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Climate Change Adaptation (2 posts)
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Two Positions but One Joint Ethos
There are two CCAS positions being advertised.
‘Climate Change Adaptation Technologies’
One will focus on green technologies - those that can monitor and measure climate change impacts and those that can mitigate climate change impacts. The successful candidate will work most closely with science departments such as engineering, physics and space science and chemistry as well as geology, geography and ecosystems science.
‘Climate Change Adaptation in Sensitive Environments’
The other position will develop research on case examples of sensitive environments where climate change impacts can clearly be seen and measured. Examples here include coastal regions, low-lying regions, areas bordering deserts, urban environments, the cryosphere. The successful candidate will work most closely with science departments such as geology, geography and ecosystems science as well as engineering, physics and space science and chemistry.
Both candidates are expected to work in an interdisciplinary manner across (and beyond) the science College developing networks of scientists with the expertise and aptitude to work on CCAS themes. Both candidates will be strongly encouraged to attract significant research income in these fields and help develop new research and ultimately teaching initiatives. There will be Professorial-level mentoring and steering leadership group that will help the successful candidates achieve these ambitious and exciting targets. Each candidate will be aligned to a department commensurate with his/her scientific background.
Background: Societal and Research Drivers and Funding Opportunities
There are many first-order regional to global challenges that require high-quality research in CCAS. This is recognised by a range of research funders. The global population explosion (currently 6.7 billion, predicted to rise to 9 billion by 2050) is probably the generic cause of the key ‘real-world’ scientific and related research challenges we face. The rise in living standards of populous emerging economies (e.g. Brazil, Russia, India, China) are swelling the consumer-oriented ‘Western lifestyle’ populations and their consequent ‘need’ for resources and resultant impact on the planet. The recent climate change debate is one symptom of the population reality. Other challenges include: harnessing the worlds living, energy, mineral, and water resources in a sustainable manner; feeding the world’s population; managing human migration; decreasing the virulent effects of gross poverty amongst the world’s poorest 2-3 billion people; improving political, economic and societal stability, particularly in areas experiencing poor governance...etc.
One high profile University of Leicester academic has drafted a form of words that perhaps encapsulates the challenge of this research as well as anyone has:
‘Looking at the current global problems and the immediate future problems, they are caused by too many people (social science) disrupting life support systems (ecological science). Issues such as climate change will make things that are already bad, worse. For Leicester to make an impact that matches its aspirations, we need to be able to use the model of the initiation & development of Climate Change Impact Science and e, build on the interdisciplinarity of the Science College, to tackle problems that are real to society and that need strong academic leadership. Dealing with climate change will require social changes supported, and in some cases led by convincing scientific arguments and green technologies’.
A wide range of funders are supporting CCAS including most research councils (e.g. NERC, BBSRC) RCUK, the European Union, UK Government Departments such as DEFRA and DfID and regional, national and international organisations and industry. These positions will allow the University of Leicester to position its research to attract increasing levels of research income over the next 5 years.
Anticipated Academic and ‘Real-World’ Outcomes
The new posts will encourage tangible outcomes to be achieved within a realistic timeframe. The posts will be encouraged and supported by more experienced senior staff. Tangible College and university outcomes should include an increased attraction of research grants and demonstration that the interdisciplinary approach has attracted funding from ‘new markets’ and increased REF metrics. The scope for excellent research and follow-on publications must be very significant. Equally important are ‘real world impacts and outcomes’. The research could lead to: new green technologies, new monitoring and measurement tools; new modelling approaches; new data sets of use to ‘real people’; new uses for earth observation data and approaches; increased SME competitiveness; evidence-based government policy development; new approaches to land and resources management and custodianship; poverty alleviation; improvements in life and environmental quality...etc. There are many possibilities to this exciting research opportunity.
Current Initiatives at the University of Leicester
There are a range of CCAS-related initiatives already in existence at the UoL. These include G-STEP, a project that aims to increase the competitiveness and environmental awareness of the private sector through increased usage of remote sensing data, and CERES (Centre for Environmental Research) that promotes inter-disciplinary research across the science college. There are also numerous research programmes at various departments researching into areas such as fire-frequency and its impacts in Africa, catchments and ecosystems, climate change in the recent Geological past, atmospheric pollutants, using geohazards such as volcanic eruptions as proxies for rapid environmental change, etc. The University is involved in major national initiatives in climate science, through the NERC National Centre for Earth Observation, and in environmental observation technology through the NERC/TSB Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation (for which it is the academic lead).
Research at Disciplinary Boundaries
Many of the greatest advances in science occur when teams of scientists work together in new and unconventional ways across traditional discipline boundaries. The CCAS initiative has the potential to generate highly innovative, ground-breaking and world-impacting new science, novel scientific applications and life-changing green technologies.
Further Particulars
Climate Change Adaptation -Ref SEN00037 (PDF, 279KB)
Climate Change Adaptation - Ref SEN00038 (PDF, 279KB)