Excellence in Additive Manufacturing Research

Dr Cooke (right) pictured with Liveryman Professor Mark Jolly, who presented the award

The Founders’ Charities are pleased to announce the recipient of a 2026 Early Career Researcher Award presented at the 17th International Conference on Multi-Material Micro Manufacture and Additive Manufacturing (MCWASP XVII).

The award was presented to Dr Shaun Cooke, currently a postdoctoral researcher at Bundeswehr University Munich, for research undertaken during his PhD studies at the University of British Columbia. Dr Cooke received the award for his paper,"Trajectory-Based Identification of Keyholing and Lack of Fusion in Part-Scale Builds for Powder Bed Fusion".

His work presents an innovative approach to identifying manufacturing defects in metal additive manufacturing processes through advanced thermal modelling and machine learning techniques. The research provides a computationally efficient method of screening manufacturing strategies and identifying defect-prone regions without the need for complex high-fidelity simulations.

The prize was funded through the Robert Warner Trust, one of the charities administered by the Founders’ Charities. The Trust supports education and research in materials science, engineering and related disciplines through bursaries, awards and professional development opportunities for students and early-career professionals.

We congratulate Dr Cooke on this achievement and wish him every success in his future research career.