News, Jobs, Events, Opportunities and lots more...
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Quick round up of this week's news, jobs and events
News
Thank you for sharing all your news, events and job opportunities. This week's newsletter is a little bigger as we will be taking a break for a couple of weeks. Our next newsletter will be on Friday 6 September. Wishing you all a wonderful summer break.
From ACCESS Guiding Principles to Travel Guidance: reflecting on tensions in travel choices
This blog by Stewart Barr, one of the Professors on the ACCESS Guiding Principles interdisciplinary team talks about a recently developed Travel Guidance document, an extension to the ACCESS Guiding Principles.
The ACCESS Guiding Principles team (Stewart Barr, Kate Burningham, Sarah Golding, Steve Guilbert and Sarah Hartley) compiled and published our Guiding Principles in March 2023. The ACCESS Travel Guidance document is an extension to these. In this blog, they outline the context for developing this guidance.
"One recurrent issue that has emerged in our work (both within ACCESS and at our universities) is that of travel, particularly the tension that many researchers and practitioners face in deciding whether to fly or use land-based transport."
Reflections on our ACCESS Winter School 2023
A recently published report shares insights on how the Winter School programme was put together and how the Guiding Principles were integrated into the event. The review written by Sarah Golding, Kate Burningham, Birgitta Gatersleben, Kirstie Hatcher, Trevor Hood and Peter Lefort, includes demographic information about who applied and feedback from the delegates who attended.
Reviewing our Relationship with Nature. An ACCESS blog by Caitlin Hinson & Ruth Lamont
In this blog, Caitlin Hinson and ACCESS Leadership College Fellow Ruth Lamont, from Natural England talk about a recent review they undertook focusing on how natural environments in the UK context relate to human health and well-being, in both positive and negative ways.
News from our Flex Fund Projects
A community feedback event and report shares the findings of the REPAIR Flex Fund project
Following on from their Flex Fund work, Uttara Narayan from Project REPAIR conducted a community feedback event with their research participants in collaboration with Oxford Community Action.
At the event, the emerging insights from REPAIR were shared with the participants, as per their request. Feedback on the insights was sought, and there were discussions on how to take this work forward, especially with respect to sharing this information with decision-makers, in light of the new government in the UK.
A community report, highlighting the insights alongside available support and tips on managing energy hardships was shared with the participants.
How and why Muslims engage with the natural world and environmental sustainability - Flex Fund Project Update
Davide Pettinato has created a Green(-ing) Muslims YouTube Channel to present his project work. Through recorded interviews, he explores how and why Muslims engage with the natural world and environmental sustainability. Here is a trailer highlighting some of key thoughts and comments made in the interviews. Highlights from some of the other interviews can be found here.
Have you experienced water scarcity? Tell us your stories
The Taps 'Aff Flex Fund project led by Elizabeth Lawson and Laura Major looks at developing and testing methods for communicating experiences of water scarcity and its management with those planning responses to water scarcity and a wider public.
Please share their latest call for help to create a powerful digital resource of community responses to water scarcity.
"Have you experienced water scarcity? Tell us your stories of living with water scarcity!
As part of this year’s International Water Resource Association’s Islands Water Congress, “Taps Aff!” will be running an event inspired by our project which aims to voice experiences with water scarcity in rural Scotland. We are looking for your participation.
We’re asking congress attendees, their communities and our wider networks to help create digital postcards that will tell the story of water scarcity, its challenges and its solutions, from around the world."
Submissions please by Tuesday 28 August (for the Congress) or Monday 16 September (for the website)
Events & Training
District Heating visit: Clydebank Queens Quay
Tuesday 3 September
Join Community Energy Scotland for an exciting in-person event at Queens Quay Main Avenue. Get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the district heating system in Clydebank. Discover how this innovative system works and its impact on the community.
Neurodivergence, climate action & eco hope: an online interactive showcase
Wednesday 4 September, 10am to 12pm, online
Join the Co-Production Collective with Nifty Sustainability to celebrate the role of neurodivergent minds in tackling the climate and nature crisis.
This co-production group of people (including Becki Jepson, ACCESS Leadership College Fellow) have held a series of workshops to explore:
- What eco-hope means for us and what moves us towards it
- The strengths and challenges of neurodivergent minds in tackling the complex climate and nature crisis
- What would be helpful to make spaces more inclusive to harness these strengths, make us feel safe and heard and to amplify the positive impacts of inclusion.
We would love to share our thoughts with you and hear your experiences and ideas so please join us to hear more!"
CAST Webinar on 'Ethnicity and UK Climate Insights: Why we need greater diversity'
Monday 9 September 12 to 1pm
Join the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) to hear how people of colour in Britain experience, perceive and engage with climate change and climate policy.
The webinar will comprise a discussion of the findings and recommendations from a recent CAST report which brings together preliminary insights on how people of colour in Britain experience, perceive and engage with climate change and climate policy. It outlines why UK climate discourse must better consider the perspectives of different ethnicities and recommends actions that researchers, research funders, insights commissioners and campaigners can take.
The webinar will be co-hosted by Dr Christina Demski, CAST Deputy Director, and Dr Charles Ogunbode, CAST Affiliate, from the University of Nottingham.
Growing Social and Therapeutic Horticulture in UK mental healthcare: Online webinar and discussion for mental health professionals
Friday 20 September, 10am to 12pm
- Are you interested in the use of Social and Therapeutic Horticulture (STH) in healthcare?
- Hear about the findings of our research exploring the effectiveness of STH for the prevention and treatment of anxiety and depression.
Join the University of Essex and register here
Jobs
Head of Impact, Insights and Research at Global Action Plan
Global Action Plan are looking for an insight-driven leader to help them design and deliver new research and investigations to create a compelling case for radical positive change and to help evidence their role in achieving this.
Closing date for applications is Tuesday 27 August
Senior Specialist, Social Scientist at Natural England
Work areas will vary but may include some of the following:
- Contributing to the development and delivery of NE’s four programmes: Greener Farming and Fisheries; Sustainable Development; Connecting People to Nature; and, Resilient Landscapes and Seas, including helping to scope opportunities where social science evidence and approaches can support programme delivery.
- Involvement in external networks to promote the use and impact of social science within the natural environment sector.
They are seeking someone confident and capable of working at a strategic level and with the ability to quickly understand and respond to current needs and challenges.
The closing date for applications is Sunday 15 September
PhD Opportunity Behavioural science insights for nature-based solutions at the University of Southern Denmark
The specific PhD project will assess motivation and barriers of stakeholder groups (eg, citizens, managers, policy makers) to implement nature-based solutions (NbS; https://www.naturebasedsolutionsinitiative.org/what-are-nature-based-solutions). This PhD project is part of an EU Horizon project on NbS so there will be plenty of opportunities for international exchange and collaborations.
The closing date for applications is Sunday 15 September
Research fellow position on the recently funded ESRC Project: Powering Up Coastal Economies: Path Creation in Low Carbon and Renewable Energies
The project aims to investigate and compare the regional development paths of low carbon energy sectors in four coastal regions of the UK, and explore the regional outcomes of energy transitions. The project team is led by Professor Peter Sunley, in the Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton and the post holders will work closely with the other investigators: Professors Stuart Dawley and Danny MacKinnon (Geography and CURDS, Newcastle), and Professor Jane Wills (Geography, Exeter).
The closing date for applications is Monday 9 September
Chief Executive, Earthwatch (Europe)
Earthwatch are looking for a new Chief Executive Officer to lead Earthwatch Europe into a new phase in their history, using a unique blend of science and engagement to tackle some of the most urgent and complex environmental challenges of our age.
The closing date for applications is Monday 16 September
Funding
European Council Research Grants Webinar
Thursday 12 September, 2 to 3.30 pm
The British Academy will be holding its next webinar on Thursday 12 September for UK-based researchers in the humanities and social sciences interested in applying for European Research Council (ERC) grants.
The webinar will focus on the ERC Starting Grants 2024 call, which opened on 10 July and has a deadline of 15 October 2024
DARe Flexible Funding
The National Hub for Decarbonised, Adaptable, and Resilient Transport Infrastructures (DARe) is currently open, welcoming proposals for projects worth up to £50,000.
They are looking to fund projects which address one of these topics:
- Topic 1: The Impact of Disruption on Business Models
- Topic 2: The Gamification of Climate Resilience and Mitigation
- Topic 3: Resilience and Adaptation Transferability Across Critical Infrastructures
The closing date for applications is Friday 20 September
Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) Partnership Funding
UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) will be participating as the UK funder in the DUT Call 2024 which opens on 2 September. The call seeks innovative transnational projects that accelerate the transition to climate-neutral and sustainable cities, focusing on three thematic areas (transition pathways): Circular Urban Economies, 15-minute City, and Positive Energy Districts.
UKRI, via ESRC, EPSRC and AHRC, are providing up to £2,100,000 for UK applicants to this Call. Funding from the UK is only available for topics within the 15-minute City pathway.
The draft call text is also available on the DUT website. This draft version may be subject to change until the final version is published on 2 September when all national annexes of participating countries will be included.
DUT recommend starting to review the call text, initiating discussions with potential partners, and preparing for the application process in September. Visit the DUT matchmaking platform to network and find potential project partners. You can also sign-up for the DUT Info Day 1 on 10 September 2024 on the matchmaking platform. UKRI will also be hosting an online information session to advise UK applicants and details for this will become available on the DUT matchmaking platform and the UKRI Funding Finder webpage in the coming weeks.
British Academy Knowledge Frontiers: International Interdisciplinary Research Projects 2025
The aim of this call is to support international collaborations between researchers in the UK and elsewhere on internationally focused research projects of an interdisciplinary nature that go beyond the day-to-day matters that this theme might engender, and instead focus on the deeper and more long-term issues of just transitions.
The closing date for applications is Wednesday 18 September
Opportunities
Guidance for academic engagement with Government
"Here you will find more information about the role that science and technology play in government and ideas for how you can use your expertise to make an impact on national priorities. This can range from responding to one of the government’s areas of research interest to undertaking an internship, fellowship or apprenticeship. Perhaps you are open to a more formal commitment by becoming a member of one of our expert advisory committees or applying to work in a government department? Whatever stage of your career, I encourage you to explore the various opportunities and get involved." Professor Dame Angela McLean Government Chief Scientific Adviser
Reminder: IPCC Call for nominations for authors to contribute to report on Climate Change and Cities
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has recently opened a call for the nomination of experts for consideration as Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors, and Review Editors for the “Special Report on Climate Change and Cities”.
The Special Report on Climate Change and Cities will provide a timely assessment of the latest science related to climate change and cities, including climate impacts and risks, and actions that can be taken to minimise them. The UK has been asked to nominate experts to participate in the production of this report.
The closing date for nominations is Sunday 15 September
Become a Climate Ambassador to help your local schools with their climate action
If you would like to help and support your local schools with place-based climate action and education, consider becoming a volunteer Climate Ambassador to share your knowledge and understanding. You will also receive additional training.
The Climate Ambassadors programme, led by EAUC and the University of Reading, exists to provide free expertise and support to nurseries, schools and colleges to develop and deliver impactful climate action plans. It is funded by the Department for Education for two years.
The programme's nine regional hubs in England support the development of peer-to-peer networks that enhance climate action across the whole education system.
Info
Environmental Psychology is now officially recognised by The British Psychological Society
“The new section will bring together members and aim to unite and engage the broader environmental psychology community, provide dissemination, networking, and career development opportunities, and position environmental psychology in the UK as a prominent advocate for positive societal and environmental change.” BPS
Introducing DECOTA: A Novel Free-Text Analysis Tool
"The Deep Computational Text Analyser (DECOTA) is the first open-access tool that automatically analyses free-text data, using Natural Language Processing and Large Language Models. It takes free-text data, and automatically outputs: (1) the themes and sub-themes in a dataset, (2) How common they are overall, and in different demographic groups, and (3) Example quotes for each.
In the policy world, the team hope DECOTA can provide valuable insights into people's initial perceptions about a policy. This could be particularly useful in time-sensitive scenarios, when policy data may otherwise go unanalysed due to cost or resources, or when used alongside other interpretative qualitative analysis.
You can find the pre-print on PsyArXiv (doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/t5gbv), and the DECOTA tool is openly accessible on the Open Science Framework with instructions to use for your own free-text data (osf.io/5jste/)" Lead author, Lois Player, University of Bath
How to reach new audiences and create impact with research
"If you want to create impact with your research, you should spend as much time thinking about how it will be communicated"
Professor Lee Elliot Major OBE is not your typical academic. Working as a national journalist for ten years and serving as chief executive of the Sutton Trust before entering academe, engaging with external audiences has always been a core part of his work.
