University of Oxford Biochemistry building

ARCC news for August 2014

ARCC network news & events

Engaging policymakers – webinar for ECRs

Wednesday 17 September 2014, 12.30pm

As part of its continuing programme of activities for early career researchers, the ARCC network is hosting a second webinar on the theme of knowledge exchange. This event will feature Tom Sutton of the Cabinet Office who will draw on his experience as a policy advisor to provide insight into how research and evidence can be used in decision-making, and offer advice on how researchers can work with policymakers to ensure that their evidence is relevant, timely and useful.

This event is primarily for ECRs working on projects funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

We also still have a few spaces left for the ECR event in York, Thursday 9 – Friday 10 October 2014. This event will focus on stakeholder engagement, and once again offers a mix of practical sessions and discussion. Further details and regisistration.

Project news & events

ITRC makes an impact

The Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortium (ITRC) has had two recent successes.  Several ITRC working papers contributed to the Department for Transport’s recent review of the resilience of the transport network to extreme weather. Further afield, the energy modelling team received the best presentation award at the 2014 Grand Renewable Energy International Conference in Tokyo.

iBUILD awarded transport resilience fellowship

iBUILD researcher Dr David Dawson (University of Leeds) has been awarded a 3-year Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship. The fellowship will identify pathways to maintain transport infrastructure services under climate and socio-economic uncertainties.

Engineering Grand Challenges: expressions of interest

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is developing a number of Engineering Grand Challenges, and is inviting researchers to attend one of three workshops (Birmingham, London, Edinburgh) planned for November 2014. The workshops will help to: identify milestones for selected Challenges, start the process of building consortia; and build support for the Engineering Grand Challenges strategy. The deadline for expressions of interest in the workshops is 15 September 2014.

Other news & events

High-risk hot-spots in cities

A new assessment of urban heat risk in London has identified risk hotspots: areas and buildings of the city where the most vulnerable groups of people could be at greatest risk. By providing information at the neighbourhood and building scale, individuals and agencies could take steps to address the negative health and social impacts of warmer weather. The report is published by ARUP, and includes recommendations for policy makers.

The role of health and community services in adaptation

A new report looks at the lessons learnt from engaging health and community services in implementing adaptation actions, including building their adaptive capacity. It includes recommended approaches, which could be applied to other sectors. Facilitating adaptation: Lessons learnt from engaging and supporting the primary health and community services sector in climate change adaptation (pdf, 2.1 MB) is published by the Victorian Centre for Climate Change Adaptation Research (VCCCAR).

Urban landscape ecology: science, policy & practice

1–3 September 2014, King’s College, London

This event is the annual conference of the UK region of the International Association for Landscape Ecology, and has a particular focus on the natural environment within and around urban areas.

Drought risk in the context of change

22 September 2014, Oxford

This symposium will investigate the climatic and socio-economic factors that contribute to the changing risk of drought and will explore approaches to drought risk management.