UNIPOD

United National Institute for Prosthetics & Orthotics Development

The University of Salford Prosthetics & Orthotics (P&O) division, formed in 1992, is the only higher education provider within this field in England. It has recently adopted the abbreviated name UNIPOD, an acronym taken from the full name United National Institute for Prosthetics & Orthotics Development.

The word UNIPOD, defined as a one-legged support (www.thefreedictionary.com), is also a synonym that reflects core P&O work, namely assistive devices for limbs and limb absence. UNIPOD will now represent the P&O division in all its facets, including teaching, research and enterprise.

UNIPOD – United National Institute for Prosthetics & Orthotics Development

UNIPOD is based in the Directorate of Prosthetics & Orthotics and Podiatry within the School of Health Sciences, the largest Allied Health Professions higher education provider with the highest number of P&O graduates per year in the UK. Funded by the NHS Strategic Health Authority, UNIPOD provides undergraduate P&O education for England, Northern Ireland, and Wales, as well as international students.

With multi-national experts from a variety of backgrounds, UNIPOD’s education provision extends beyond the undergraduate levels, and includes postgraduate UK and international students undertaking Masters or Doctoral research degrees. Postgraduate research and enterprise is mostly supported through close collaboration with clinic-based professional partners, the industry, and a worldwide network of experts and institutions.

All this is key to a satisfactory student experience, which will be further enhanced due to recent changes at the University of Salford: The undergraduate P&O education has been restructured, condensed and modernised, and the postgraduate education aligned with distinctive school-wide and expert-led research programmes.

With many graduates being leaders in the P&O profession, both nationally and internationally, and with many peer-reviewed journal publications and conference abstracts published globally by the large post-graduate community and supervisory team, UNIPOD’s position as leaders in P&O developments is well founded. Its leadership in the P&O profession is therefore expected to further expand and thereby attract high-calibre students and also clinical and industrial partners for the development of future professionals and the production of clinically relevant research outputs.