Cross-disciplinary research for Environmental Solutions UCL
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
Department Name: Office of Vice Provost Research
Abstract
Our world faces complex environmental challenges that cannot be addressed by one discipline alone. Instead it is crucial we unite a variety of researchers to tackle these challenges.
At UCL, discipline hopping is a key part of our Research Strategy and longer-term goals. We already have a number of ways to facilitate cross disciplinary research - including our Environment Domain, Grand Challenges Programmes and the UCL Climate Hub, which span large parts of our research communities united by shared research themes. The NERC Cross-disciplinary research for Environmental Solutions funding will support UCL academics and researchers to build and enhance collaborations that will transcend disciplinary and organisational boundaries in order to address the challenges we face, expand upon the momentum we have already created and move towards true integration of disciplines.
At UCL, discipline hopping is a key part of our Research Strategy and longer-term goals. We already have a number of ways to facilitate cross disciplinary research - including our Environment Domain, Grand Challenges Programmes and the UCL Climate Hub, which span large parts of our research communities united by shared research themes. The NERC Cross-disciplinary research for Environmental Solutions funding will support UCL academics and researchers to build and enhance collaborations that will transcend disciplinary and organisational boundaries in order to address the challenges we face, expand upon the momentum we have already created and move towards true integration of disciplines.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Geraint Rees (Principal Investigator) |
| Description | The aim of this initiative was to support HEIs to initiate activities that will help develop an understanding of different cross-disciplinary research perspectives and methodologies and facilitate and enhance interdisciplinary working. At UCL, we used the NERC funding to support three interdisciplinary projects which were selected after a pan-UCL open call. The grant has facilitated research that otherwise would not have happened - it has allowed UCL colleagues to prioritise truly interdisciplinary pilot projects that are curiosity driven in line with the goals of the Pushing the Frontiers scheme. Time and appropriate funding sources are major barriers to interdisciplinary working, especially when designing analyses/hypotheses needs time beforehand to identify and overcome shared/differing terminologies and ways of working. By allowing us to run our own internal process researchers have been given greater freedom to be more exploratory in their analyses and to develop essential interdisciplinary collaborations. The following projects were funded at UCL: Project 1: Using cross-disciplinary approaches to evaluate the vulnerability of healthy diets in the UK and South Africa to pollinator losses under future environmental change - Dr Abbie Chapman UCL Institute of Sustainable Resources and Dr Jessica Williams UCL Division of Biosciences. This project united two early career researchers and their independent networks in order to evaluate the resilience of the foods people rely on to stay healthy. Through NERC funding our ECR Co-Is were able to cross disciplinary and departmental barriers to produce analyses highlighting which food crops may be vulnerable to climate-driven range shifts of pollinator species across South Africa. They also mapped South African trade of these crops to identify partner countries that may, as a consequence, be vulnerable to these climate-driven changes. They identified the UK as one of the potential vulnerable partners (according to the imported goods and the proportion of UK supply South African imports represented). The Co-Is themselves have linked across disciplines via cross-departmental activities as a direct result of this funded project. This has allowed our ECRs to develop their networks in a way that would have proven impossible without this funding. The Co-Is continued to meet weekly after the end of the project to enable them to write up the findings and deliver impact, they have prepared a paper to submit for a 'Brief Communication' publication in former half of 2024 (target journal: Nature Food). A policy brief about this is also in production so that impact can be delivered beyond the academic realm. The group also presented their work at the meeting of the Sustainable Food Systems Research Group in the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources (ISR) on 12th May. As the aim of the funding was to build cross disciplinary capacity at UCL this meeting was a prime opportunity to achieve this, providing an example to colleagues of how cross disciplinary, cross departmental working can be delivered. Project 2: A tough nut to crack: How do food material properties impact red squirrel survival? - Dr Phil Cox UCL Cell & Developmental Biology and Professor Mehran Moazen Mechanical Engineering. This project focussed on the importance of food material properties in the survival of red squirrels by applying novel techniques from the discipline of engineering in an ecology context. These physical experiments explored the extent to which the ability to eat different food items is influencing the survival of red squirrels in different habitats. The cross-disciplinary grant has created a strong link between the Centre for Integrative Anatomy and the Department of Engineering at UCL. This has been particularly important for Dr Cox as a new member of UCL staff to build cross disciplinary research connections to influence future working. Furthermore, the NERC grant provided funding to use equipment in other faculties, with dedicated time to be trained on that equipment. This builds a legacy whereby our researchers can use these methods in future bids and further experiments are now planned to generate hardness data for a range of squirrel food items. The project culminated with a one day meeting on the 17 February 2023 to unite cross disciplinary researchers. There were 16 speakers, most of whom were early career researchers, and ~60 attendees from London and elsewhere in the UK to foster cross disciplinary networking beyond UCL. Feedback was extremely positive and UCL Faculty of Life Sciences provided feedback for the meeting to be held again in February 2024, this time with an attendance of 80 researchers showing how the grant has built and sustained cross disciplinary co-operation. Project 3: Visualising the ecological component of global zoonotic threat. Professor Kate Jones UCL Centre for Biodiversity and Ecology Research, Steven Gray UCL Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis and Dr Dave Redding (Honorary Fellow) Institute of Zoology This project brought together an interdisciplinary collaboration of computer scientists and ecologists to build an online tool for policy makers and the general public to use to examine the current distribution of zoonotic and vector-borne diseases and to be able to understand the role of climate change in driving future risk patterns. This is critically important, both as a translation tool for UCL's scientific research, and to communicate key science with non-expert audiences. . The team were able to hire temporary staff to convert all the code for the already completed modelling analysis, undertaken by the Co-Is over the last four years, and began to create a reproducible, open-source pipeline on github (https://github.com/). The overall outcome has been the development of an initial user-friendly online portal in collaboration with computer scientists. This highlights the incorporation of technology-led approaches and the development of innovative tools to enhance the accessibility and usability of research outputs. In terms of crossing disciplines more widely, the team feel they have successfully bridged the communication gap, fostering a shared understanding that will serve as a solid foundation for future collaborations. With this groundwork in place, they now well- positioned to pursue future interdisciplinary projects and expand on their work, ultimately advancing research and fostering further cross disciplinary collaboration through the connections made. |
| Exploitation Route | In line with the goals of the funding, these projects demonstrate how inter/cross disciplinary working can be achieved within an institution and the range of methods done to achieve this. The outcomes of the funding provide case studies as to who disciplinary silos can be addressed and the power of uniting experts to tackle environmental challenges that cannot be solved by one discipline alone. We hope this gives confidence to other researchers to engage in new networks and build on momentum created. This funding has introduced ECRs and new staff to NERC funding and allowed those who may not have previously had NERC funding to engage. This is a big win for EDI and career development, as well as facilitating a move to inter-disciplinary thinking. |
| Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Education Environment Healthcare |
| Description | Inter-disciplinary meeting to discuss and share results with networking |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The project culminated with a one day meeting on the 17 February 2023 to unite cross disciplinary researchers. There were 16 speakers, most of whom were early career researchers, and ~60 attendees from London and elsewhere in the UK to foster cross disciplinary networking beyond UCL. Feedback was extremely positive and UCL Faculty of Life Sciences provided feedback for the meeting to be held again in February 2024, this time with an attendance of 80 researchers showing how the grant has built and sustained cross disciplinary co-operation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023,2024 |
| Description | Presentation of results at UCL research group |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The PIs for project 1 presented their work at the meeting of the Sustainable Food Systems Research Group in the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources (ISR) on 12th May. As the aim of the funding was to build cross disciplinary capacity at UCL this meeting was a prime opportunity to achieve this, providing an example to colleagues of how cross disciplinary, cross departmental working can be delivered. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |