ioa central branch
Coventry
The Institute of Acoustics is the UK's professional body for those working in
acoustics, noise and vibration. It was formed in 1974 from the amalgamation of
the Acoustics Group of the Institute of Physics and the British Acoustical
Society (a daughter society of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers). The
Institute of Acoustics is a nominated body of the Engineering Council, offering
registration at Chartered and Incorporated Engineer levels. The Institute has
some 3000 members from a rich diversity of backgrounds, with engineers,
scientists, educators, lawyers, occupational hygienists, architects and
environmental health officers among their number. This multidisciplinary culture
provides a productive environment for cross-fertilisation of ideas and
initiatives. The range of interests of members within the world of acoustics is
equally wide, embracing such aspects as aerodynamics, architectural acoustics,
building acoustics, electroacoustics, engineering dynamics, noise and vibration,
hearing, speech, underwater acoustics, together with a variety of environmental
aspects. The lively nature of the Institute is demonstrated by the breadth of
its learned society programmes. There are three corporate grades of membership,
namely Honorary Fellow, Fellow, and Member, and four non-corporate grades of
Associate Member, Technician Member, Affiliate, and Student. The Institute is
well supported by organisations which have become Sponsor Members and by its Key
Sponsors. A recent employment survey shows that of our 3000 members, some 900
are employed in industry, commerce and consultancies, 400 in education and
research, and nearly 500 in public authorities. Among the more specialist areas
in which acousticians are employed are the audio and hi-fi industry, auditorium
and concert hall design, broadcasting, telecommunications, quiet vehicle and
product design, sonar system design, human-computer interaction, environmental
noise control and health and safety management. The Institute works closely with
other professional bodies in related fields, including CIEH, REHIS and IOSH and
the Association of Noise Consultants. As one of the smaller professional
institutions, the Institute of Acoustics has particular strengths in its learned
society programmes and its cohesive role for the subject. There is a club
atmosphere in its activities and it is possible for members to maintain personal
contacts with colleagues engaged in other related areas of acoustics. There is a
high participation rate by members in the conference, subject specialist
meetings and regional branch activities of the Institute. The Institute offers
members a Continuous Professional Development support scheme, a feature which is
becoming increasingly recognised as an essential element in ensuring that
professionals can keep up-to-date with rapidly changing technological and
regulatory issues. Specialist interests are catered for through specialist
groups, and regional activities are promoted by a number of regional branches.
The work of the Institute relies heavily, of course, on the voluntary efforts of
many members of Council, of its Standing Committees and of the Group and Branch
Committees. The Institute publishes a bi-monthly Acoustics Bulletin, containing
articles of professional, academic and technical interest and the Institute's
Proceedings record the two hundred or more papers presented at our formal
meetings each year. An education programme, comprising a Diploma in Acoustics
and Noise Control and several Certificate of Competence courses is offered at a
number of Centres throughout the UK. The Diploma is also available by tutored
distance learning. Through specialist Institute of Acoustics working groups,
support is given to the development of legislation in these areas, and there is
considerable activity by Institute members in UK, European and International
Standards development. The Institute is a founding member of the European
Acoustics Association (EAA), a member society of the International Institute of
Noise Control Engineering (I-INCE) and a member of the International Commission
for Acoustics (ICA)
