ARCC news for February 2016
ARCC network news
Feeling good in public spaces – book now! Impact of urban design on the visual spectacle and tactile texture of place
29 February, London
LDA Design is chairing and hosting an event for urban realm influencers and practitioners to explore the impact of urban design and how everyone’s senses, perception and emotions of places can be influenced. The seminar is part of our feeling good in public space event series with the Feeling Good Foundation and will consist of short presentations, followed by discussion and networking.
The city is an assault on the senses…By diminishing our sensory landscape we approach the world and its opportunities within a narrow perspective.” Charles Landry, The Sensory Landscape of Cities
Early Career Researchers – update and resources
The latest ECR workshop focused on strengthening the impact pathways across a range of research proposal times, from large grant proposals to small impact accelerator-type awards. Workshop presentations are now available on the ARCC website.
So what, now what? Predicting the location of over-heating hotspots
In the UK, temperature-related death is usually associated with cold weather. However, heat-related mortality is also a risk and is expected to become increasingly important as the frequency of extreme heat events rises with climate change.
In the latest of ARCC’s ‘So what, now what?’ series, London’s hotspots have been uncovered.
A blog about blogging
Have you considered a blog to increase the impact of your research? This doesn’t have to be a time consuming nightmare, rather a regular part of your impact efforts. If you have an idea for a blog that would be of interest to the wider ARCC network, please get in touch.
The latest ARCC blog is by our new recruit from Australia…
ARCC network annual report 2015
ARCC summary of our activities and outputs over the past year.
Current flood news
Understanding future flood risk – made easy
The Committee on Climate Change have released a new infographic to highlight the case for more action and investment in climate change adaptation following the recent Northern England and Scottish floods.
VIDEO: Natural flood defences
In Northern Yorkshire, Pickering is now safer following a pilot project on flood management decision-making lead by a team of researchers from Oxford, Newcastle and Durham universities, funded by the BBSRC, ESRC and the NERC. (Video duration: 4:21)
National Flood Resilience – call for evidence
This Defra review will assess how the country can be better protected from future flooding and increasingly extreme weather events. Please note this is call for published evidence rather than a call for views. Defra are interested in evidence that is available now and can be submitted by the deadline of 4 March 2016.
Funding calls
Environmental Risks to Infrastructure Innovation Programme (ERIIP)
NERC invites proposals for innovation projects as part of the ERIIP, with funding available for short term feasibility studies and longer term translational projects. There will be a brokerage event on 8 March 2016 to enable collaboration between academics and industry, and a partnering service will be available through CIRIA. Deadline for applications is 20 April 2016, 4pm.
New reports
Guide to using research evidence
This practice guide from the Alliance for Useful Evidence and Nesta’s Innovation Skills Team is a simply-written outline intending to foster demand for research from wider audiences in UK social policy and practice, including from decision-makers in government, charities, voluntary organisations, professional membership bodies and local authorities. This guide does not suggest that research is to replace other forms of evidence such as stakeholder views, however it does suggest that research should be strongly integrated in the evidence-based decision-making process.
Performance gap in non-domestic buildings; revolutionising energy performance
Achieving the UK Government’s challenging targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 will only be possible if we revolutionise energy performance. Innovate UK’s Building Performance Evaluation Programme have identified a number of challenges for non-domestic buildings and investigated why buildings’ environmental performance often falls short of expectations.
Are Local Enterprise Partnerships fit for the future?
Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) were formed to help deliver local economic growth – they have a role in helping areas to prepare for extreme events. A report from Sustainability West Midlands finds that, despite a lack of clear guidance from national government, there’s a range of good practice on climate adaptation and mitigation. It also mentions that overall performance is very varied, but that there are weaknesses in the area of adaptation, despite the impact of recent floods. Recommendations include embedding climate change into the LEP programmes, and encouraging poorer performing LEPs to work with more the successful partnerships.
Other news
Research Hub – UCL leads interdisciplinary research into cybersecurity for the Internet of Things
App-controlled thermostats and wearable health monitors are already well-known examples of the potential of IoT, which could expand much further if social and technical challenges can be overcome. Under the directorship of Professor Jeremy Watson, CBE FREng, a new £23 million research hub will focus on the adoption of this technology.
New Book – The Future of National Infrastructure
Infrastructure systems in advanced economies globally face serious challenges. This new book from the Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortium (ITRC) provides practitioners, policy-makers and academics with the concepts, models and tools needed to identify and test robust, sustainable, and resilient strategies for the provision of national infrastructure.
Pre-order from Cambridge University Press.
PhD opportunity – University of Leeds
A fully funded PhD studentship (UK/EU students only) on Adaptive decision making for climate change mitigation is available through the Priestley International Centre for Climate Change at the University of Leeds, United Kingdom. Deadline for applications is 11 March 2016.
ResearchFish
Would you like some help using the ResearchFish website? The online help pages are set up for this very purpose with FAQs, help videos and webinars available.
Events
TEDDINET / DM4T Data management workshop
2–3 March, University of Bath
To collect and disseminate practice and experience on data management, with a particular focus on the needs and issues arising from STEM projects. More information.
EcoBuild 2016
8–10 March, London
For the construction and energy industry and will include a new Infrastructure Revolution leaning hub in partnership with the Institution of Civil Engineers. Further information and booking.
Adaptation Futures 2016
10–12 May 2016, Rotterdam
The ARCC network is involved in a range of sessions – download the programme.
UKCRIC 2016
Revised 2016 calendar of events.
Tweeted…
Surface water flooding set to increase sharply – FloodRe won’t reduce flood risk @CCCEP | http://bit.ly/20o7pWi
Leafy suburbs have an advantage in heatwaves @ConversationEDU | http://bit.ly/1nULTvL
How can we design better mental health into our cities? @urbandesignmh London dialogue, 23 Feb | http://bit.ly/20lzuNV
Madrid is planting to keep temperatures down @FastCoExist | http://bit.ly/1nXOWEn
Seven ways we can tackle flooding @ConversationUK @chris_kilsby | http://bit.ly/1SwMdhX
We need more urban trees – but must accept when some need to be cut down @ConversationEDU | http://bit.ly/23IAaRR
The performance gap in social housing – #overheating & poor IAQ @TheNEF | http://bit.ly/1QFSBiV