NERC Science Day Earth & Environmental Science Research in NE England: Current Highlights & Future Plans

1. NERC Science DayEarth & Environmental Science Research in NE England: Current Highlights & Future Plans The Calman Centre Science Site University of Durham July 14th 2010

2. FIRST CIRCULAR • Who is invited?: Academic staff, researchers and PGR students Invited contacts from NERC (inc. Theme Leaders) Invited representatives from industry/end-user organisations Prospective PhD students • Location:Calman Learning Centre, Science Site, University of Durham, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LE. • Proposed timetable 9.00-10.30Talk session #1 (6 talks) 10.30-10.45Break 10.45-12.15Talk session #2 (6 talks) 12.15-14.00Lunch and posters session 14.00-14.30NERC Presentations 14.30-15.45Thematic group discussions 15.45-16.00 Break 16.00-17.00Plenary discussion • Talks and afternoon presentations will be in the Arnold Wolfendale Lecture Theatre. Posters to be in DermanChristopherson and Kingsley Barratt rooms. • Registration is free, but a small charge will be made for lunch, tea & coffee. • Please complete the attached registration document – plus abstract if wishing to present a talk or poster – to your campus co-ordinator (DEADLINE: May 31st 2010). All abstracts will be complied into a booklet to be handed out on the day. MORNING AND LUNCHTIME POSTER SESSIONS • We had offers of presentations from circa 25 people, which was very generous but clearly not practical! Parallel sessions were considered, but we think it would be better if twelve 15 minute slots (12 minutes talk, 3 minutes questions) were allocated following a formula based on the total current volume of NERC grant funding per institution: 6 (Durham), 5 (Newcastle), 1 (Northumbria). • We leave it up to individual universities how they chose what presentations are to be made. Possible criteria might include: projects in their final year, high profile projects, projects where particularly significant achievements have been made. The choice is yours. The remaining projects are asked submit a poster. • There have been offers of posters from circa 32 PhD students and postdocs. We have sufficient poster boards to accommodate these.

3. AFTERNOON SESSION • The first part of the afternoon session will be a chance for NERC representative(s) to make a brief presentation on the state and future (3-5 years) of NERC science, and how in particular issues like impact and KE are likely to affect future policy and funding programmes. This would be 30 minutes, including time for questions. • The next part of the afternoon will be arranged into a set of parallel thematic discussion groups, to which participants can assign themselves. NERC representatives will be assigned to each group, along with a leader and scribe to keep track of the discussion. Each group will be charged with exploring potential contributions by Northeast universities in the thematic area, exploring possible collaborations, and identifying areas where existing NERC programs may not be suitable for addressing outstanding problems. Our proposals for the thematic groups are: • Sustainable Resources, including Energy • Living with Environmental Change • Natural Hazards • Blue Skies and Regionally Focussed Research • Suggestions for questions to be raised in each group: • How can researchers and research groups at Northeast universities contribute in this area? • Is there potential for future collaborations in this area? • If so, where? • What are the major unanswered questions in this area? • What scale of investigation is needed to address these questions? • Are the current NERC structure and programs/themes adequate to address these questions? • If not, how could they be changed? • After a break, the group leaders will summarize the group discussions and lead a plenary discussion, with a focus on strategic directions that can be emphasized and concrete plans for future engagement. • The ultimate objectives of the meeting are: • To embed a culture of research collaboration and forward planning in the Northeast Universities. • To better communicate with NERC. We want NERC representatives to come away from this with: (1) a clear sense of what NERC-facing science is already happening in the Northeast; (2) a view of what large-scale issues are likely to dominate our NERC-facing work over the next 2-5 years; and (3) ideas and concrete suggestions about where the NERC structure is not well suited to the kinds of problems we think are important. We look forward to seeing you in Durham Professor Bob Holdsworth, NERC KE Fellow

4. University Contacts Convenor Prof Bob Holdsworth, NERC KE Fellow, Reactivation Research Group, Dept of Earth Sciences, University of Durham, Durham DH1 3LE, UK Tel : 01913342299 R.E.Holdsworth@durham.ac.uk Campus co-ordinators: NEWCASTLE Johanna Gascoigne-Owens Research funding Development Manager Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering Newcastle University First Floor, Agriculture Building Kings Road Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU Tel: 0191 222 8624 Johanna.gascoigne-owens@ncl.ac.uk NORTHUMBRIA Dr John Woodward Reader in Physical Geography School of Applied Sciences Northumbria University Ellison Building Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST Tel: 0191 2273048 john.woodward@northumbria.ac.uk DURHAM Krysia Johnson Administrator, IHRR Department of Geography Durham University Science Site South Road Durham DH1 3LE Tel: + 44 (0) 191 334 2257 krysia.johnson@durham.ac.uk

5. REGISTRATION FORM: NERC SCIENCE DAY To register for the NERC North East Science Day, please complete and return this form – together with your abstract if you hope to present a talk or poster - to Krysia Johnson (krysia.johnson@durham.ac.uk ) by May 31st 2010. All presenters of posters and talks must register. You can also simply register for the meeting. • NAME: • ADDRESS • E-mail: PLEASE NOTE: please bring your own lunch or visit on-campus catering facilities. Tea & coffee will be provided for a small charge (less than £5) to be levied on the day. • Do you wish to give a presentation? – TALK POSTER NO (delete as appropriate) If yes, please enclose a one page A4 abstract in electronic format (Word) • Are you a NERC-funded PhD student? - YES NO (delete as appropriate) POSTERS should be no bigger than A0 and should be mounted prior to the lunchtime poster session. • If you wish to preset a TALK please outline the main scientific highlights or other achievements of this NERC-funded research and explain why you think it should be showcased as part of this event? Further information • Please give outline details of your current NERC funding. • Please give brief details of previous NERC funding over the past five years. Thank you for your application. Those wishing to present a talk will be informed by no later than June 14th whether you have been successful. If you are not successful, please prepare a poster.