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A research idea can develop into an independent scientific direction when there is room for in-depth exploration and opportunities for collaboration. The Research Group Start Programme launched at the Faculty of Engineering of the 91视频 of 91视频ia provides this foundation: by supporting collaboration between young researchers and PhD students, it helps new research topics develop and research communities take shape. The results and experience gained through this joint work may also provide a foundation for future grant applications and the next steps in researchers' careers.

The Faculty of Engineering's 2026 call offered two years of funding, amounting to HUF 6 million per research group annually, primarily to support the employment of a PhD student. The programme supports promising research topics for which no other grant funding is yet available. Applications are based on a well-developed research plan, a clear division of responsibilities, and measurable scientific objectives. Commitments also include publishing scientific papers and submitting further national or international grant applications. The preparation process also involves a narrative CV and a career development plan for young researchers.

The Story of the First Research Group to Receive Funding

M谩t茅 Gyula Tam谩s's interest in aviation provided the starting point for their first joint research topic: he approached Tibor Medvegy with a related measurement idea. Their collaboration then continued on the water: M谩t茅 became involved in the developments of the 91视频 Solar Boat Team, later becoming team captain and one of the boat's pilots. After completing his master's degree, both wanted to continue working together, but they needed a more secure financial foundation. With the support of the Start Programme, they can now continue their work as doctoral research, investigating how to control a solar-powered hydrofoil boat in a stable and energy-efficient manner.

The 91视频 Solar Boat Team consists of students from various degree programmes at the 91视频 of 91视频ia who design, build, and develop solar-powered electric racing boats and test them in international competitions. Their new hydrofoil boat uses a hydrofoil system that lifts the hull out of the water while moving, reducing water resistance and consequently energy consumption. The student project also provides an experimental platform for the research: the new boat will allow the team to test sensing and control solutions under real-world conditions.

We spoke with Tibor Medvegy, leader of the Intelligent Mechatronic Systems Research Group, the first group to receive funding, about how the project began, their shared goals, and the journey towards research independence.

Tibor Medvegy

Head of the Intelligent Mechatronic Systems Research Group

From Boat Building to Doctoral Research

Can you recall the moment when you first thought this idea could become an independent research topic, or even a research group? What sparked that thought?

It was an idea that developed gradually. When we started developing the 91视频 Solar Boat, our primary goal was to build a functioning boat. At the same time, we already recognised that achieving long-term success would require many further developments, including questions that were scientifically interesting.

Over the past few years, we have built up the technical and professional foundation step by step, to the point where it can now support doctoral research. We have reached the stage where we can connect an independent PhD research topic to the development of the next boat and consciously work towards scientific objectives as well.

How would you explain to a young researcher working in another field what questions you are trying to answer? What personally interests you most about this research?

We are investigating how to control a solar-powered hydrofoil boat efficiently under changing conditions while also assisting the pilot. To control the hydrofoil system properly, we need precise information about the boat's movement and its position relative to the water.

Given my background in sensor development, I am particularly interested in the measurement challenges. M谩t茅 and I are currently planning to develop a test bench where we can try out different sensors and measurement solutions even before the boat is completed.

We want to investigate how to determine the precise position of the hull relative to the water surface and how to obtain advance information about waves ahead of the boat. These data could provide the foundation for effective hydrofoil control and stable foiling.

What would you like to achieve over the next two years? What result would make you say, 鈥淭his was worth pursuing鈥�? And what could this research lead to in the longer term?

In two years, we would like to see a functioning boat capable of stable foiling, in which we can test and evaluate some new measurement or control technology. This could involve a new sensing solution, combining data from multiple sensors, or introducing a new control method.

For me, the real achievement would be if our development could help the pilot in practice, under as wide a range of conditions as possible. It is important that we can validate our ideas through real measurements and generate scientifically valuable results from them.

In the longer term, we would like to establish a research direction that can be continuously developed further.

A More Secure Foundation for Collaboration

What did it take to turn the idea into a grant application? Were there any uncertainties or difficulties that made you hesitate? What or who helped you move forward?

We already had the research topic and the prospective PhD student. The greatest uncertainty was funding. We began designing the next boat and preparing the research without knowing exactly what resources would allow us to maintain continuous work.

Throughout this process, we also received considerable support from Tam谩s Ruppert, the current director of our institute.

The START grant made it possible to employ M谩t茅, providing a more predictable foundation for our joint research. In a development project like this, it makes a significant difference when someone can work on the tasks continuously as a member of staff.

What did receiving the funding mean to you? Which of your plans became achievable as a result?

The most important thing was that M谩t茅 and I could continue working together after he completed his master's degree, now within the framework of doctoral research and employment.

Progress on developing the new boat was closely linked to whether we could make this possible.

We had other ideas for continuing the project, but they would have involved difficult funding decisions and considerably more uncertainty. The grant allowed us to plan the next phase with a more secure staffing arrangement.

How did you connect with the PhD student involved in the research? What convinced you that working together would be worthwhile, and what attracted him to the topic?

M谩t茅 Gyula Tam谩s originally approached me with his own idea related to the operation of Pitot tubes. He also flies aircraft, and we were able to connect his interest in aviation with measuring boat speed.

For the operation of the hydrofoil system, speed relative to the water is important, and in flowing water this may differ from the speed measured relative to the shore. We therefore began investigating the use of Pitot tubes for this measurement.

This is how he became involved in the Solar Boat Team, gradually taking on more responsibilities. He completed both his bachelor's and master's theses under my supervision, later took over the role of team captain, and became one of the boat's pilots.

He invested a great deal of work and enthusiasm in the project. We both wanted to continue our collaboration, and after his master's degree, pursuing a PhD became the natural next step.

How did you develop the joint research plan? What questions, ideas, or perspectives did the student contribute, and how were these incorporated into your objectives?

M谩t茅 brought his own idea from the very beginning of our collaboration: the use of Pitot tube measurements was introduced into the development process at his initiative.

Later, he also became extensively involved in designing the hydrofoil system, so by the time we developed the doctoral research topic, we could already build on his considerable practical experience.

We continuously shape the boat's development directions together. The research plan also emerged from these discussions, the experience gained from previous work, and the challenges we need to address with the next boat.

We were looking for a topic that would be scientifically interesting while also allowing M谩t茅 to develop his own ideas further.

Independence, Responsibility, and Mentoring Support

How do you help the student find his own path as a researcher? What can he rely on you for, and which decisions would you increasingly like to entrust to him?

Since beginning his doctoral studies and joining us as a member of staff, he has taken on more and more tasks and responsibilities within the team.

He is involved in setting up the workshop currently undergoing renovation, and I have also entrusted him with supervising the work of three dual education students involved in the boat project. In addition, he is gradually becoming involved in teaching.

I consider it important that, alongside research, he also gains experience in organisation, collaboration, and providing professional support to others.

I see my own role as providing a reliable professional foundation and being available whenever he wants to discuss a research question, a decision, or a challenge he encounters.

Who was particularly important for you to learn from at the beginning of your career? Is there any advice or personal example you would now like to pass on? And what are you learning from your student in the process?

I graduated in Szeged, where I learned a great deal from colleagues specialising in teaching methodology.

My own experiences during my doctoral studies made it particularly important to me that students receive accessible and meaningful mentoring support as they become independent researchers.

This is also how I want to support M谩t茅: by helping him clarify research questions, plan the next steps, and overcome difficulties.

I have always been experimentally minded. I want to pass on the approach of investigating an idea through well-designed measurements and developing it further based on the results.

I feel that M谩t茅 and I have found a very good common understanding in this respect.

What does it mean to you to be able to build your own research group? What kind of team would you like to establish, and where would you like your student and your joint research to be by the end of the funding period?

For me, this represents the next stage in the development of the professional community we have built over the past few years.

There is strong continuity in our everyday work: we continue to develop, measure, work with students, and solve problems together. Now, however, we also have an independent research group structure and funding to support these activities.

In two years, I would like to see M谩t茅 having successfully completed his doctoral comprehensive examination and achieved research results of his own.

He is already working independently in managing the team and organising our joint activities. Building on this, we would like to further strengthen a professional community that can function effectively even without my constant presence.

If a young researcher is currently thinking, 鈥淚 have an idea too, but I'm not ready yet,鈥� what would you tell them based on your own experience? What should their first concrete step be, and what should they prepare before the next call for applications?

If they already have a well-developed research idea and a potential PhD student they would like to work with, I think it is worth taking the initiative.

The funding can provide significant support, while the experience of leading a research group is also valuable for professional development.

As a first step, I would recommend that they work with the student to define the main research question and identify the concrete steps they can take over the next two years towards answering it.

Preparing the application itself is useful: it requires careful consideration of the objectives, tasks, and conditions needed for implementation.

The resulting plan can also be revisited later and provides guidance for everyday work.

Research Group Start Programme 鈥� Opportunities Across All Faculties

The programme will be launched at all faculties of the university, with calls for applications tailored to the specific characteristics of each faculty.

Those interested are encouraged to follow faculty announcements and begin professional discussions in good time, working together with a prospective PhD student to consider the research objectives and how they could be achieved.