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NERC Impact Awards 2018: Winners make an impact on our world | |
admin | |
2018-12-04 | |
发布年 | 2018 |
语种 | 英语 |
国家 | 英国 |
领域 | 资源环境 |
正文(英文) | The real-world impact of inspirational environmental science was celebrated last night at NERC's 2018 Impact Awards in the Natural History Museum's Hintze Hall. A team of pioneering UK scientists from the University of Exeter, the University of Plymouth and the Plymouth Marine Laboratory was crowned overall winner, for decades of research uncovering the devastating impacts of microplastics in our oceans, raising global awareness of the this pressing environmental issue and directly influencing policy around the world. This research was also the winner of the Societal Impact Award. The Early Career Impact Award went to Dr Jennifer Lucey, University of Oxford, for research helping to reduce the damaging effect that growing commodities such as palm oil can have on biodiversity in the Tropics. The Economic Impact Award went to Professor Shaun Quegan, University of Sheffield, for science which underpinned the successful bid for the European Space Agency's BIOMASS mission, paving the way for a £192 million contract for Airbus UK to build the satellite that will allow us to monitor climate change. Shortlisted and judged by independent panels of esteemed academic, industry and government figures, the NERC Impact Awards celebrate NERC-funded scientists, as individuals or teams, whose work has had a significant, wide-reaching impact on the economy or society in the UK or internationally. To further the impacts of their research, the winner of each category receives £10,000 and the runner-up £5,000. The category winner judged to have had the biggest impact is the overall winner, receiving an additional £30,000 funding. Professor Duncan Wingham, NERC Executive Chair, said:
Energy & Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry said:
UK Research & Innovation Chief Executive Professor Sir Mark Walport said:
This year's judges include former UK Environment Secretary Lord Deben, Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change, and BBC presenter and Professor of Public Engagement in Science Professor Alice Roberts. Winners were announced at a ceremony on Monday 3 December, compered by Dr Hermione Cockburn, broadcaster and Scientific Director of Edinburgh science centre Our Dynamic Earth. Around 150 guests from the research community, industry and government gathered for the ceremony underneath the skeleton of the blue whale, 'Hope', in the glowing light of a spectacular 7-metre diameter 'Earth' installation by Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram. Please see full details of the winners and runners-up below. Early Career Impact AwardThe Early Career Impact Award recognises societal or economic impacts achieved by a researcher in the early stages of their career, usually within eight years of the award of their PhD or equivalent professional training. Runner upSaving Brazil's Atlantic Forest on a shoestringDr Cristina Banks-Leite, Imperial College London Brazilian researcher Dr Banks-Leite has a lifelong passion for preserving the Atlantic Forest of her home province, one of the world's most diverse areas that has suffered great losses due to deforestation for agriculture in recent decades. Her research has directly informed Brazilian government policy to combat deforestation by providing the rigorous evidence required to protect and restore the forest. This work revealed the minimum forest cover needed to maintain biodiversity and this threshold is now the official target for maintenance and restoration. Dr Banks-Leite has also helped to demonstrate this can be achieved at surprisingly little cost, including compensation to affected farmers, helping to reduce poverty. It is particularly impressive that this research has already been incorporated into Brazilian legislation at both the State and Federal level. Read more about Dr Cristina Banks-Leite's research in our Planet Earth article Saving the forest on a shoestring. WinnerPutting "no deforestation" into practice in the tropicsDr Jennifer Lucey, University of Oxford At a time when the environmental footprint of food production is of concern to many, Dr Lucey has dedicated her career to reducing the damaging effect that deforestation for commodities such as palm oil can have on biodiversity in the tropics. This research has provided scientifically rigorous tools, being used by industry, farmers and regulators to determine the minimum forest patch sizes that need to set aside in agricultural land to preserve biodiversity. Working with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), her NERC-funded research underpins the 'sustainable palm oil' trademark, helping consumers make informed choices and setting industry standards adopted by many of the world's largest producers, already applied across millions of hectares of land. Read more about Dr Jennifer Lucey's research in our Planet Earth article Protecting biodiversity in palm oil. Dr Phil Heads, NERC's Director of Research & Innovation, who represented NERC on the Impact Awards 2018 judging panel, said:
Economic Impact AwardThe Economic Impact Award recognises research that has led to demonstrable economic benefits to the UK or internationally. Runner upOpening up a new type of petroleum reservoir for the UKProfessor Bob Holdsworth, Durham University; with Professor Ken McCaffrey, Dr Richard Jones and Dr Jonathan Imber, all at Durham University; Dr Robert Wilson, BP; Dr Richard Walker, University of Leicester; Dr Jen Pless, Conoco Phillips; Dr Ben Franklin, ENI (UK); Dr Anna Dichiarante, University of Oslo; Dr Janine Sleight and Dr Lee Watts, both from Shell; Dr David Moy, Chevron; and Dr Eddie Dempsey, University of Hull. Like some of the UK's finest science, Professor Holdsworth's research was curiosity driven. As a passionate geologist, he noticed an unexplained sediment in geological cores taken many years ago off the coast of Shetland, and his persistence to investigate led to the discovery of petroleum deposits stored in fractures in bedrock under the sea. Subsequent NERC funding facilitated the team's work with industry to research technologies to extract these resources, as well as the creation of a spin-out company, opening-up the potential for a new reserves to be used as part of the UK energy mix. Among the research's most impressive impacts are the scale of industry investment and the jobs this has helped to create, the strategic importance of unlocking UK reserves, and the potential for applying these scientific insights to other uses, such as geothermal energy and water extraction. Read more about Professor Bob Holdsworth's research in our Planet Earth article Uncovering energy hidden in the cracks. WinnerWeighing the world's forests from space: The ESA BIOMASS missionProfessor Shaun Quegan, University of Sheffield and the NERC National Centre for Earth Observation Using radically new technology, the BIOMASS satellite, currently under construction in the UK, will create 3D maps of the world's forests, measuring the weight of the wood held within them and the height of the trees, and creating an accurate map of the terrain they are standing on. Research by the team led by Professor Quegan was instrumental in the selection of BIOMASS for the European Space Agency's seventh Earth Explorer satellite. A crucial factor in the mission was identification of the perfect 'Goldilocks' wavelength to measure the biomass of trees while avoiding disruption of the data caused by an atmospheric layer called the ionosphere. Overcoming this stumbling block was instrumental in the selection of the mission. This paved the way for the UK's Airbus Defence & Space to successfully bid for the £192 million engineering contract, which will see the satellite launched and ready for action in 2022. Read more about Professor Shaun Quegan's research in our Planet Earth article The Goldilocks effect: Weighing the world's forests. NERC's Dr Phil Heads said:
Societal Impact AwardThe Societal Impact Award recognises NERC-funded researchers who have delivered benefits to society; for example cultural, public policy, health or quality of life. Runner upMaking flights smoother and saferProfessor Paul Williams, University of Reading; with Professor John Knox, University of Georgia, USA; and Don McCann, McCann Aviation Weather Research Inc, USA. Professor Paul Williams has worked with US scientists to develop an algorithm to predict in-flight turbulence. Following breakthroughs in 2008 and 2012, their algorithm has been used by the US National Weather Service to create turbulence forecasts since 2015, improving the safety of air travel for up to 2·5 billion passenger journeys so far, and also helping to make flying greener by reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Turbulence is increasing, as global temperatures rise due to climate change, and Professor Williams has been working with aircraft engineers to make sure that the next generation of planes is fit for a warmer, bumpier airspace. The impacts of this research are impressive and wide-reaching, with further impact to come in the future, through the team's work with Airbus on aircraft design, and the likelihood of the forecasting algorithm being adopted worldwide. Read more about Professor Paul Williams's research in our Planet Earth article Smoother and safer flying. Winner and overall winner of the NERC Impact AwardsUncovering the impacts of microplastics in the oceanProfessor Tamara Galloway, with Professor Brendan Godley and Dr Ceri Lewis, all from the University of Exeter; Professor Richard Thompson OBE, Plymouth University; and Dr Penelope Lindeque and Dr Matt Cole from Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML). Pioneering research from this team of researchers has contributed substantially to public awareness of the problem of marine plastic pollution. These researchers were the first to predict that microplastics could be widespread in the marine food chain, and went on to provide evidence that this is the case. The term 'microplastics' was coined by Professor Richard Thompson, University of Plymouth, in a seminal research paper in 2004, and subsequent NERC-funded research by the team has gone on to directly influence policy in the UK and around the world. For example, the UK's ban on microbeads in cosmetics. Read more about this research in our announcement 4,000 tonnes of microbeads no longer released into ocean. Dr Phil Heads said:
Professor Sir Steve Smith, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter, said:
Professor Judith Petts CBE, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Plymouth, said:
Professor Stephen de Mora, Chief Executive of PML, said:
Further informationMary Goodchild Notes1. NERC is the UK's main funder of environmental science. Our work covers the full range of atmospheric, Earth, biological, terrestrial and aquatic science, from the deep oceans to the upper atmosphere and from the poles to the equator. We coordinate some of the world's most exciting research projects tackling major environmental issues. NERC is part of UK Research & Innovation, a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid from the UK government. |
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来源平台 | Natural Environment Research Council |
文献类型 | 新闻 |
条目标识符 | http://119.78.100.173/C666/handle/2XK7JSWQ/103821 |
专题 | 资源环境科学 |
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714 | admin. NERC Impact Awards 2018: Winners make an impact on our world. 2018. |
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