School News
Scientific Committee for Oceanic Research (SCOR)
Neil Mitchell was invited to review the past 20 years of UK marine geology and geophysics and predict the next 20 years for the Challenger Society for Marine Science and the UK Scientific Committee for Oceanic Research (SCOR) as part of the Prospects 2011 meeting held at the Royal Society.
RCRD and Williamson Research Scientists Win Best Poster and best Talk Prizes at EPSRC DIAMOND Meeting, Dec 15th 2011
Warm congratulations to two students from the University of Manchester School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Scinces, Victoria Evans and Clare Thorpe, who both won £250 prizes at the 2011 EPSRC Diamond Conference at Coventry Transport Museum for best talk and best poster. Victoria's project is on the microbial ecology and biogeochemistry of nuclear waste storage facilities and involves work up at the Sellafield site processing samples at the NNL Facilities. Clare's project is on nuclear contaminated land, and looks at bioremediation treatments for contaminants such as strontium-90, technetium-99 and nitrate, all present at Sellafield. The EPSRC DIAMOND Consortium brings academics, researchers and industrialists together to examine challenges within the nuclear fuel cycle.
3 year software grant from IHS Kingdom
The University of Manchester has been awarded a 3 year grant from SMT (now IHS) for multiple licenses for their Kingdom software. The grant is valued at $4,741,328. This will enable students and staff at the Basin Analysis and Petroleum Geoscience Group in SEAES to carry out large-scale regional to reservoir-scale reflection seismic interpretation projects over entire basins using datasets provided by governmental organisations and oil companies. This software donation joins an expanding portfolio of leading edge subsurface analysis and modelling tools available to students and staff in SEAES.
BP sponsored IEMA awards
The Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA) is the largest professional membership body for the environmental sector with over 15,000 members. Joining IEMA as a student member not only keeps you up to date with current environmental issues but, more importantly, supports your professional development for a career in environmental management and related fields. Having a professional body student membership on your CV not only differentiates you from the competition, but also shows dedication and commitment to the sector. In addition, it gives you the opportunity to meet potential employers and providers of work experience and project work at the free regional events organised throughout the UK.
We are happy to announce that with sponsorship from BP the school of Earth Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences has secured
14 fully sponsored IEMA student memberships for a year.
These will be awarded to the Environmental Science/Studies and Geography & Geology 1st and 2nd year students with the best overall first semester performance (mandatory modules only) as judged by the examination boards.
AAPG Manchester Student Chapter
The Manchester Student Chapter has been recently established, aiming to attract a cross section of undergraduates, masters and PhD student members. The purpose of the organisation is to promote education and networking opportunities within the general field of petroleum geology. This will provide opportunities for our fellow students to learn more about a career in the geoscience industry. We plan on doing this by hosting regular seminars from a range of company representatives (as well as academic staff) that will hopefully give an insight into life in industry.
Post Graduate Research Conference - 14th December 2011
The Post Graduate Research Conference aims to to present the current research ongoing within the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences (SEAES). The main objective of the conference is to provide an opportunity for postgraduate researchers within the School with a realistic experience of conference organization, presentation and attendance within a relatively safe and supportive environment. SEAES comprises of multiple academic fields and is a centre of interdisciplinary research. We intend for all research groups within the School to be represented during the conference.
Outstanding Academic Achievement Award To Seaes Student
For the second time in 3 years the University has awarded an Outstanding Academic Achievement Award to a Geography-Geology student from this School. In 2009 Charlotte Brassey received this prestigious award, achieving a final grade of 83.15%. This year Thomas Seers has beaten Charlotte's 'record' with a final grade of 84.79%. Thomas achieved marks of more than 80% in all but three of his modules over his entire course - and his lowest ever mark was 72%. His undergraduate dissertation on Subsurface Digital Outcrop Modelling is being written up for publication, and Thomas begins a PhD on related research in SEAES in September. Congratulations Thomas !
First award of the Calvert Armstrong Memorial Fund:
to Francesca McDonald to help support her independent mapping project in Southern Spain.
In recognition of Calvert Armstrong’s outstanding career as a geologist providing a high standard of service to the mineral exploration and mining industry worldwide, ‘The Calvert Armstrong Memorial Fund’ has been established at The University of Manchester with the support of his family, friends and professional colleagues. The first award of the Fund is to Francesca McDonald, a second year student, to help support her independent field mapping project in southern Spain.
Pigment patterns from the prehistoric past.
An international collaboration led by researchers at The University of Manchester has for the first time revealed chemical traces of pigments in bird, fish and squid fossils, some over 100 million years old. Publishing their findings in Science, the researchers have been able to show a remarkable relationship between copper and pigment within exceptionally preserved feathers and other soft tissues. Results include important species such as the oldest beaked bird yet found, the 120 million year old Confuciusornis sanctus, and also the 110 million year old Gansus yumenensis, which looks similar to the modern Grebe and represents the oldest example of modern birds.
Pigment is a critical component of colour. The team can map the presence of pigments over whole fossils, revealing original patterns. The team’s findings indicate that pigment chemistry holds the future key to the ultimate goal of discovering the colour palette of past life, from dodos to dinosaurs and beyond.
Dr Science Express web page- the paper itself
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2011/06/29/science.1205748
Science podcast
http://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/pub/33713.php
The affiliated National Geographic Special
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/in-living-color-4493/Overview
The Stanford based members of the team
http://www.slac.stanford.edu/
Phil's university supported blog:
http://www.dinosaursabbatical.blogspot.com/
SEAES Research Scientist wins L'Oreal Fellowship.
Dr Vicky Coker, a post doctoral researcher in this school, has been awarded a highly prestigious award l'Oreal UNESCO for Women in Science for the UK and Ireland. The winners were announced at a gala evening at the Royal Society in London after the 8 shortlisted candidates from 100s of applicants gave presentations and were grilled by a panel of eminent scientists chaired by Professor Dame Athene Donald, Gender Equality Champion at the University of Cambridge and FWIS laureate, who chaired this year’s jury.
Vicky is an Earth Science graduate from Manchester who has used her background to develop research at the interface between mineral and bioscience in the Geomicrobiology Research Group. Her work has focussed on the extraordinary ability of certain bacteria to produce nanoscale minerals which can be used in both toxic metal remediation and the electronic devices. Vicky will use the funding that goes with the scholarship to undertake research at Manchester and at some the world's top experimental facilities in Berkeley, California and Saskatoon, Canada.
The recognition is due to her groundbreaking research into developing state-of-the-art imaging to map how toxic waste has an effect on plants and the environment She is planning to spend a proportion of the prize on travelling between her base in Manchester and her worldwide research. Dr Coker says: “I am absolutely delighted to have won this fellowship which will mean that I will be able to pursue my own independent research interests and lead to an academic research career".
“I had the honour of meeting world-leading, inspirational women scientists at the awards ceremony, which has given me the impetus to continue in my career ambitions”.
“I am planning to use the fellowship to provide a greater understanding of how two major environmental contaminants, arsenic and uranium, interact with the natural environment in order to assist with influencing mitigation techniques for these problematic contaminants”.
“There are still too many young girls who receive subtle messages that science is not for them and girls often believe that mixing families and a serious science career cannot be done”.
The fellowships, now in their thirteenth year internationally, promote the importance of ensuring greater participation of women in science by offering awards to outstanding female postdoctoral researchers.
Students visit the Izaña Atmospheric Observatory (Tenerife).
On 12 April, a group of 44 students from the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences of the University of Manchester, guided by members of the school’s staff, visited the facilities of the Izaña Atmospheric Observatory for the second consecutive year. The visit was carried out as part of their yearly field trip to the island of Tenerife.
Infrared mapping resolves soft tissue preservation in 50 million year-old reptile skin.
The research team is led by Roy Wogelius and Phil Manning, and the first author is SEAES postgraduate Nick Edwards. Essentially we show that the distribution of protein fragments derived from the skin of a 50 million year old reptile are preserved within an amazing fossil from the Green River Formation, USA. We map protein fragments using infrared technology and show how the structure of the reptile skin can still be observed. The work is supported by trace metal x-ray maps produced in collaboration with the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource. Imaging the organic compounds in tandem with trace metals and also completing diffraction analyses gives us insight into how such exceptional preservation may have occurred
Find out more from the podcast on the Royal Society website, or at the BBC.
BP scholarships
On Tuesday March 15th the winners of this year’s BP scholarships (£2000 each) were announced. Congratulations to the following students from our school who were awarded one of these awards:
First year: Eniko Toth (MEartSci with Geology and Planetary Science), Yastoor Hashmi (MEng Petroleum Engineering), Ragini Mistry (BSc Environmental Science).
Second year: Elliot Brookes (BSc Geography and Geology), Andrew Brunton (BSc Environmental Science) and Dominic Mulroy (BSC Geochemistry).
Percy the Plesiosaur Appeal - in Memory of Fred Broadhurst .
Percy's Story - In 1960, Fred Broadhurst, a geologist at Manchester University, led a student field trip to the Yorkshire coast. A piece of fossilised bone was discovered, which turned out to be part of a near-complete plesiosaur. Only a few specimens worldwide have been found with their head intact.
This rare creature was rescued from the rocky shore, and was displayed at the University for many years. Having a great sense of humour, Fred named the plesiosaur 'Percy', and Fred's drawing of Percy became the emblem of the Manchester Geological Association.
There is however a problem ...
Percy's display case is no longer airtight and this will result in irreversible damage to the specimen. His impressive head is in storage to preserve it from further damage. Unfortunately, this means he can no longer be seen in his entirety.
Fred's family has agreed with the Museum that Percy should be re-housed in a purpose - built case so his future is guaranteed. We have also asked that the story of his discovery and photos from the time he was found can be displayed alongside the case, for the benefit of future generations.
Sadly, budget restrictions at the Museum mean this plan is impossible to achieve in the immediate future. If no action is taken, Percy will be moved into storage for an indefinite period.
Solution ...
Fred's family has set up an appeal to raise money to purchase a new case that is airtight, and accessible for researchers. We invite you to help us achieve this goal so that Percy can again bring excitement and pleasure to families visiting the Museum, and contribute to scientific advances for years to come. See link for details.
Prof Ernie Rutter receives Louis Néel medal from the European Geosciences Union.
Professor Rutter, who runs the Rock Deformation Laboratory in the School, has been awarded the 2011 Louis Néel medal of the European Geosciences Union. This is to recognize outstanding research contributions in the fields of Rock Magnetism, Rock Physics and Geomaterials. The medal will be presented at the EGU conference to be held in Vienna in April 2011, and will be followed by the delivery of the medallist’s lecture. Prof. Rutter has been previously honoured in recent years by the award of the Lyell medal of the Geological Society of London in 1999, and by election as a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union in 2004.
The Whitworth Meteorological Observatory.
The Whitworth Meteorological Observatory is a fully automated state of the art meteorological observatory located on the campus of The University of Manchester in central Manchester. Measurements of standard meteorological parameters are made continuously with data being made available publicly in real time via the internet. More information is available here.
The Barometer podcast.
Members of CAS have been producing a podcast about climate and weather for the last couple months and have just released the fourth episode. For those of you who are interested, it's available here.
Blog of experiences on a IODP drill ship.
Researcher Nathalie Dubois is sailing on the drilling ship Resolution to collect sediment samples from the South Pacific, which aim to address how microbial life survives in conditions of very low organic matter. She is writing a web blog (in English and French) for school pupils and others interested in life carrying out scientific research and living on the ship.
Geography, Earth and Environmental, Sciences (GEES) Conference.
GEES conference that is taking place at the University of Manchester on 3rd November. The draft programme for the NSS Issues for GEES conference is available here.
Inaugural Postgraduate Student Research Conference.
A one day conference showcasing the cutting edge research being undertaken by Postgraduate students in the School, on the 9th of December. For more information see the conference poster and Program & Abstracts, or email Ayodeji Oluboyo.
Fractured Hydrocarbon Reservoirs Workshop.
On the 12th & 13th of January 2011. A 2-day workshop on naturally fractured hydrocarbon reservoirs will be held at the University of Manchester. "Naturally Fractured Hydrocarbon Reservoirs of North Africa: Outcrop Analogues, Subsurface Studies and Case Histories. A geological workshop for academics and the petroleum industry on all aspects of naturally fractured hydrocarbon reservoirs especially those in North Africa." For more information see the NARG website.
Eloquent Science
Reader Dr. David Schultz received a Silver Prize in the Excel awards from Associate Media & Publishing for his book 'Eloquent Science: A Practical Guide to Becoming a Better Writer, Speaker & Atmospheric Scientist', published last year by the American Meteorological Society.
Each year the Association, formerly known as the Society of National Association Publishers, bestows EXCEL awards in several categories of media and publication, including two book categories: technical and non-technical. For books in the technical category, judges look for: “Best writing, content, graphic design, photographs and overall packaging of a professional/technical book or textbook.”
For more information about 'Eloquent Science', visit David's Web page, with excerpts, additional resources, and a blog about scientific communication skills here.
BP scholarships.
On Thursday April 29th 37 BP scholarships (£2000 each) were awarded across the University. Congratulations to the following students from our school who were awarded one of these awards:
First year: Dominic Mulroy (BSC Geology) and Daniel Rooney (BSc Environmental Science).
Second year: Harriet Howe (BSC Geology), Thomas Seers (BSC Geography and Geology) and James Smith (BSC Environmental & Resource Geology).
Hydro-economic modeling.
Prof. Manuel Pulido-Velazquez (University of Valencia, Spain) will give a seminar on hydro-economic modeling on the 22nd of April, 1pm, Humanities Bridgeford Street (Cording Room).
Prof. Pulido-Velazquez is one of the leading experts on interdisciplinary water resource modelling in Europe and is part of several EU funded projects on integrated water management. More...
Students at the Izaña Atmospheric Observatory
On Tuesday, 30 March, a group of 41 third year Environmental Sciences/Studies students from our school visited the facilities of the Izaña atmospheric Obervatory on Tenerife as part of their third year fieldtrip. More...
GEO2010 in Bahrain
As part of a new initiative to present our research and teaching capability, Dr Cathy Hollis and Dr David Hodgetts attended theGEO2010 in Bahrainmeeting with prospective students and sponsors. Over the busy three days they presented our new research initiatives on Carbonate Research and Digital Outcrop Analogues, as well as the existing research consortia. They fielded questions about the undergraduate and masters courses, with the aim of raising the schools profile and providing information to help students and companies understand what we can deliver in Manchester. We were very pleased with the feedback we received and have had a very good response already. Geo2010 is the largest annual hydrocarbon related conference in the Middle East, attended by all the regions major oil companies and institutions.
A researcher from SEAES is flying high after setting a new ballooning world record.
Dr Ann Webb (SEAES, University of Manchester) and experienced balloon pilot and engineer Dr Janet Folkes (University of Nottingham) are the only all female team to take part in the annual Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett – a race established in 1905, where crews of two aim to fly their gas balloons as far as possible. On 8th September they broke the female duration world record of 60 hrs and 12 minutes – a record set in 1995.
Read more here.
Fred Broadhurst 1928-2009
Fred Broadhurst died on 1st October 2009 at the age of 81. A former 'Bevan Boy', Fred enrolled on the Geology Honours Geology Degree course at Manchester in 1948 when Prof W.J.Pugh was then Head of the Dept and Dr.S.H.Straw was Senior Lecturer in palaeontology. He graduated in 1951 with a First Class Honours Degree, and was immediately employed in the Department as Teaching Assistant, later becoming Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in palaeontology. He completed his PhD in 1956 (on Upper Carboniferous faunas, under the supervision of Michael Eagar of the Manchester Museum) and remained in the Department until his retirement in 1990, an incredible record of 42 years continuous service.
Fred was a wonderful and inspirational teacher of geology and palaeontology, and to thousands of undergraduates over 40 years, Fred epitomised Geology at Manchester. He continued to teach Adult Education classes after his 'retirement', and led Study Tours in Geology all over the world. He was still teaching and undertaking active field work until the weeks before his death.
A celebration of his life was held at Macclesfield Crematorium on 9th October, attended by over 200 people, including many former students and members of the Department.
Atmospheric Science in the media
The school’s atmospheric science research group, Prof Tom Choularton, Dr Clive Saunders and Prof Geraint Vaughan, have featured in three programmes about Rain, Snow and Wind on BBC TV shown in May on BBC 4 then on BBC 2, then repeated on BBC 4.. “Rain” showed water drops levitated in a vertical wind tunnel and the discussion concerned their fall velocity and their shape, which is a flattened sphere rather than the classic tear drop shape often mis-used to represent rain drops. The supercooling of water below 0°C and its nucleation to form ice was demonstrated in a freezer. The programme on Snow showed the formation of diamond dust, a cloud of small ice crystals that twinkles in a light beam. The crystals were grown in the research group’s 10m tall cloud chamber. Some of the crystals fell onto a thin film of soap and sugar solution where they grew rapidly to show a fern-like structure. In Wind, an acoustic sounder, a large array of antennas picking up reflected sounds, was used to probe the structure of the lower atmosphere.
Running with the Dinosaurs
After the sensational first-ever discovery of a dinosaur with fossilized skin and muscle structure, Dr Phillip Manning and Dr Bill Sellers of the University of Manchester used their findings to create a physiologically correct model of the 65 million-year-old hadrosaur.
RAE 2008
Results from RAE2008 confirm that SEAES is among the top Earth and Environmental Sciences Departments in the UK (in the top 20% out of 41 submissions assessed by the Earth Systems and Environmental Science sub-panel). 70% of our assessed research activity was rated as internationally excellent, including 20% rated as world-leading.
It's official: geology rocks.
A total of 95% of geologists in a poll of 220,000 students said they were happy with their degree. For more details see The Guardian website.
Official opening of the new Centre for Atmospheric Science laboratories - Updated
After the creation of The University of Manchester from the merger of UMIST and the Victoria University of Manchester in September 2004, the Atmospheric Physics Research Group which was part of the UMIST Physics Department became part of the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences in the new university. A short time later the group became known as The Centre for Atmospheric Science. As the rest of the school is located in Williamson Building on Oxford Road, some distance away from the Sackville Street Builidng where the Centre for Atmospheric Science was located, plans were put in place to construct new facilities in the Simon Engineering Building immediately opposite the Williamson Building.
In July and August 2007 the Centre for Atmospheric Science moved into its new facilities spanning five floors within the Simon Engineering Building. These facilities consist of: extensive laboratory facilities including laser and darkroom areas; new cloud chamber facilities; an aerosol chamber; a small roof top area; workshops; and offices for staff and postgraduate students. More information about the new facilities in the Simon Engineering Building may be found here.
Recent Academic Promotions
Congratulations to the following academic staff who have just been promoted to:
Jonathan Redfern to Chair
Roy Wogelius to Reader
Joe Macquacker to Reader
Carl Percival to Senior Lecturer
Phil Manning to Senior lecturer
Stephen Covey-Crump to Senior Lecturer
Investing in our Future: Sustainable Consumption Announced
Supermarket Tesco has teamed up with the University of Manchester in a £25 million investment bringing the world’s leading experts together to tackle climate change and deliver a revolution in green consumption. The cross-disciplinary Sustainable Consumption Institute (SCI) is being established at the University of Manchester against the backdrop of the global threat from climate change. The economic benefits of early action to combat climate change have been highlighted by the Stern Report. It is recognised that the key to success will be a co-operative approach by government, business and the consumer. This will involve understanding how to move towards a low-carbon economy by consuming more efficiently and how to lead lowcarbon lifestyles. The Institute is supported by funding for an initial 5 years from Tesco. “The global threat from climate change is now clearer than ever. The scientific evidence has hardened. We need to move from a high carbon to a low carbon economy, but the answer is not ‘do not consume’ It is intelligent consumption”. Sir Terry Leahy, Chief Executive. Chris Ballentine, Tom Choularton and Colin Hughes were involved in the initial discussions, proposals and planning. Colin is on the Operational Board as Director of the Doctoral Training Centre (DTC). The DTC is developing a challenging 4 year PhD programme which aims to establish an outstanding community of doctoral students with research that spans multiple disciplines. SCI doctoral graduates will be uniquely qualified to make contributions in many emerging areas of activity aligned with sustainable development. SEAES involvement will ensure that all those involved will appreciate the vital importance of the underlying science.
For more information see www.sci.manchester.ac.uk
Bismark Buried treasure: A dinosaur, skin and all
An amazing discovery has been uncovered in the Hell Creek Formation, North Dakota, U.S.A. - a mummified dinosaur. Associated with the skeleton the hadrosaur (Edmontosaurus annectens) are tendons, ligaments and a high fidelity three dimensional skin envelope. The skin was rapidly replaced with mineral siderite after burial, which also had to have been very rapid.
Discovered by Tyler Lyson (now a palaeontology Ph.D student at Yale university), the specimen provides scientists with unprecedented information about dinosaur palaeobiology. Working with the Marmarth Research Foundation, that Tyler Lyson founded, a team from the University of Manchester helped to excavate the fossil in July 2006. The excavation had been started by the MRF several years earlier, but the presence of a skin envelope attracted the attention of the University of Manchester team.
The hadrosaur, also known as a 'duck-billed' dinosaur lived between 65-67 million years ago. Lyson named the specimen 'Dakota.' Read more about Dr Phil Manning and the international team’s exciting discovery here.
Where are you now?
We would like to hear from any past students how your career has progressed since graduating from the University of Manchester. Please email the Editor with your story - seaesnewsletter@manchester.ac.uk
Students shrink their carbon foot print
University of Manchester students are making dramatic cuts in their carbon emissions thanks to a new campaign across the campus. Global Action Plan, a charity dedicated to helping people make positive changes to their energy use at home, in schools and the wider community was incited by the University to become involved with students in halls. The aims of the project were to reduce energy waste and to raise student awareness of environmental sustainability. A team of 15 students and two members of staff from Sport, Trading and Residential Services (STARS) acted as champions. There was a huge amount of interaction between the champions and halls residents which produced the following results:-
1. The percentage of lights left on when not in use reduced from 72% - 39%.
2. Reduction from 56% - 15% in the amount of appliances being left on.
A more extensive audit will be conducted shortly and a new campaign launched in the continuing bid to reduce the University’s energy consumption further.
Carbon study could help reduce harmful emissions
A new study has revealed that storing carbon dioxide beneath the earth may be a safer and longer term method of reducing emissions in the atmosphere than previously thought. NERC funded researchers at the University of Manchester found that carbon dioxide (CO2) has been naturally stored for up to 40 million years in CO2 gas fields in the Colorado Plateau and Rocky Mountains of the USA. The researchers took CO2 samples from five natural gas fields and measured their noble gases. Their findings allowed them to 'fingerprint' the Colorado CO2 for the first time. Dr Stuart Gilfillan the researcher running the project said, "The results show that the gas in the fields has been released from molten magma within the Earth's crust. In all of these fields, the last time the magma melted and CO2 was released was more than eight thousand years ago. In three of the fields, it last occurred over a million years ago, and in one it was at least 40 million years ago. This proves that the CO2 has been stored naturally and safely in the earth for periods between eight thousand years and 40 million years. "We hope this study will pave the way for selection of similar safe sites for storage of CO2 from power plants in both the UK and abroad. Underground CO2 storage, in the correct place, should be a safe option to help us cope with emissions until we can develop cleaner energy sources. A suitable storage place for the UK could be in the North Sea, where similar rocks to those in the gas fields can be found." Dr Stuart Gilfillan is Geochemist who gained his first degree in Earth Science from the University of Glasgow and his PhD in Geology from the School of Earth, Atmosphere & Environmental Science at The University of Manchester in 2006.
EPS Research Staff Development & Training Program
The University of Manchester has implemented a strategic and planned approach to ensure the provision of high quality, relevant and appropriate transferable skills training for postdoctoral researchers. A significant amount of work into identifying the needs of postdoctoral researchers took place during the 06/07 academic year to inform the development of new postdoctoral training and development programmes. The 07/08 academic year will witness the launch of new userled career development and skills training opportunities.
Career Review Clinic: Chemistry
30th April 2008, 12:30-16:00 (pre interview 18 April)
Applying for Fellowships
7 May 2008, 09.30-16:00 This interactive workshop will equip researchers with the knowledge and confidence to apply for Fellowships. Colleagues will share their successful applications, whilst experts from the Royal Society and EPSRC will give you an insight into how proposals are judged, therefore giving you a better idea of how to succeed in this environment. To register your interest in these workshops email: eps-researchstaff@manchester.ac.uk
For further details see www.manchester.ac.uk/eps/resdev
“Grantsmanship is the art of acquiring peer reviewed research funding”
Are you involved in Grantsmanship? Have you seen the new guide? There is no sure fire way of winning funding. However, the aim of the guide is to enable you to optimise your chances of writing a successful grant application. The guide has a compilation of tips, dos and don’ts and some good general advice from experienced researchers. Who will find the guide useful?
• Postdoctoral Researchers
• New Academics
• Colleagues new to the UK Higher Education System
• Colleagues who wish to refresh their proposal writing skills
• Postgraduate Research Students.
The guide complements the following practices introduced by the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS) to make it easier for you to concentrate on research:
• Sabbatical leave policy
• Reduced teaching load early in career
• School Research Administration (SRAs) to help lighten the load
• Annual staff review to discuss progress
• Networks established to disseminate targeted funding opportunities
Please email the Editor if you would like a copy - seaesnewsletter@manchester.ac.uk
RAE 2008 (research Assessment Exercise)
The school made its RAE submission to the Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences Unit of Assessment in November 2007. The RAE is conducted jointly by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC), the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) and the Department for Employment and Learning, Northern Ireland (DEL). The RAE is managed by the RAE team, based at HEFCE, on behalf of the four UK higher education funding bodies.
The primary purpose of RAE 2008, the fourth such national exercise since 1992, is to produce quality profiles for each submission of research activity made by institutions. The four higher education funding bodies intend to use the quality profiles to determine their grant for research to the institutions which they fund with effect from 2009-10. Any HEI in the UK that is eligible to receive research funding from one of these bodies is eligible to participate.
Results are expected later in the year but in the meantime we thought colleagues would be interested in some of the key achievements we have highlighted in the current submission.
Key achievements since 2001 include:
• A significant expansion in academic staff numbers (now 45, 11 recruited since 2001).
• Major investment in laboratories and infrastructure. The laboratories of the Williamson Research Centre (WRC) for Molecular Environmental Science (WRC), initiated (via £3.2M JIF investment) during the last RAE, have been completed and fully commissioned. SRIF (£2.1M) monies were used to modernise and expand the laboratory areas of isotope geochemistry and cosmochemistry. We received £389K from STFC’s United Kingdom Cosmochemical Analysis Network and £297K of University funds to develop novel analytical instruments for laboratory analysis of extraterrestrial material. Funding in the isotope area includes a £1.7M STFC rolling grant and £292K (matching University/NERC funds) for a multicollector noble gas mass spectrometer. State-of-the-art atmospheric sciences laboratories were completed in 2007 using £3M of merger funds. £164K (SRIF) and £189K University monies were invested in new microbiological/ environmental chemistry laboratories.
• A very significant increase in research funding. JIF awards for the WRC (see above) and for a research aircraft led to additional expenditure of £4.9M (01-02), £4.1M (02-03), £1.8M (03-04), £3.2M (04-05), £0.6M (05-06). Grant and contract income from research councils and industry, excluding these amounts, is now around £6M per annum (~£150K per FTE), approximately double the 2001/02 value. This activity is reflected in our high formula-related allocation of NERC-funded research studentships (typically 8 NERC and 1 STFC studentships, as well as EPSRC DTA funds equivalent to another studentship).
• Publication of over 660 papers in refereed journals, including fifteen contributions to Nature or Science.
• Award of important external prizes to 11 of our staff, including medals and awards from the Royal Meteorological Society (G. Vaughan), Geological Society (Brocklehurst, Lloyd), European Association for Geochemistry (Turner), European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (Hodgetts), Mineralogical Society (D. Vaughan, Warren), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Saunders), Royal Astronomical Society (Turner), Royal Society of Chemistry (D. Vaughan), Swiss Mineralogical Society (Schönbächler), Mersey Basin Campaign (Boult), and elected Fellowships of the American Geophysical Union (Rutter) and the Geochemical Society (D. Vaughan).
• The graduation of 104 PhD students since 2001; we currently have 76 PhD students (including 28 overseas; ~60% increase since RAE 2001) and 50 PDRAs.