News, Jobs, Events, Opportunities and lots more...
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A quick round up of this week's news, jobs and opportunities
Events
Travel, flying and the climate crisis
Thursday 6 March, 7 to 8.30 pm, in-person
Flight Free comes to Exeter, where they explore the topic of flight-free travel, including why it's important to fly less, and how we can still travel without the high carbon footprint.
- Sarah Finch: could her landmark legal win on fossil fuels help stop airport expansion too?
- Stewart Barr and Ewan Woodley (University of Exeter): reducing flying in academia
- James Dyke: the limitations of offsetting
- Vipul Patel: modelling low-carbon behaviour and leading by example
- Anna Hughes (Flight Free UK): climate impact of aviation and the options for flight-free travel
Energy transition, Indigenous territory and extractivism in the global south and north
Thursday 13 February, 10 am to 2 pm, University College London, In-person
- Energy colonialism, climate emergency and extractivism in the global south and north. Josefa Sánchez Contreras (University of Granada) and Alberto Matarán (University of Granada)
- Renewal energy megaprojects in the Golan Heights. Muna Dajani (The London School of Economics and Political Science)
- Wind energy megaprojects and extractivism in the indigenous territories of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (Oaxaca, México) Josefa Sánchez Contreras (University of Granada)
- Raw materials, indigenous peoples and energy transition Kate Dawson (Department of Geography, UCL)
- Comment and debate: Environmental data justice and energy transition.Tone Walford (Anthropology, UCL)
Catapult Connected Places Summit 2025
Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 March, London and Online
Meet the change-makers from organisations transforming our cities and infrastructure, including Transport for London, Glasgow City Council, The Crown Estate, National Wealth Fund, Greater London Authority, National Infrastructure Commission, Network Rail and others.
With over 200 visionary speakers, the Summit will cover key topics: transport innovations, resilient infrastructure, integrated local growth, and Net Zero strategies.
Co-Producing Pride in Nature
Saturdays 25 January, 8 and 22 February
In collaboration with Blossom LGBT, and as part of the project Co-Producing Pride in Nature at the University of Surrey join three free art workshops in January and February to explore LGBTQ+ people’s experiences of nature.
The workshops take place in Guildford’s New House Art Space and are open specifically to people who identify as LGBTQ+. Each workshop is led by a professional artist.
Please feel free to share with other LGBTQ+ community members via your networks. The University of Surrey may be able to offer some funding support for travel to attend workshops, for those who need it (please contact eleanor.ratcliffe@surrey.ac.uk for details).
Shifting from climate change mitigation to climate change adaptation. A British Psychological Society event
Wednesday 26 February 10 am to 4.30 pm
Phase two of their 'Psychology and the climate crisis' series, this event will bring together leading voices in the climate change adaptation space and offer an opportunity to:
- explore the results of our community consultation exercise
- learn from the latest research on climate change adaptation
- discuss the role of psychologists in supporting individuals and communities to psychologically adapt to climate change
- network and learn from colleagues working in other psychology disciplines
Jobs
Analysing interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity in whole systems energy research: experiences from the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) PhD Studentship
The awardee of this 3-year PhD studentship will analyse interdisciplinary research practice and outcomes in UKERC. The awardee will be embedded in UKERC5’s evolving whole system research programme – providing a unique opportunity to study interdisciplinary energy research ‘in the making’.
The closing date for applications is Thursday 30 January
Research Associate (Knowledge Transfer Partnership) at Dwr Cymru Welsh Water and Cardiff University
The Research Associate will be conducting research within behaviour change sciences, carrying out research leading to the publishing of high-quality research and effective knowledge transfer between the University and DCWW, the water utility of Wales.
The closing date is Thursday 6 February
Policy Researcher at Sustainability First
Join the team at the Think Tank, Sustainability First, in a new role as a Policy Researcher to help them champion sustainability in the energy and water sectors of the UK.
The closing date for applications is Saturday 8 February
PhD opportunities at University of Leeds
Five fully-funded (3.5 yrs) PhD studentships will be based at the University of Leeds working with INFUZE. INFUZE is an EPSRC funded research project working creatively with communities in Leeds to design more sustainable transport options and reduce car dependency.
The closing date is Friday 28 February
Funding
GW4 Building Communities Generator Fund
The GW4 Building Communities Generator Fund is an open research call offering up to £20k to support collaborative research and innovation communities across the four GW4 universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter.
The closing date is Monday 3 February
Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) Impact Accelerator Account
The aim of the ESRC IAA is to enable Social Scientists to work with partners from all sectors to apply social sciences knowledge to challenges in society. It also facilitates the creation of networks and contacts.
You can apply for this opportunity at any time.
Wellcome Trust Climate Impacts Awards: Unlocking urgent climate action by making the health effects of climate change visible
This scheme will fund transdisciplinary teams to deliver short-term, high-impact projects, combining evidence generation with communications and/or public engagement. The aim of this scheme is to make the impacts of climate change visible across a wide range of physical and mental health outcomes in order to drive urgent climate policy and practice change at scale.
This opportunity will be available soon. The next call is expected to open at the beginning of February 2025
Grand solutions: Green research, technology development and innovation. Innovation Fund Denmark
Innovation Fund Denmark invests in projects within green research, technology and innovation. The purpose of the investments within this area is to ensure the greatest effect on climate, nature and the environment and contribute to growth and employment within seven themes.
The closing date for applications is Wednesday 19 March
Long-Term Joint EU-AU Research and Innovation Partnership on Sustainable Energy (LEAP-SE)
This aims at developing a long-term partnership between Europe and Africa on Research and Innovation (R&I) on sustainable energy.
The selected projects will focus on achieving goals of mutual benefit based on a balanced and cooperative approach. Particular attention will be given to strengthening the impact of R&I supported activities for the well-being of society in Europe and Africa.
The closing date is Monday 27 March
Opportunities
A Call for Papers (RGS-IBG ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2025, Birmingham. “Creative energies? The geographies of collaboration at the social science/energy policy interface”
Tuesday 26 to Friday 29 August
The conference is being organised by some of ACCESS network, Karen Bickerstaff, Patrick Devine-Wright, Jo Hamilton and Catherine Butler from the Unversity of Exeter
Brief Abstract: In recent years we have seen increasing attention to, and funding of, activities that have been described as engaged research, coproduction, research agility, intermediation or boundary spanning. Research points to a wide range of methods to engage diverse constituencies in coproducing energy futures: for instance, art-based collaboration, participatory modelling, climate commissions, knowledge exchange secondments and expert task forces. This session seeks to reflect on the geographies and creativities of collaboration developing around energy futures research. We are interested in sharing and learning from different experiences of collaboration and coproduction, as well as the ways in which we interrogate and narrate their expected and unexpected impacts.
The closing date to send abstracts is Friday 21 February
If you are interested in contributing a paper, please send your abstract to k.bickerstaff@exeter.ac.uk and c.butler@exeter.ac.uk. Abstracts should be no more than 250 words and include names and affiliations.
Scottish Graduate School of Social Science arranges paid internship opportunities for PhD researchers
Undertaking an internship gives you an opportunity to make a difference for a public, private or third sector partner organisation, whilst also developing your transferable skills, knowledge of different sectors, and professional networks. Internships can be undertaken full-time (for up to 3 months) or part-time (for up to 6 months).
Applications open on Friday 31 January and close on Monday 3 March
The British Psychological Society Undergraduate Research Assistantship Scheme
The society hopes to provide up to 20 researchers with the opportunity to offer an undergraduate a research apprenticeship during the summer vacation.
The closing date for applications is Sunday 9 March.
NERC Independent Research Fellowship
Through an Independent Research Fellowship, the Natural Environment Research Council will invest in researchers seeking to conduct their own environmental research within an eligible host organisation. You should demonstrate convincing evidence of working towards this goal and a high potential to become an independent research leader of the future.
The application closing date is Thursday 3 April
Novo Nordisk Sabbatical Grants - Denmark
Sabbatical grants are intended to support internationalisation by enabling transient embedment of university faculty in a foreign environment. Sabbaticals provide a possibility to obtain new knowledge and refocus while being relieved from normal daily duties. Also, it is a possibility for the researcher to expand the horizon, to learn new methods, to improve professional competencies, and to develop new professional networks.
The closing date is Tuesday 4 March
Training
UPEN - Areas of Research Interest: A Masterclass
Wednesday 26 February, 1 to 2 pm
The Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN) will be running an online masterclass in partnership with the UKRI Future Leader Fellow Development Network. This session aims to better explain Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) and offers expert insights to help researchers engage more effectively with government.
Nature, Health and Wellbeing course CPD Course - University of Exeter
There are a few more places left on this popular course led by national and international experts from The European Centre for Environment and Human Health delivered virtually over 4 days.
Dr Lewis Elliott & Dr Rebecca Lovell, lead the sessions alongside other experts. A broad range of topics and cutting-edge research are explored from water, welfare, coastal & urban communities to social prescribing with environmental collaboration and more at the heart of this course!
Dates : 17, 20, 24 and 27 March (9:15 - 13:15 UK time)
Delivery: Synchronous via Zoom
Book here (Early Bird Extended until Friday January 31 2025)
Info
Ash Everywhere: Place Attachment and Meanings in the Aftermath of Wildfires
Pilar Morales Giner and Anne Mook and explore how wildfires reshape people’s emotional and practical connections to their communities. Conducted in Larimer County, Colorado, the study offers critical insights into:
- How wildfires affect place attachment: Communities experience both loss and renewal in their relationships to place.
- The crucial role of place affection—emotional connections to place, especially as wildfire exposure reshapes meanings like “scenic,” “calm,” or “healthy.”
- The equally important role of place awareness, an informed understanding of functional meanings like wildfire risk or water scarcity.
- The findings emphasize the importance of community-based approaches to resilience planning as wildfires grow more frequent and severe.
This work is particularly relevant given the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in Colorado as well as the fires in Los Angeles. These events underscore the urgent need for strategies that support community resilience and adaptation in the face of climate change.
This new journal article from the UK Energy Research Centre quantifies the health and economic co-benefits of net zero policies across transport and building sectors, making comparisons between net zero and existing UK policy.
Are you on the ACCESS Environmental Social Science expert database?
Join our searchable database of social scientists and experts working in the fields of climate and environment. The database includes both academics in universities as well as those working in the public sector, charities and businesses. It's quickly becoming one of our most visited web pages. A useful resource for people looking to collaborate and connect with environmental social scientists.
It only takes 15 to 20 minutes to complete the online form.
