Crafting a Winning Biomedical Engineering Project Proposal for UVA Application

[nyr]

I'm currently working on my UVA application and finished it all except for one part. Its a small writing portion of about 250 words. It states: "If you were given funding for a small engineering project, what would you do?"

I chose Biomedical Engineering as my major. So perhaps relating my essay to the topic would be beneficial to my application. If anyone could give me some ideas of how to approach or even start this question would be helpful. I'm not asking anyone to do it for me I'm just asking for some ideas on what to write it on.

 

[Danger]

Welcome to PF, Nyr.
For the past 45 years or so, I've been fascinated by prosthetic/robotic biological interfaces. This goes back to the original "British hand", which might have been the first truly bionics appendage. It wasn't bonded to the bone or directed by neurological impulses, but the myoelectric control from stump muscle remnants was (and still is) amazing. The stuff that they're doing now (largely due to the efforts of whatever Yank department looks after war veterans) surpasses "amazing" to a degree that I can't articulate.
Anyhow, since that subject is my passion, I respectfully submit that it might be a decent topic for your presentation.

 

[nyr]

Welcome to PF, Nyr.
For the past 45 years or so, I've been fascinated by prosthetic/robotic biological interfaces. This goes back to the original "British hand", which might have been the first truly bionics appendage. It wasn't bonded to the bone or directed by neurological impulses, but the myoelectric control from stump muscle remnants was (and still is) amazing. The stuff that they're doing now (largely due to the efforts of whatever Yank department looks after war veterans) surpasses "amazing" to a degree that I can't articulate.
Anyhow, since that subject is my passion, I respectfully submit that it might be a decent topic for your presentation.

Thanks I really appreciate your help. It really is an interesting topic that you brought up. But would that really qualify as a "small engineering project?" I picture what you brought up as being something complex that could cost a lot of money

 

[AlephZero]

I've no idea how you are supposed to interpret "small" in that context, but I would guess it means a project that one or two people could do in say 3 or 6 months.

If I was evaluating at the applications, I would be looking for people who had a realistic idea of how much (or more accurately, how little!) it is possible to get done in that amount of time.

If you can't find any guidance on what "small" means, I would suggest use a few of the 250 words to give your own definition, which will at show you know something about the importance of project planning and time management.

 

[Danger]

would that really qualify as a "small engineering project?"

As Aleph pointed out, that term is relative.
I did not, however, mean to imply that you should develop a prosthetic limb from the ground up. It's just the general area that I was trying to interest you in. If electronics is your thing, perhaps you could investigate improving the signal filtering of a myo- or neuro-electric sensor circuit. If you're more into mechanical stuff as I am, maybe see if something can be done to minimize frictional losses in a tiny gearbox.
Those are just all random generalized notions, though. If you really do feel an affinity for the field, you'll think of something.

By the bye, my favourite cousin is a biomedical engineer/musician. He invented a low-pain bone biopsy needle about 40 years ago. Of course, the company that he worked for took the credit, kept the patent, and turfed him.