ARCC news for June 2017
Hello All,
This month, I am very pleased to launch the first of the ARCC synthesis series on Ageing and mobility in the built environment. This is the culmination of two workshops and contributions from over 50 built environment researchers and practitioners during this first half of 2017. We found that even amongst those projects addressing a similar broad societal issue like ageing and mobility, there are different themes that emerge, and connections between the research findings that might not be apparent at first glance. I encourage you to get in contact with us if you have enquiries about this piece of work.
The ARCC network is sponsoring the Research Zone at the inaugural International Refurbishment Symposium, being run in conjunction with The Association of Environment Conscious Building’s annual conference on 15 September in London. For those whose research is looking to improve the health of homes, or in future materials, this is your chance to showcase, so please discuss this further with Tanya Wilkins from the ARCC team.
Roger B Street
Principal Investigator
From the ARCC network
Adaptation Reporting Powers – research gaps
The ARCC network provided Defra a report on the value of the ARPs to the reporting organisations in the infrastructure sector in March 2017. Subsequently, we have pulled out the knowledge and evidence gaps in a new report that will guide discussions with the reporting organisations and research organisations in the near future.
HAPI Survey
Oxford Brookes Enterprises, Oxford Brookes University and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust have developed the HAPI Platform; an online resource dedicated to accessible information on improving the performance of new housing. Their survey will give you the chance to help the final stages of the HAPI Platform development:
Save the date: ARCC training for early career researchers
Our ECR training has received some fantastic feedback, not only is it your chance to network with your peers from other institutions but also pick up some valuable tips to enhance your knowledge exchange skills and impacts of your research. We have two workshops coming up in November, you can attend one or both as you are interested and able:
- 2 and 3 November: pathways to impact, Oxford
- 15 and 16 November: communications, York
New ARCC Project: Managing Air for Green Inner Cities (MAGIC)
The latest listing to the ARCC Project Page is the collaboration between Universities of Cambridge, Surrey and Imperial College London. The project aims to contribute to the EPSRC Grand Challenge question: can we develop a city with no air pollution and no heat-island effect by 2050?
Principal Investigator Professor Paul Linden, University of Cambridge, recently contributed to the CIRIA Annual Debate on sustainable cities. MAGIC project information can be found on the ARCC website.
ARCC Project: Sandscaping for addressing coastal erosion or flooding
There are new online resources available from Liverpool University exploring the use of mega-recharge (sandscaping) for addressing coastal erosion and/or flooding. They describe the principles of mega-recharge, considerations for implementation, and the modelling and monitoring tools that can be used to scope and design the effectiveness of such interventions. Please provide any comments through to the dedicated discussion board.
Have you worked with the ARCC network?
The offer is there to list your research project on our website, which means additional traffic to your work as well as direct promotion to a non-academic audience through the ARCC knowledge exchange network, working with research, policy and practice communities. Please complete the online form if you would like to join the network.
Opportunities & events
Urban heat island leaves cities sweltering
Thanks to traffic, infrastructure, central heating and air-conditioning, industry, bricks, and cement – most cities are measurably hotter than the countryside. This report covers 1,692 of the world’s cities between 1950 and 2015.
Watch this space – EPSRC, New Investigator Scheme from July 2017
For early career researchers, EPSRC are replacing their First Grants Scheme with a New Investigator Scheme in July 2017. This will remove the current caps on value and duration so as not to limit the quality and ambition of the research proposed.
The impact of the environment and climate change of future infrastructure supply and demand
Have your say: the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) is required to put together a National Infrastructure Assessment once per parliament. Focusing on environment and climate change is the first in the series looking at the drivers of future infrastructure supply and demand in the UK, and this is a chance to have your say through a coordinated ARCC response. (pdf, 690 KB)
Sustainable Civil Engineering PhD students at Imperial College London
We spend around 90% of our time indoors in buildings which account for around 30% of our energy consumption. Ventilation is a crucial element of any building design and impacts significantly both on energy consumption and the health, comfort and well-being of building users. This PhD will contribute to the better ventilation of modern buildings.
New report for JRF on Present and future flood vulnerability, risk and disadvantage: A UK scale assessment
This report highlights how floods interact with social vulnerability across the UK to create flood disadvantage, an issue which will be exacerbated by climate change.
RAEng Research Fellowships
The RAEng Research Fellowships are designed to promote excellence in engineering. They provide support for high-quality engineers and encourage them to develop successful academic research careers. Applications are welcomed from outstanding early career researchers who are about to finish their PhD or have been awarded their PhD in the last four years. The scheme provides funding for five years
NERC public engagement funding, due 25 July 2017
NERC is inviting proposals under this programme for public engagement consortium and capacity-building projects costing between £50,000 and £100,000 (at 80% full economic cost) that must be delivered between October 2017 and October 2018.