NERC Cross-disciplinary research for Environmental Solutions

Lead Research Organisation: Heriot-Watt University
Department Name: Research and Enterprise Services

Abstract

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Publications

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Description The National Environmental Research Council (NERC) Cross-disciplinary research for Environmental Solutions funding was used to support 3 academic-led, cross disciplinary projects and a competitive landscape and mapping exercise to support the development and positioning of one of Heriot-Watt Global Research Institutes (GRIs). This exercise was undertaken by an external company (Cambridge Consultants). We will outline the activities, outcomes and new interdisciplinary links for each of these projects below. Project 1: Options for Decarbonising Plastics This project brought together an interdisciplinary team from across 5 institutes in the University. They worked together to generate a road map that provides a detailed understanding of the challenges and opportunities of decarbonizing plastics. The team were able to bring together a wide network of relevant stakeholders in this critical area - including, Scottish Government, Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Zero Waste Scotland, research organizations (such as Impact Solutions) and companies (producers and 'users', e.g. ExxonMobile, Sabic, Nestle etc). Future proposals developed from this initial work, are expected to allow further development of the holistic understanding of this area, particularly with a focus on critical bottlenecks to reducing or eliminating negative environmental impacts. In addition, this work naturally feeds into the development of the Heriot-Watt University based 'Net Zero' GRI, particularly as activities associated with circular economy and Green House Gas reductions are being explored. Project 2: Developing a partnership to deliver a systems-based approach to water and soil health assessment and management. This proposal aimed to seed new partnerships while utilising existing connections, to build a network of cross-disciplinary expertise, which included optical instrumentation, robotic and autonomous deployment, data security, nutrient and water quality, impact of extreme weather events, real-time communication and decision making, and improvements in agriculture. A focussed 2-day workshop was held on the 22nd and 23rd of February at the National Robotarium on the Heriot-Watt Edinburgh campus. It brought together 15 experts from across the UK and Ireland (Heriot-Watt, Loughborough, Plymouth, Manchester Met, University College Dublin, London City University) in a diverse range of earth science and engineering disciplines. The highly interactive workshop included presentation sessions, lab visits to Robotics, Optics and Hydraulics labs and discussions sessions. It provided an environment where participants could discuss their ambitious research themes, while exploring linkages between subject areas. A short literature review in this multidisciplinary area was undertaken prior to the in-person workshop (available on request). The outcomes of the review guided selection of discussion topics and cross-disciplinary research themes for the workshop which were; novel instrumentation and remote sensing, bio-inspired sensing, novel analysis applied to archive and real-time data, and remediation techniques. As a result of the workshop, funding proposal are being developed for submission to UKRI and other appropriate funders. Project 3: Quanta for Capture (Q4C) This project aimed to identify potential interfaces between quantum sciences and carbon capture/removal/mitigation technologies, with the aim of providing a possible application for quantum sciences in the development and testing of CO2 capture materials. Two interdisciplinary workshops were run where researchers, from the Institute of Photonics and Quantum Science (IPAQS) and the Research Centre for Carbon Solutions (RCCS) had the opportunity to discuss their respective research and identify potential areas of interface between the different research areas. The aim was to understand where quantum materials may play a role in the development of CO2 capture materials. Workshops were held in February and March and were attended by academics, post docs and PhDs from across the two research groups. Project 4: Net Zero GRI Cambridge Consultants Net Zero is Heriot-Watt's newest Global Research Institute (GRI). Heriot-Watt's multidisciplinary expertise in fundamental research across technical and social sciences, systems thinking, and technology and policy innovation allows the GRI to take a holistic approach to tackling global challenges. Cambridge Consultants, a product development and technology consultancy firm, were engaged to perform an independent competitive analysis of the Net Zero/Decarbonisation ecosystem. The data and recommendations from this analysis, gathered through extensive consultations with Heriot-Watt academics, identified a set of activities which will act as differentiators for the GRI's purpose and allow Heriot-Watt's to position the Net Zero GRI as a unique and essential component of the decarbonisation ecosystem.
First Year Of Impact 2023
Sector Chemicals,Energy,Environment