First Environment Futures workshop

First Environment Futures Workshop

On the 11 and 12 November 2010 the STFC Futures Programme held its first workshop on STFC-supported environmental research. The purpose of the workshop was to:

• showcase examples of previous, current and planned environmental research
• forecast important environmental science challenges - drawing upon the strategies developed by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Living With Environmental Change Programme - and consider how the STFC's unique capabilities can be harnessed to address these
• explore how STFC can improve its interactions with environmental researchers
• initiate the formation of an STFC environmental research community for improved communication and the establishment of new, strong project teams to address the environmental challenges

The workshop was open to researchers supported by the STFC through grants or facility access, collaborative partners and STFC staff with an active interest in furthering their role within the environmental science area.

The workshop was held over two days at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL). The format consisted of scientific presentations, poster and networking sessions, and breakout discussion groups.

Outcome report

|Workshop outcome report

Presentations

|Research challenges arising from the NERC strategy
Phil Heads - NERC Head of Strategy

|Challenges identified by the Living With Environmental Change programme
Dan Osborn - RCUK LWEC Theme Leader

|Astrobiology: Where biology can bring together STFC and NERC
Charles Cockell - The Open University

|Millimetre-wave technology for environmental applications
David Matheson - RAL Space

|Measuring the environment : re-using astronomy techniques
Andy Vick - STFC UK Astronomy Technology Centre

|Nanomaterials in the Environment
Jamie Lead - University of Birmingham

|The STFC Gateway Centres
Mike Curtis-Rouse - STFC Gateway Centres

|The Hartree Centre
Mike Ashworth - STFC Computational Science and Engineering

|Computing Challenges for Weather and Climate Modelling at the Met Office
Paul Selwood - The Met Office