practitioners.

Project Value (20%): The proposal should clearly illustrate how the proposed work meets the objectives of the call for Student Research Grant applications. The relevance of the project to advancing the priorities of the Foundation’s Grand Challenges Initiative will be included as part of this evaluation.

A description of the anticipated deliverables and any additional value the researcher is offering should clearly be enumerated (i.e., additional work beyond that required in the call for student grants).

Excellent proposals in this category will: Clearly demonstrate that the proposed research will help close a specific critical gap identified in a specific GCI white paper, or, if applying under the “Open” category, clearly articulate a major novel contribution to the fire engineering industry as a result of the proposed research project.

Clearly and specifically quantify the deliverables and dissemination activities that will result from this project. Refer to the “Project Deliverables” section of this page for additional guidance. Researcher Qualifications (20%): The proposal should clearly and succinctly provide qualifications of the proposed researcher.

This should include relevant prior research work, demonstrated success at carrying out research projects by meeting project deliverable dates and budgets, and research skills and education. One letter of recommendation from a faculty supervisor should be submitted along with the proposal to support the researcher's qualifications.

Excellent proposals in this category will: Include a recommendation letter from a faculty supervisor that demonstrates strong engagement with—and support for—the student’s research project, including naming any additional guidance or resources the student will have access to in completing the proposed research project.

Demonstrate that the student has the relevant training needed to complete the proposed project, as well as access to high-quality, subject-matter-expert advising and/or supervision needed to complete the project as proposed at the highest possible level. Final decisions rest with the Foundation's Board of Governors, upon recommendation from the Foundation’s Technical Committee.

Grants are awarded twice per year (assuming qualified submissions). In 2026, submissions must be received by April 6 to be awarded in June, and by October 1 to be awarded in November. All applicants will be notified of their status, whether awarded or not.

Submit complete applications to the SFPE Foundation through this form . Please contact the SFPE Foundation's Research Manager, Amanda Tarbet, at atarbet@sfpefoundation. org with any questions .

Jorge A. Valdivia Gavilán (PhD candidate, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA) has received a student research grant for his project, “Ignition of Wood under Coupled Convective and Radiative Heating in WUI Fires. ” This project will integrate controlled experiments using a custom apparatus with physics-based modeling to improve the understanding of ignition in woody fuels under coupled convective and radiative heating.

The results aim to refine predictive fire models used by engineers for exposure analysis in wildland-urban interface environments. Linnea Townsend (Undergraduate student, University of Waterloo, Canada) has received a student research grant for her project, “Statistical framework to establish delamination criteria in Cross Laminated Timber.

” This research treats heat-induced delamination in cross-laminated timber as a stochastic process driven by cumulative energy input rather than specific deterministic heat flux or temperature criteria. Townsend will apply conditional statistics to experimental data to identify key parameters that allow architects and engineers to select safer timber geometries.

Xiang Zhou (PhD candidate, University of Canterbury, New Zealand) has received a student research grant for his project, “Transferable and Robust AI Modelling for Smart Firefighting Using Graph Neural Networks. ” This project will develop a predictive AI architecture using Graph Neural Networks to estimate key fire development parameters, such as temperature and flashover, in real time.

Zhou aims to establish a transfer-learning framework that enables models to adapt across different tasks and building configurations to provide tactical decision support for firefighters.

Martin Veit (PhD student, Ghent University and the Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG), Belgium and Slovenia) has received a student research grant for his project, “Estimation of Velocity Field in Compartment Fire Openings Via Combustion Product Imaging Tracking .

” Veit aims to develop and validate an image-based methodology utilizing computer vision to measure the velocity fields of combustion gases at compartment openings. The project addresses the limitation of reliable, non-intrusive ventilation measurements in low-visibility environments to provide data for CFD model validation.

Wai Kit Cheung (PhD student, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University) has received a student research grant for his project, “Extending Visibility in Smoke Model beyond 15 m Range with Experimental and Numerical Approach. ” This project will evaluate exit sign visibility in a 30 m smoke chamber to extend current empirical models beyond their 15 m limitation.

By combining experimental data from various sign designs and smoke densities with numerical simulations, the study aims to refine building codes and improve performance-based design for safer emergency evacuations.

Yiyang Hu (PhD Student, State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, The University of Science and Technology of China) had received a student research grant for her project, “Structural Interaction Mechanisms of Frame-Panel Systems in Fire-Exposed Building-Integrated Photovoltaic Façades.

” Hu aims to investigate the coupled thermal and structural interactions between photovoltaic (PV) panels and various frame materials—including steel, aluminum, PVC, and timber—under compartment fire conditions.

The results of the study will then be used to establish a mechanistic basis for assessing how frame deformation and material properties influence PV panel fracture and fire spread in Building-Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) façades.

Laurens Labuhn (Master’s Student, IMFSE, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain) has received a student research grant for his project, “From Infrared Data to Burner Cells in CFD: Advancing Wildfire Modelling of Heat Release Behind the Flaming Front. ” Labuhn aims to advance wildfire modeling by developing a method to integrate infrared imagery data from smoldering areas into Fire Dynamics Simulator burner cells.

The project will investigate the relationship between cooling zones behind the fire front and the accuracy of virtual infrared monitoring tools. Henry Nakaana (Undergraduate Student, Arizona State University) has received a student research grant for his project, “Sustainable Post-Fire Soil Stabilization Using Engineered Fungal Mycelium: A Nature-Based Approach to Wildfire Remediation and Mitigation.

” Nakaana will explore a nature-based approach to wildfire remediation using engineered fungal mycelium to stabilize post-fire soils. The study aims to develop a scalable fungal slurry that binds soil particles, reduces catastrophic erosion, and enhances nutrient retention to accelerate ecosystem recovery in wildland-urban interface environments.

Justus van der Wulp (Master’s Student, Delft University, The Netherlands) has received a student research grant for his project, “Improving Fire Resistance Prediction of Glulam Timber Columns Using Gaussian Process Surrogate Modelling. ” His objective is to improve the fire resistance prediction of glulam timber columns by developing a Gaussian Process surrogate modelling framework.

To better understand and quantify the risks of delayed failure in mass timber buildings, the project will focus on "burnout resistance", which is the ability of a structural member to maintain its load-bearing function through both the heating and cooling phases of a natural fire.

Gabriele Campi (Master's student, The University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland), has received a student research grant for his project, “Fire Safety Assessment of Lightweight Building Integrated Photovoltaic Systems: From Polymer Films to Full-Scale Panels.

” Using representative mockups of typical PV layers integrated with materials that have flame retardant properties or other fire safety solutions, Gabriele will perform combustion tests to analyze the depth of the fire behavior. Data from this project will make it possible for BIPV manufacturers to design BIPV panels that are more fire safe without affecting energy efficiency and structural performance.

Yifei Ding (PhD student, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University), has received a student research grant for his project, “Intelligent Assessment of Structural Fuel Load and Damage Degree in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fire. ” Yifei will develop a database of geographic and structural information about buildings in fire-prone areas, and then ultimately use that data to train an AI model to forecast structural damage in a WUI fire.

The outcome of the project could potentially optimize firefighting strategies and evacuation planning for an entire community. Kara van Heerden (Master's student, Stellenbosch University), has received a student research grant for her project, “Human Behaviour in Wildland-Urban Interface Fires: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis of the 2017 Knysna Fire.

” Kara will be interviewing individuals who experienced the 2017 Knysna wildfire to discover how they made decisions, interacted with and responded to their surroundings, and what challenges they faced and how they responded to them during the fire. The goal of the project is to improve community safety during a WUI fire.

Hafizah Muhamad Azlan (PhD student, Universiti Teknologi MARA), has received a student research grant for her project, “Experimental Study on the Impact of Density and Moisture Content on the Thermal Degradation Kinetics of Wood Using Thermal Analysis Methods. ” She seeks to add to the knowledge base of timber as a building material by investigating thermal properties of various Malaysian woods.

Specifically, she will determine the cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin content of the selected wood; use Differential Thermal Analysis, Thermogravimetric analysis, and Differential Mechanical Thermal Analysis to study woods of different moisture content and densities at various temperature ranges and heating rates; and ultimately analyze the effect of moisture and density on their thermal properties.

Tadele Getu (PhD student, Queen's University), was awarded a student research grant for his project, “Evaluating Best Practice Guidelines for Fire Risk Reduction in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Communities: A Comparative Study of Regulatory Controls in Indigenous and Non-Indigenous communities in Fire-Prone Areas.

” Getu aims to evaluate and improve fire risk reduction guidelines and practices in wildland-urban interface (WUI) communities by comparing approaches in Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. He will assess current practices, identify best practices and gaps, and propose strategies to enhance community resilience.

Maria Binte Mannan (PhD student, University of Maryland College Park), has received a student research grant for her project, “Drywall Thermal Damage Quantification Using Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) Techniques. ” Gypsum calcination is a critical marker for fire investigations, but the depth probe method can be inconsistent.

With her project, Mannan aims to improve upon calcination quantification with an innovative ultrasound technique that is more precise and consistent than depth probes, ultimately advancing damage assessment practices in fire forensic science. Samuel Ojo (PhD student, Case Western Reserve University), has received a student research grant for his project, “Bioengineered Fire-Resistant Fungal Fibers for Sustainable Infrastructure.

” Fungal fibers have lately emerged as an eco-friendly, fire-resistant alternative to the use of additives to concrete like polyproplyene fibers and epoxy resin used to reduce spalling in fires.

Ojo will explore the fire-resistant properties of fungal fibers grown with a rice hull, determining its fire performance under real-world fire conditions and after exposure to evaluate its effectiveness at enhancing the fire resistance of concrete. Darko Glujić (PhD student, University of Rijeka), was awarded a student research grant for his project, “Testing of an Advanced CFD-VR Firefighting Scenario in a Ship Engine Room.

” He aims to create a more realistic and immersive training experience by integrating computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to accurately model fire and smoke spread. The project involves defining fire scenarios, conducting CFD simulations, transferring CFD results to a VR environment, and creating interactive training scenarios.

The developed VR scenarios will then be tested with users, and the collected data will be analyzed to assess the effectiveness of the training. Rajeendra Lakmina Pilana Godakandage (PhD student, University of Moratuwa and RMIT University) was awarded a student research grant for his project, “Effect of Ventilation Parameter on Fire Dynamics within Narrow Vertical Concealed Cavity Spaces.

” For this project, Godakandage will conduct six medium-scale cavity fire tests with varying airflow conditions. He will collect data on gas temperature, wall temperature, and flame height to analyze the impact of airflow on fire behavior in narrow vertical cavities, develop predictive models, and create a validated numerical simulation.

Kunal Mallick (PhD student, Presidency University), was awarded a student research grant for his project, “Pyrogenic Alterations of Soilscapes in Deciduous Forests of Southern West Bengal. ” Mallick aims to investigate the effects of forest fires on soil properties in the Rarh region of West Bengal, India.

The study will focus on the physiochemical transformations in soils across temporal and fire temperature gradients, evaluating soil properties at different depths post-fire events and during understory regeneration, and comparing surface water repellency between burnt and unburnt forest patches.

Wenxuan Wu (PhD student, The University of Queensland) was awarded a student research grant for his project, “Smouldering of Preservative-Treated Timber after Wildland/WUI Fires. ” Wu’s research project aims to study the smoldering potential of copper-based treated timber after wildfires.

He will assess the decomposition and smoldering rates of treated timbers under wildfire scenarios, providing insights into the occurrences and severity of smoldering inherent to different treatment types and concentrations. Amy Kurr (PhD Student, University of Tennesse - Knoxville) was awarded a student research grant for her project, "Fire Properties of Thermally Aged XLPE Cable Insulation."

Amy's research project seeks to assess the fire properties of cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation in cables under different time-temperature scenarios, focusing on specific heat release rate, heat release capacity, heat of combustion, ignition temperature, and smoke concentration.

The goal is to understand how thermal aging affects the insulation's fire properties, thereby improving cable reliability and reducing catastrophic failures in the transportation and energy sectors. Joshua Madden (PhD Student, The University of Queensland) was awarded a student research grant for his project, "Phenomena Governing the Fire Dynamics in Open-Plan Timber Compartments."

His proposed research project aims to develop engineering models for open-plan timber compartments in mass timber buildings, addressing the unique fire safety challenges they present compared to traditional concrete or steel structures.

The project will investigate the ignition, flame spread, and self-extinction behaviors of timber ceilings under varying conditions, aiming to integrate these findings into a comprehensive fire safety strategy for mass timber buildings.

Satorupa Karmakar (PhD student, University of Queensland-Indian Institute of Technology Delhi Joint Academy of Research) was awarded a student research grant for her project, "Understanding the Impact of Policies Designed to Mitigate Fire Risk in Informal Housing." Her proposed research project aims to understand and improve fire risk management in informal housing settlements, focusing on India and Australia.

The project will involve cross-country studies, workshops with various stakeholders, and thematic analysis to address the gaps in policy-making and practice of fire hazard management, contributing to sustainable urban growth and the implementation of sustainable development goals.

Zara Vermeulen (Master's Student, Stellenbosch University) was awarded a student research grant for her project, "Development of a Green/Biomass Intumescent Paint for Passive Fire Protection." With her research, Zara aims to develop a green intumescent paint using biomass materials for enhanced sustainability in passive fire protection.

The project will focus on understanding the fire behavior of biomass materials, developing a biomass-based intumescent paint, and comparing its fire performance and sustainability aspects with traditional intumescent paints.

Weng Jingwen (PhD Student, Department of Architectural Engineering, City University of Hong Kong) was awarded a student research grant for her project, "Fire-protection-oriented Battery Safety Management System Based on Artificial Neural Network." Although lithium-ion batteries are key to the future of electric vehicles, their tendency to overheat and potentially catch fire is a significant challenge.

Using a combination of computer simulations and artificial intelligence, this study aims to provide comprehensive solutions for battery fire protection.

Nikolaos Kalogeropoulos (PhD Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London) was awarded a student research grant for his project, "Evacuation Trigger Boundaries Applied to the Fire Safety of Rural Communities, with AI Acceleration and Applied to a Community in the 2019 Kincade Fire."

The aim of this project is to develop and improve a probabilistic trigger boundary algorithm to assist with long-term wildfire evacuation planning. Ultimately, the algorithm will become a completely machine learning-based tool.

Nik Rus (PhD Student, Department for Research of Fire-safe Sustainable Built Environment, University of Primorska, Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute [ZAG]) was awarded a student research grant for his project, “FireSafePV Materials.

” This project will study the effects of different types of roofing materials on the critical gap height between the roofing membrane and the PV panel in a building-applied Photovoltaic (BAPV) installation. Nik ultimately seeks to improve fire safety of BAPV with these experiments. The FRISSBE project receives funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 952395.

Tanmay Vora (PhD Student, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan) was awarded a student research grant for his project, “Modeling Transport of Firebrands using a Eulerian Multiphase Technique around Structures and Communities.

” The goal of this project is to formulate and experimentally verify and validate a novel computational model for firebrand transport that integrates a Eulerian multiphase model in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. It will be implemented using OpenFOAM.

Rocio Cortez (Master student, Texas State University, US) was awarded a student research grant for her project “ Integrating Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation into Disaster Loss Reduction Planning. ” This project will further empirical and practical understandings of the dynamics that explain wildlife rehabilitation and rescue’s (WRR) capacity to help minimize the consequences of wildfires.

It will analyze the conditions and factors that affect WRR’s ability to readily and effectively partake in wildfire response, and assess the nature of information exchange’s influence in wildfire response preparedness via cross-agency communication, coordination, and information exchange.

Marika du Plessis (MEng/PhD student, Stellenbosch University, South Africa) was awarded a student research grant for her project “ Experimental and Numerical Testing of Mass Timber Connections Considering Gap Size and Passive Protection. ” This project aims to understand if the fire behavior of mass timber connections can be predicted reliably and improved by using passive fire protection intumescent mastics.

Andrea Franchini (PhD student, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, UK) was awarded a student research grant for his project “ A Novel Risk-Based Fire Design Method for Sustainable Structures.

” This project is focused on developing an extension to the Maximum Allowable Damage approach using machine learning techniques and on implementing the approach into safe and sustainable structural optimization. Furthermore, the project will apply the proposed computational risk-based design framework to bridge structures.

Waseem Hittini (PhD Student, The University of Queensland, Australia) was awarded a student research grant for his project "Assessment of Flame Spread Models: Level of Complexity of Sub-Models." This project seeks to build a greater understanding of the performance of the sub-models in Computational Fluid Dynamic-Pyrolysis models, with a focus on determining the capability and source of errors in them.

Xiaoqing Li (Master's Student, University of Science and Technology of China, China) was awarded a student research grant for her project "Thermal Breakage and Fallout of Tempered Glazing System and Its Interaction with Compartment Fire."

This project will use experiments and numerical simulations reveal the breakage and fallout mechanism of tempered glass, as well as the influence of sudden ventilation change caused by glass fallout on the fire evolution and entrainment behavior of compartment fire. The end result will be the development of a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model with consideration of glass fallout.

Anoop Warrier (PhD Student, University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom) was awarded a student research grant for his project "Externally Venting Flames (EVF) Dynamics and Development in Non-Orthogonal Geometries."

This project will investigate the mechanism of external fire spread in curvilinear façade systems and their impact on the building, using both Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling and large-scale experimental methods. Tony Xiao (PhD Student, University of Sydney, Australia) was awarded a student research grant for his project "Chemically Enhanced Water Mist Suppression of Fires."

The overall goal of this project is to develop novel experiments to investigate the use of chemically enhanced water mists (doped with small concentrations of non-toxic metal chemical additives like sodium bicarbonate and/or ferrocene) to extinguish buoyant/turbulent flames typical of compartment fires.

The data will be used to advance decision-making and modelling through the development of a chemical effectiveness map and a quantitative database of suppression effectiveness. Zilong Wang (PhD student, Research Centre for Fire Safety Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong/China) received a student research grant for his project “ Smart Fire Calorimetry Driven by Image Analysis and Artificial Intelligence.

” This project aims to develop a smart fire calorimetry system using fire scene images and artificial intelligence. The outcome of this research will provide a simple and convenient way to measure the fire HRR, which shows great potential in future smart firefighting applications.

Juliette Franqueville (PhD student, UT Fire Research Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin) was awarded a student research grant for her project “ Deep-Learning for Flame Characterization in Compartment Fires .

” This project aims to develop a low-order model based on artificial neural networks (ANNs), which are machine learning algorithms inspired by biological neural networks, to characterize the effects of vent flows on pool fires in compartment fires. The ANNs training process will leverage transfer learning, which has the potential to make the training of the ANN faster and to produce more accurate flame position predictions.

Yohannes Shewalul (PhD student, Fire Engineering Research Unit, Stellenbosch University, South Africa) was awarded a student research grant for his project “ Fire Behavior of Construction Systems Incorporating Waste Materials .

” The project will identify commonly used waste materials in construction systems for which fire ratings have not been obtained and conduct experimental fire testing on construction systems incorporating such waste materials. The results of this study hold the potential to inform strategies of the fire service when responding to incidents where large quantities of oil-based recycled materials are encapsulated in walls. Cheryl A.

Marek , P. E. (PhD Candidate in Civil Engineering, University of Maryland) was awarded a student research grant for her project “ Causal Factors in the Escalation of Fire Incidents During Naval Ship Maintenance Availabilities .

” The project aims to improve industrial fire safety during naval ship maintenance availabilities by assessing why some incipient fire incidents escalate to major fires in order to recommend standardized data reporting inputs and inform program, technical and contractual requirements.

David Morrisset (PhD student, University of Edinburgh Fire Research Centre, UK) was awarded a student research grant for his project “ Quantifying the Statistical Uncertainty of Furniture-Scale Fire Testing . ” The project investigates the statistical variation in furniture calorimeter testing and will thereby improve the tools available to FPEs