Maximising the impact of NERC research: facilitating knowledge exchange between the UK atmospheric science community and Defra.
Lead Research Organisation:
University of York
Department Name: Chemistry
Abstract
Air quality is a significant public health issue in the UK and globally; the United Nations Environment Programme called air pollution the World's Worst Environmental Health Risk (1), with 3.7 million deaths worldwide attributed to degraded air quality in 2012 (2). In 2013, the Public Health Outcomes Framework for England included an indicator of mortality associated with air pollution, further demonstrating its recognised importance as a major environmental risk to health. It is essential, therefore that effective mechanisms are developed to ensure that the high quality air pollution research carried out by the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC), the UK's largest funder of independent environmental science research, is appropriately communicated to and informed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) who are the government department responsible for this issue.
While there are existing processes to facilitate the communication of air pollution research to Defra, mounting evidence of the costs of air pollution on UK public health strongly favour an increasing scale of interactions between research and policy. With continuing pressure to deliver scientific evidence for policy more efficiently, there is both the need and opportunity to improve the use of existing mechanisms and to develop new channels and tools for more effective communication of research to policy and the reciprocal transfer of evidence needs from Defra to the research community. This fellowship will facilitate effective communication between the UK atmospheric science research community and Defra's Atmosphere and Industrial Emissions Team (AIE), extending existing mechanisms to develop longer-term and more sustainable working relationships between these two groups and increasing the potential for impact from NERC air quality research in UK government, public policy and Europe.
The primary aim is to promote co-production of research and to increase awareness of the evidence needs of policy to provide increased policy impact from NERC science. The activities focus around getting NERC atmospheric researchers and Defra's Atmosphere and Industrial Emissions team together in situations that facilitate knowledge exchange, discussion of research priorities and opportunities, and relationship building, without creating unnecessary burdens on time or resources. As part of the NERC National Centre for Atmospheric Science programme of meetings, fora will be organised for researchers and policy-makers to discuss policy relevant atmospheric science and the future of research in these crucial areas of science. Workshops and dedicated sessions will also be organised at key meetings and conferences and seminars will be delivered at UK universities that carry out NERC air pollution research. An effective mechanism already used by Defra to synthesise the vast and complex research base for air quality is the Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG). AQEG are an Expert Committee that provides independent scientific advice on air quality to Defra and the Devolved Administrations. The fellowship will aim to increase the visibility of AQEG and its outputs to maximise the value of this resource for communicating air quality evidence to policy-makers.
This fellowship aims to provide greater awareness from the NERC community of Defra's air quality evidence needs and an improvement in Defra's access to the high quality research being carried out by NERC. Through this work effective networks can be built and maintained enabling long-term knowledge exchange across the policy-science interface maximising the UK's ability to produce cutting-edge air quality research with policy relevance and to realise the potential benefit for society.
References:
1. Emerging issues in our global environment, UNEP Yearbook 2014.
2. Burden of disease from Ambient Air Pollution for 2012, WHO 2014.
3. The business of the environment, Delivery Plan 2015/16, NERC
While there are existing processes to facilitate the communication of air pollution research to Defra, mounting evidence of the costs of air pollution on UK public health strongly favour an increasing scale of interactions between research and policy. With continuing pressure to deliver scientific evidence for policy more efficiently, there is both the need and opportunity to improve the use of existing mechanisms and to develop new channels and tools for more effective communication of research to policy and the reciprocal transfer of evidence needs from Defra to the research community. This fellowship will facilitate effective communication between the UK atmospheric science research community and Defra's Atmosphere and Industrial Emissions Team (AIE), extending existing mechanisms to develop longer-term and more sustainable working relationships between these two groups and increasing the potential for impact from NERC air quality research in UK government, public policy and Europe.
The primary aim is to promote co-production of research and to increase awareness of the evidence needs of policy to provide increased policy impact from NERC science. The activities focus around getting NERC atmospheric researchers and Defra's Atmosphere and Industrial Emissions team together in situations that facilitate knowledge exchange, discussion of research priorities and opportunities, and relationship building, without creating unnecessary burdens on time or resources. As part of the NERC National Centre for Atmospheric Science programme of meetings, fora will be organised for researchers and policy-makers to discuss policy relevant atmospheric science and the future of research in these crucial areas of science. Workshops and dedicated sessions will also be organised at key meetings and conferences and seminars will be delivered at UK universities that carry out NERC air pollution research. An effective mechanism already used by Defra to synthesise the vast and complex research base for air quality is the Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG). AQEG are an Expert Committee that provides independent scientific advice on air quality to Defra and the Devolved Administrations. The fellowship will aim to increase the visibility of AQEG and its outputs to maximise the value of this resource for communicating air quality evidence to policy-makers.
This fellowship aims to provide greater awareness from the NERC community of Defra's air quality evidence needs and an improvement in Defra's access to the high quality research being carried out by NERC. Through this work effective networks can be built and maintained enabling long-term knowledge exchange across the policy-science interface maximising the UK's ability to produce cutting-edge air quality research with policy relevance and to realise the potential benefit for society.
References:
1. Emerging issues in our global environment, UNEP Yearbook 2014.
2. Burden of disease from Ambient Air Pollution for 2012, WHO 2014.
3. The business of the environment, Delivery Plan 2015/16, NERC
Publications
Grange S
(2017)
Lower vehicular primary emissions of NO2 in Europe than assumed in policy projections
in Nature Geoscience
Hillier J
(2019)
Demystifying academics to enhance university-business collaborations in environmental science
in Geoscience Communication
Lewis A
(2022)
Indoor Air Quality
McGonigle D
(2022)
Integrating a systems approach into Defra
Monks P
(2017)
The Potential Air Quality Impacts from Biomass Combustion
Monks P
(2016)
Paints and Surfaces for the Removal of Nitrogen Oxides
Monks P
(2017)
Impacts of Shipping on UK Air Quality
| Description | This work has highlighted the benefits of having academics embedded in user organisations such as Defra. While impacts may be hard to attribute, the existence of an in-house expert who has connections with the wider academic and research community allows opportunities for co-production, communication and collaboration to be more effectively identified and followed up. The value of keeping a knowledge broker who has a role in, and therefore maintains knowledge and respect of, both the research and policy community and landscape is demonstrated by the impact of my role and knowledge exchange activities in changing the culture in both communities. Compared to when my fellowship began there is now a much more open and collaborative relationship between these two communities, much better links between Defra and research funders, and an acknowledgement of the value of these relationships to enable research that has impact and policy that is evidence informed and robust. At the beginning of the award it was intended that the mechanisms put in place would continue beyond the term of the award; while for many this will now happen, and in fact this is already happening with activities being taken forward independent of my input, I now recognise the importance of the embedded academic or knowledge broker to recognise opportunities, present their benefits to stakeholders and enable them to be acted on with more agility. |
| Exploitation Route | The findings around the role of the knowledge broker have not yet been written up but it is hoped that they could form the basis of discussions with wider Defra and other government departments about the benefits of working closely with academics and research funders. The findings of this work have been communicated to senior university representatives at the University of York and are being considered in discussions of the University Knowledge Exchange Strategy as well as the formation of a policy unit. The Defra Air Quality Team now see the ability to bring academic researchers, including PhD students and post doctoral research associates, into the team for even short periods as an opportunity to leverage greater benefit from academic research. They have already supported a proposal for an innovation placement, and committed to provide placements for PhD students as part of a number of Doctoral Training Partnerships. This approach has also been embraced by the research community with at least one recently funded NERC grant including a placement with Defra towards the end of the grant to enable effective communication of research findings and providing a development experience for the PDRA. The change in ways of working within the Air Quality Team at Defra are fairly embedded and so it is hoped that the liaison with research councils and the use of academic experts in policy development processes will continue. |
| Sectors | Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Description | My work to ensure that AQEG advice is appropriately formulated, communicated and used has led to that advice forming the basis for submissions I helped draft to Defra Ministers on the use of photocatalytic paints and surfaces and vegetation for air pollution mitigation. It also led to AQEG being engaged to support work that fed in to the consultation on diesel generators as part of the MCPD which has now resulted in new legislation, and the announcement of a call for evidence on solid fuel burning. This all contributes to the formulation of effective and robust policy to reduce the environmental and health impacts of air pollution. I have also encouraged a transition from AQEG being used only to deliver in depth reports that take years to develop, to a situation where AQEG are used as a sounding board for policy officials and a source of rapid advice or review of evidence. This has strengthened and developed the role of AQEG in supporting Defra air pollution policy development. Through encouraging the development of relationships at the programme level between Defra and NERC, and ensuring ongoing commitment to this the benefit of liaison with research councils is now recognised by the Defra Air Quality Team. This has led to increased interest in research co-production and, through my articulation of the benefits, the involvement of Defra in discussion of NERC capital investment around air pollution which so far has leveraged £125,000 from Defra in support of this NERC investment. I represented Defra at discussion of the UKRI Strategic Priorities Fund Clean Air bid with the research councils and ensured that the bid was supported by latest science and was delivering to current policy needs. I then liaised with Defra and NERC in later stages of discussions. The bid was successful which resulted in a £19.6M programme for Clean Air, which included £500,000 co-funding from Defra for one part of the programme. The Innovate UK part of this funding focuses on developing solutions for issues that Defra identified as areas of particular need. The work done through this fellowship developing partnerships and trusted relationships enabled me to I propose, design and get agreement for a consultation plan to engage academic researchers in the early stages of the Government Clean Air Strategy (CAS) development. Suggestions made at the policy forum I organised and facilitated, and the consultation with AQEG were taken forward through discussions with individual academics and involvement of academics in roundtable discussions with wider stakeholders. These meetings and discussions shaped some of the proposals that went into the final CAS, providing expert advice on the feasibility and potential impact of proposed actions. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
| Sector | Environment |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | Air Quality Expert Group advice on use of sensors for air quality monitoring developed and published |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health |
| Impact | AQEG advice on the use of sensors in air pollution monitoring was published on the AQEG website as a resource that Defra could use to respond to enquiries about this issue. This advice was sought by officials from DfT to inform their thinking about use of sensors, particularly by the public to compare to legal limits. |
| URL | https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/aqeg/pollution-sensors.php |
| Description | Air Quality Expert Group review of modelling work done by Defra contractors in support of amendments to the Medium Combustion Plant Directive legislation |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | Legislation has been introduced as a result of the consultation, which AQEG review and advice informed, that should limit the impact of diesel generator use as part of the capacity market. This will limit the impact of this pollution source in contributing to the health impacts of air pollution, particularly particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide. |
| URL | https://consult.defra.gov.uk/airquality/medium-combustion-plant-and-controls-on-generators/supportin... |
| Description | Citation in Government Clean Air Strategy 2019 - Summary of Consultation Responses |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| URL | https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/7707... |
| Description | Citation in Joint Committee Improving Air Quality Report |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| URL | https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmenvfru/433/433.pdf |
| Description | Designed a programme of events to consult with the air quality research community on the content of the Government Clean Air Strategy |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | Developing a method to assess compliance with the new Population Exposure Reduction Target under the Environment Act 2021 |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | This has made the assessment of the particulate matter population exposure reduction target that is part of the Environment Act 2021 more robust and defensible. It provides a practical solution to an issue that was causing problems for civil servants as it was not clear how they would justify simply comparing annual averaged values from very different networks (the planned network expansion is from approx 32 sites to >100). |
| URL | https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/96/contents/made |
| Description | Edited Entry on Air Pollution Episodes and Consulted on Defra response to the Review of the National Risk Assessment |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | Input to Defra Review of Expert Evidence Committees |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | Input to submission to Defra Minister on use of vegetation and photocatalytic paints for air pollution mitigation |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health |
| Impact | In consideration of how to reduce air pollution Defra Ministers were considering possible actions. Evidence from Air Quality Expert Group reports was used by the secretariat (Sarah Moller) to feed in to submissions to Ministers on the use of vegetation and photocatalytic paints for air pollution mitigation. Evidence from the vegetation work was also used in discussions with Government Chief Scientific Advisers. This influenced thinking around the efficacy and use of these mitigation technologies, future work to test efficacy, and actions that should be recommended for air pollution mitigation. |
| Description | Membership of Natural Hazards Partnership Science Strategy Group |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| URL | http://www.naturalhazardspartnership.org.uk/ |
| Description | Membership of Natural Hazards Partnership Steering Group |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
| Impact | Work has been done through the NHP to improve the way that air pollution episodes are entered and represented in the National Risk Assessment, the National Risk Register and the National Security Risk Assessment. |
| URL | http://www.naturalhazardspartnership.org.uk/ |
| Description | Organised and facilitated discussion at Air Quality Expert Group meeting of solid fuel burning issues |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | This discussion raised the awareness of policy makers of the potential adverse impacts of a policy under consideration, and led to a call for evidence that should allow Defra to develop more robust policy around the burning of solid fuel which produces emissions that are harmful to human health. |
| URL | https://consult.defra.gov.uk/airquality/domestic-burning-of-wood-and-coal/ |
| Description | Response to Select Committee Joint Enquiry on Air Quality |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| URL | http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/environment-food-an... |
| Description | Secretariat for Air Quality Expert Group |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | Advice from AQEG is used by the Air Quality team in Defra to inform further research and prioritisation of research funding, as well as in submissions to Ministers around air quality issues. AQEG advice has informed thinking around solutions to air pollution hotspots, has provided input to the development of consultation documents and ultimately the policy development process. This contributes to our ability in the UK to improve air quality and reduce the impacts on human health and the environment. Through my role, enhanced by this fellowship, as an embedded academic in the Defra Air Quality Team (AQT) and my role as secretariat of AQEG I was working on improved mechanisms for communicating policy relevant science to Defra. I worked with the AQT and AQEG Chair to enable AQEG to provide more agile advice on issues from future evidence provision to development of policy options. To enable this there was increased engagement from policy and evidence officials from across the AQT including consultation with me about the best way to use AQEG to advise on issues, requests for time on AQEG meeting agendas for ad-hoc discussions and regular attendance at AQEG meetings. This enabled for example a discussion of potential negative impacts of restricting domestic solid fuel burning, consultation on the content of the Defra Future Evidence Programme to spend a £7M investment in air quality and early consultation on the proposed content of the draft Clean Air Strategy. |
| URL | http://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/aqeg/ |
| Description | AQ0966: Support for the LWEC accredited Defra-NCAS research programme on air pollution |
| Amount | £85,429 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (DEFRA) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2015 |
| End | 08/2018 |
| Description | Extension to AQ0966: Support for the LWEC accredited Defra-NCAS research programme on air pollution |
| Amount | £11,475 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (DEFRA) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2018 |
| End | 03/2019 |
| Description | Open KE Fellowship: Air Quality Science in Support of Government Strategies |
| Amount | £132,111 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | NE/S00615X/1 |
| Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2018 |
| End | 08/2022 |
| Description | iCASP - Integrated Nitrogen Management |
| Amount | £8,435 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2019 |
| End | 03/2019 |
| Description | Initiated National Centre for Atmospheric Science Policy Fora |
| Organisation | Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (DEFRA) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Agreed with NCAS Science Strategy Board to run a pilot Science Policy Forum on air quality in May 2016. The purpose of the forum was to discuss recent developments in air quality research, policy implications and future directions for air quality research, as well as to build relationships between the research community and Defra officials. I developed the concept, approached speakers, agreed the programme and format with NCAS SSB and Defra senior officials and invited attendees. NCAS provided administrative support for meeting organisation. The first forum took place in May 2016 and was well attended by academic researchers and Defra officials. I submitted a report on the forum and my proposal for this to become a regular commitment on the NCAS programme of fora to NCAS SSB and commitment to future fora was agreed. The second forum was run in January 2018 and focused on the Government Clean Air Strategy that was in early stages of development at this point. I proposed to Defra that the policy forum would be an opportunity to get research community input to the development of the strategy, and put together an appropriate agenda with speakers and invitees chosen to get maximum discussion and input. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Defra have committed to allow and encourage officials to attend the fora, present evidence needs at the fora and to consider this an important opportunity to engage with the research community and build partnerships and relationships. |
| Impact | This activity improves the access that Defra get to the most recent and relevant policy relevant air quality science and develops relationships between Defra officials and influential air quality scientists. This provides Defra with better access to advice and evidence to support air quality policy. Improvements in air quality policy has an influence on the societal impact of this environmental issue which is associated with serious health impacts and therefore also economic impacts. As a direct result of the forum in 2016 Defra officials now have regular teleconferences with the NERC lead for the Environment and Health portfolio. This is improving communication of evidence needs and priorities and discussion of opportunities for collaboration. Points raised in the 2018 forum were subsequently followed up with individual discussions and inclusion in roundtable meetings to develop the Clean Air Strategy contents. A connection made as part of this forum also led onto a proposal to iCASP for a project on integrated nitrogen management with Stockholm Environment Institute; this project includes academics from across the agricultural and environmental systems, famers, farmer groups and organisations such as Natural England, Environment Agency and National Farmers Union. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Initiated links with the Defra partnership team |
| Organisation | Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (DEFRA) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | I have had numerous meetings and conversations with a member of the Defra partnerships Team around ways to engage with the research community, develop links and get access to evidence. I have championed the NERC innovation funding streams providing information for use in discussions with NERC and researchers. I have provided a briefing on the potential to develop internship opportunities with a specific NERC DTP relevant for air quality and other areas of Defra interest such as extreme weather. This has now been taken forward with the SPHERES DTP lead and the Defra Chief Scientific Advisers team. Discussions with the partnerships team resulted in me giving a presentation on behalf of Defra at the NERC Environmental Science for Impact Programme information day in Leeds. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Contribution to discussions, provides the link to wider Defra allowing potential for impact beyond just the air quality team. Setting out the potential benefits of working with DTPs to set up placements, following this up after a set of placements were agreed between the CSA's office and a London DTP and linking SPHERES DTP lead with appropriate Defra officials to take this forward. |
| Impact | None realised as yet. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Initiation of new Knowledge Exchange Activities with Defra Air Quality Team |
| Organisation | Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (DEFRA) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | I provide a source of air quality expertise, knowledge of the research landscape and a link to the air quality research community and associated expertise. Through my links with the air quality research community (and NERC) opportunities are created for the air quality team to gain a wider appreciation of the research being carried out in the UK and a mechanism for them to communicate their research and evidence needs to the community. This also provides an horizon scanning opportunity giving the Defra team an idea of the issues that researchers are prioritising. Over the past year (2016/17) the Defra air quality team have increasingly been using my links with and knowledge of the research community to identify members of the community who can be approached for advice or to carry out work. For example reviewing and advising on findings of reports from other government departments. This work continues past the end of the project through the project leveraged off the back of this, NERC KE Fellowship: Air Quality Science in Support of Government Strategies. |
| Collaborator Contribution | I am embedded in the air quality team with access to Defra systems and information. They provide a desk in their offices and a secure laptop. The air quality team provide opportunities for me to gain an appreciation of the challenges they face and the issues that are currently most important to them. They provide knowledge of the policy landscape and air pollution control in the UK and Europe. |
| Impact | Defra research report published November 2015: A review of the state-of-the-science relating to secondary particulate matter of relevance to the composition of the UK atmosphere. Full technical report to Defra, project AQ0732. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Leading on links between Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratories (WACL) and York City Council |
| Organisation | City of York Council |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | I set up the initial and follow up meetings with officials from City of York Council to discuss how expertise at York could be combined with data holdings of City of York Council to get research output and evidence for policy makers. Following the initial meeting there has been liaison to set up remote sensing measurements in York to test equipment for use as part of another NERC funding award. Access to City of York Council data has formed the basis of an MChem research project and is likely to result in a journal article. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Attended meetings. Shared information and contacts and gave access to those in the council who could help to facilitate access to make remote sensing measurements. City of York Council also provided WACL with access to data collected over 10 years from diffusion tubes across York City centre. |
| Impact | Outcomes have yet to be realised. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Management of the Defra Air Quality Expert Group |
| Organisation | Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (DEFRA) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | I manage the independent Air Quality Expert Group and work to ensure that their advice is communicated effectively and is used appropriately by Defra officials and policy teams. I am currently the sole member of the group secretariat and with a re-structuring of the air quality team I have been working to strengthen the links across the team with both the policy and evidence specialists. This has so far resulted in attendance at AQEG meetings of senior officials and regular attendance of policy officials for discussions of specific topics relevant to their areas of responsibility. It has also resulted in the policy and evidence teams using breaks during AQEG meetings as opportunities to have discussions with individual members of AQEG to provide ad-hoc advice. Latterly this has become a regular part of AQEG meetings that ad-hoc advice is given on issues of the day, allowing more agile delivery of expert advice than the writing of full reports. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Increasing engagement and commitment from both policy and evidence officials at Defra. Defra provide necessary resource to run AQEG such as paying member fees and expenses, requiring key contractors to attend meetings as ex-officials members, and providing catering and room hire. |
| Impact | Outputs and outcomes include: Publication of report on Photocatalytic paints and surfaces for the removal of nitrogen oxides, Potential air quality impacts of biomass combustion, and Impact of shipping on UK air quality; Advice to Defra Ministers on use of photocatalytic paints and surfaces and vegetation for air pollution abatement; Provided input to Defra review of expert evidence committees; Advice on use of sensors for air quality published. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | NERC and research community collaboration with Defra on air pollution capital investment and involvement in Air Pollution Capital Investment Working Group |
| Organisation | Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (DEFRA) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | I ensured attendance from both Defra and DfT at the NERC Air Pollution Capital Investment Advisory Group through discussions with the air quality team in Defra and encouragement to DfT colleagues that this was worth attending. I presented at the first meeting of the working group and facilitated ongoing engagement from Defra officials. |
| Collaborator Contribution | NERC agreed a £4.3 million investment for air pollution measurements in the UK with £600,000 from DfT associated training and research posts. £125,000 has recently been agreed from Defra to facilitate the necessary relocation of the North Kensington site and to upgrade instrumentation. |
| Impact | Funding was leveraged through activities (and activities of others). This collaboration is likely to continue for the lifetime of the sites. This funding also supported the set-up of the air pollution monitoring site in York at the Aviva building. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | NERC and research community collaboration with Defra on air pollution capital investment and involvement in Air Pollution Capital Investment Working Group |
| Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | I ensured attendance from both Defra and DfT at the NERC Air Pollution Capital Investment Advisory Group through discussions with the air quality team in Defra and encouragement to DfT colleagues that this was worth attending. I presented at the first meeting of the working group and facilitated ongoing engagement from Defra officials. |
| Collaborator Contribution | NERC agreed a £4.3 million investment for air pollution measurements in the UK with £600,000 from DfT associated training and research posts. £125,000 has recently been agreed from Defra to facilitate the necessary relocation of the North Kensington site and to upgrade instrumentation. |
| Impact | Funding was leveraged through activities (and activities of others). This collaboration is likely to continue for the lifetime of the sites. This funding also supported the set-up of the air pollution monitoring site in York at the Aviva building. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Participation in RIDE Forum Air Quality and Climate Change Working Group on behalf of Defra |
| Organisation | Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (DEFRA) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | I attend working group meetings and represent Defra interests. I have provided input to discussions of policy priorities and evidence needs in the air quality and climate change area which fed into a scoping document identifying areas of need across the RIDE forum partners. I presented these views at the RIDE Forum Air Quality and Climate Change meeting in Birmingham in 2016 and participated in the workshop activities identifying possible ways forward focused around areas of interest and need. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Defra officials have put aside time to discuss my input to the working group with me. Other policy partners have made similar contributions to the working group activities as I have. The Met Office and Environment Agency started the working group and EPSRC coordinated the meeting in Birmingham. Other RIDE Forum members have provided input to multiple discussions and have attended meetings. |
| Impact | This work has allowed me to develop a relationship with a key official in the Department for Transport. No tangible outputs. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Set up link with Aviva York to establish an Air Quality Monitoring Station in York city centre |
| Organisation | Aviva |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Set up meetings and visits to scope the potential for an air quality monitoring station on the Aviva building in York. Agreement to make data available to Aviva to use as they see fit and to publicise the collaboration to employees to demonstrate their involvement in projects to benefit the local community. Following multiple meetings details of the site and access conditions were agreed and the site started measuring in October 2018. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Agreement to host an air quality monitoring site at the Aviva York city centre site and to provide electricity for the site. Aviva have facilitated access and carried out preparatory electrical work putting in higher rated circuit breakers to enable the air quality monitoring equipment to be installed. Aviva continue to facilitate regular access to the site and provide power to the instruments. |
| Impact | None as yet. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | UKRI Working Group on Clean Air SPF |
| Organisation | Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (DEFRA) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | I was involved in meetings around the development of the bid into UKRI for a programme under the Strategic Priorities Fund focused on Clean Air. I consulted on documents and provided advice on the strategic science need. I also discussed with Defra their engagement with this work and provided supporting advice and liaison on this. |
| Collaborator Contribution | NERC and the Met Office led the bid into the UKRI SPF and convened the partners to bring together a strong bid into this process. |
| Impact | This led to a funded programme (£19.6M) from the UKRI SPF fund with parts led by the Met Office, NERC and Innovate UK and with co-funding for sections of that programme from Defra. This programme included MRC, EPSRC, ESRC as partners as well. A sandpit was held in December 2018 to develop multidisciplinary projects for submission to the NERC funding call and a workshop in February 2019 to shape the Met Office calls which are due out in March 2019. I was invited to join the steering committee for this and the SPF Wave 2 investment also on Clean Air and continue to sit on that group to present. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | UKRI Working Group on Clean Air SPF |
| Organisation | Meteorological Office UK |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I was involved in meetings around the development of the bid into UKRI for a programme under the Strategic Priorities Fund focused on Clean Air. I consulted on documents and provided advice on the strategic science need. I also discussed with Defra their engagement with this work and provided supporting advice and liaison on this. |
| Collaborator Contribution | NERC and the Met Office led the bid into the UKRI SPF and convened the partners to bring together a strong bid into this process. |
| Impact | This led to a funded programme (£19.6M) from the UKRI SPF fund with parts led by the Met Office, NERC and Innovate UK and with co-funding for sections of that programme from Defra. This programme included MRC, EPSRC, ESRC as partners as well. A sandpit was held in December 2018 to develop multidisciplinary projects for submission to the NERC funding call and a workshop in February 2019 to shape the Met Office calls which are due out in March 2019. I was invited to join the steering committee for this and the SPF Wave 2 investment also on Clean Air and continue to sit on that group to present. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | UKRI Working Group on Clean Air SPF |
| Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | I was involved in meetings around the development of the bid into UKRI for a programme under the Strategic Priorities Fund focused on Clean Air. I consulted on documents and provided advice on the strategic science need. I also discussed with Defra their engagement with this work and provided supporting advice and liaison on this. |
| Collaborator Contribution | NERC and the Met Office led the bid into the UKRI SPF and convened the partners to bring together a strong bid into this process. |
| Impact | This led to a funded programme (£19.6M) from the UKRI SPF fund with parts led by the Met Office, NERC and Innovate UK and with co-funding for sections of that programme from Defra. This programme included MRC, EPSRC, ESRC as partners as well. A sandpit was held in December 2018 to develop multidisciplinary projects for submission to the NERC funding call and a workshop in February 2019 to shape the Met Office calls which are due out in March 2019. I was invited to join the steering committee for this and the SPF Wave 2 investment also on Clean Air and continue to sit on that group to present. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Article for The Conversation on the Government Clean Air Strategy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Article written with Professor Ally Lewis on the Government Draft Clean Air Strategy. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | BBC Radio 4 interview on actions to reduce air pollution |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Interview on the sources of air pollution and what the public can do to reduce emissions. As a result I was invited to give a talk in a local school about air pollution issues, impacts and actions to reduce emissions. I was also contacted by members of the public about issues raised. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Defra Air Quality Strategic Evidence Leadership Group |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Involved in the steering group to set up the Air Quality Strategic Evidence Leadership Group, led out of the Defra Chief Scientific Advisers Office, and now on the secretariat for the Predictive Capability Working Group, one of 5 working groups that have been formed. The purpose of the group is to build a coalition of understanding about the steps required to build our capability to better identify, understand and assess the impacts of air pollution and develop solutions to mitigate them. The ultimate aim is to provide leadership in a diverse community of science and engineering specialists and to encourage appropriately targeted innovation, investment and collaboration around air quality issues to bring real, long-term improvements in UK air quality. The work of the leadership group has so far fed into thinking around how Defra prioritise work funded by investment from HMT to support implementation of the UK plan for tackling UK roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | NCAS Air Quality Policy Forum 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | I organised, hosted and facilitated a forum to bring together academics with policy makers from central Defra and those from Defra agencies (Environment Agency and Natural England), as well as Public Health England. The forum was focused on the development of the Government Clean Air Strategy and enabled conversations about the proposed content, where academic research could support intended content and what the role of academics could be in the further development of the strategy. This led to follow on individual discussions and the inclusion of academic experts in roundtable discussions with wider stakeholders, forming an effective route to enable impact from academic evidence in the development of the strategy. An evidence statement produced by Alix Green as part of a PhD student placement programme facilitated by Dr Alice Milner from Royal Holloway University of London and the Defra Chief Scientific Adviser was also discussed. This enabled challenge from research experts and for the conclusions of the evidence statement to be discussed giving confidence that this evidence statement reflected the balance of evidence. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | NCAS/Defra Sensor Symposium |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This was funded as an NCAS forum and follows on from NCAS policy fora previously organised but engages a different audience including business, academia, philanthropic organisations, local authorities, Defra and its agencies.The symposium was run as a facilitated workshop and attendees were expected to contribute through elevator pitches, round table discussions with feedback and whole room discussions; only a couple of presentations were included from Defra to give context and guide discussions. The meeting aimed to: ? Get a common understanding between Defra, researchers and other users about the state of science around small air pollution sensors and effective use of this technology in air quality research/monitoring. ? Explore barriers to progress in this area. ? Agree action required, and ideally by whom, to accelerate the route to effective implementation of this technology in air pollution monitoring. Main outcome was a desire from Defra to keep this group as a sounding board for their future activities in this space. They took an action to investigate setting up a Publicly Available Standard for sensors from BSI. This work with BSI engaged some academics in development of the standard which is due to be published imminently. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | NERC SPHERES Atmospheres Day training Presentation on UK Air Pollution Policy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation as part of NERC SPHERES DTP training day on UK air pollution policy. This led to some follow up questions about how I ended up in the role I have now and how to explore careers in air quality policy. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | National Centre for Atmospheric Science Policy Forum 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | This forum was supported by the National Centre for Atmospheric Science and organised, facilitated and hosted by me. This was the second in this series of fora. The aim was to bring together members of the air quality research community and Defra officials to discuss challenges, new research and evidence gaps, and to explore opportunities for future collaboration. The focus was on the UK Clean Air Strategy (CAS) being developed by Defra. It was attended by Defra officials, NERC research centre staff, research council representatives and university researchers. The discussion and presentations were aimed at getting input and support from the research community for the work of government in developing the air quality strategy. Outcomes are ongoing but include initiating conversations that will input evidence and advice to be used in the development and implementation of the Government Clean Air Strategy to be published later this year. Some of these conversations have already been followed up with meetings between researchers and Defra officials. Defra officials have also expressed interest in working with me to develop further workshops including academic stakeholders during the Clean Air Strategy consultation period. Also a commission has gone to the Air Quality Expert Group to report on evidence around volatile organic compounds in the UK, and discussions have been initiated around how best to reduce emissions and impacts of these. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | National Centre for Atmospheric Science Policy forum 2016 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | This was a trial activity, which aimed to bring together members of the air quality research community and Defra officials to discuss challenges, new research and evidence gaps, and to explore opportunities for future collaboration. It also aimed to demonstrate the value of this activity to secure support from the National Centre for Atmospheric Science to hold these events regularly. Outcomes include agreement from NCAS to support future events of this kind, continuing conversations between academics and the Defra air quality team and perhaps most significantly agreement from NERC representatives (Caroline Culshaw) to monthly catch up teleconferences with Defra officials. These have led to closer working relationships between the air quality team in Defra and NERC allowing input to and influence on potential funding, inclusion in meetings about future research strategy and development of relationships between the Defra team and other research councils. This relationship is now sufficiently established to continue without my input and no longer requires me to encourage inclusion and discussion between the Defra team and NERC. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Operation Earth - air quality expert video for interactive museum presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Was filmed as part of an interactive stage show called Operation Earth which has been touring UK science centres and museums. I played the air pollution expert and recorded a video segment that was then played during the live stage shows. The show explores the importance of environmental science in understanding our changing world. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017,2018 |
| URL | https://www.sciencecentres.org.uk/projects/operation-earth/ |
| Description | Presentation to Defra Chief Scientific Adviser's Evidence Forum on my experience as an embedded academic in Defra |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | I presented to the CSA's evidence forum, to which all science and engineering officials are invited, on my experience as an embedded academic. During the presentation I presented the impact that my work had enabled on ways of working within the air quality team and the benefits that this had for them in terms of accessing evidence for policy making. Feedback from the presentation was excellent and I was asked to present again to the Defra Science and Evidence Assessment Assessors' Workshop. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Presentation to Defra Group Science and Evidence Assessors' Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | This presentation was to enable the assessors to see an example of the approaches being taken in Defra to improve access to scientific evidence for policy making. This was to a panel of around 5 assessors and a small group of officials. The impact of this activity is not known. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | University of York Careers in Environment Evening Panel Q&A |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | A careers evening including representatives from a number of industries that could be considered to be related to the environment and sustainability. During the networking event after there were a number of students who came to discuss careers in Defra, local government and wider policy as well as knowledge exchange with me. One student has since applied to do a summer placement in the Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratories (where i work) and having been successful will be working with me on the set-up and data analysis for the air quality station on the Aviva building. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |