Centre for Environmental Change and Human Resilience

University of Dundee / Scottish Crop Research Institute

Environmental Futures: Building A Research Community

26 September 2008 West Park Conference Centre Dundee

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Workshop Registration form - Acrobat Reader PDF file, Word file

The Centre for Environmental Change and Human Resilience is the working title for a new research collaboration between the University of Dundee and the Scottish Crop Research Institute. Its aims are to both foster new links between SCRI and the University to the mutual strategic benefit of both institutions and to bring cohesion to the currently dispersed environmental interests in the University.

Environmental research within the University is conducted by individuals, disciplinary research groups (geography, law, engineering, life sciences etc) and in university research centres such as CEPMLP, UNESCO, Geddes Institute, CAPR and SDHI. Developing a coherent environmental research programme integrating these different research foci is a stated aim in the University' Strategic Framework for 2012. SCRI is internationally recognised for its research into plants and agro-ecosystems. As well as conducting fundamental research it also seeks to address societal and policy concerns about sustainable land management, healthy and nutritious foods, plant products for non-food industries, biodiversity, and climate and other environmental changes.

Environmental Futures emerged as the key integrative theme best placed to utilise the complementary expertise and research profiles of the two institutions. CECHR therefore seeks to foster interdisciplinary linkages between science, policy and law in relation to understanding the drivers of environmental change and to consider the location and scale factors influencing human resilience. Food security illustrates the complexity of such issues because it integrates political, economic, energy, agronomic and resource availability issues along with climate change uncertainties and so indicates the need to assemble multi-disciplinary teams addressing fundamental questions such as 'which local, regional and international institutional arrangements should be strengthened to produce societies resilient to environment change?'

This workshop provides an opportunity to inform and update interested participants on the progress of this initiative and, more importantly, to discuss funding opportunities and proposals. An overview of the aims of the Centre and potential funding opportunities will be given, but the majority of the day will focus on discussing research proposals in themed streams. In particular, the workshop will draw on the themes likely to emerge under funding programmes such as the Living with Environmental Change Programme (LWEC).

View the Programme
Workshop Registration form - Acrobat Reader PDF file, Word file

Please REGISTER interest/intention to attend by 10th September 20008 to cechr@dundee.ac.uk
For further information contact Dr John Rowan Tel: 01382 384024, j.s.rowan@dundeee.ac.uk or Dr Ali Karley Tel: 01382 562731, alison.karley@scri.ac.uk
Please return the registration form to cechr@dundee.ac.uk by 10th September 2008 to confirm your attendance and areas of interest.