Small Collaborative Awards 2014

Seed funding for multidisciplinary projects
Dartmoor Search and Rescue

The purpose of these awards is to provide seed funding for multidisciplinary projects which will lead to larger scale funding bids. In line with the University's 2020 Sustainability Strategy the call is also intended to encourage multidisciplinary working, a solution orientated approach, engagement with external partners, outputs that improve our communication of sustainability research and outputs that develop long-term impact for our sustainability research.

You can read a summary from all of the 2014 awarded projects below.

Congratulations to all!

Successful funding bids from awards

Collaborative engagement and journal papers

PUPSMD

How can dentistry be sustainable? An exploratory study

PI: Professor Janet Richardson

Some dentists are keen to adopt sustainable practices, however the evidence available on which to make practice-decisions about sustainability is scant; there is limited literature on organisational, educational or behavioural strategies to decrease waste. This study builds on research on waste management in health and social care already undertaken by the team. It aims to explore the potential for sustainability in dental practice and develop an outline for a large-scale multi-centre study. A waste audit in one dental practice will assess the potential environmental and financial costs of waste and potential for recycling. Interviews will explore staff attitudes towards sustainability.

Exploring food as a ‘lifestyle motivator’

PI: Dr Clare Pettinger

This project will use creative methodology to explore the role of food as a potential ‘lifestyle motivator’ to support wellbeing and life skills in marginalized individuals in Plymouth.

As an exploratory project it aims to gain insight into the food practices, needs and preferences of Devonport Lifehouse homeless centre residents. Investigating these aspects, from a multi-disciplinary perspective, should yield findings that can then be applied across a range of marginalized communities, to enable more sustainable ways of engagement through strengthening social assets and supporting personal development. The project promotes ‘social sustainability’, often neglected in mainstream sustainability debates.

Community garden
National Marine Aquarium Internship Programme

Through others’ eyes: A survey of visitor values at the National Marine Aquarium

PI: Dr Christine Boomsma

New sustainability learning spaces are being imagined through the formation of a collaborative partnership between the University and the National Marine Aquarium (NMA). This research project will help take this work forwards by investigating values of the visitors who currently engage with the conservation education resources and exhibits of the NMA. This initial research study will inform the proposed future collaboration between the University and NMA helping to reveal the complexity of the challenge behind the NMA behaviour change and participant engagement agendas. Thus this study will provide a useful starting point for future collaborative and interdisciplinary research bids.

Automated mapping of river networks for ecosystem service assessment

PI: Professor David Gilvear

The UK Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) heralded a new way of thinking about the environment; a move towards managing natural ecosystems to deliver multiple ecosystem services for society. Measurement and monitoring using appropriate metrics is a first and necessary step towards natural capital stewardship. This project will develop an automated approach using GIS to map and quantify multiple ecosystem service delivery from river corridor networks, by exploring known linkages between fluvial landforms and land cover types and individual ecosystem services. It will use a case-study approach to two or three rivers to demonstrate the wide-scale applicability of the approach to, in the first instance, UK rivers.

Winding river
Dartmoor Search and Rescue

Improving the effectiveness of volunteers in sustainable emergency planning

PI: Dr Richard Yarwood

This project will work with voluntary emergency services to research and improve their medical practices in geo-hazardous environments, especially flooding. Given growing flooding risks and increased deployment of volunteers in these situations, the work will contribute to the resilience and sustainable planning of the South West and beyond.

Thermal Mapping of patient spaces and journeys in Derriford Hospital

PI: Professor Steve Goodhew

Details are currently confidential. We will update this information once discussions have taken place between all authorities involved.

Infrared thermovision image showing lack of thermal insulation on house [shutterstock_274896908]
Hands typing at a laptop computer.

Sustainable travel facilitation through web/app based interoperable ticketing

Web and App retailing is a significant growth area in terms of product ordering, fulfilment and support. Our smart phones, tablets and laptops are now an essential part of how we buy, order, enquire and sell. Through seed corn funding, this Project will research and publish the UK’s first composite review of all Web and App based public transport retail sites to identify, classify, and test the processes applied in delivering interoperable public transport ticketing to assess the impact and opportunity for meeting UK Sustainable Transport Policy aspirations and requirements. 

An innovative, consumer-centric eco-system for sustainable water resource management (ICONS)

PI: Professor Shaofeng Liu

Efficient management of water resources is one of the key solutions to achieving sustainability. Existing research has addressed water resource sustainability issues from isolated perspectives, mainly from the industrial, water provider’s or regulator’s standings, in particular existing research failed to integrate consumers (home users and industrial users) into the water resource management system, because of the lack of effective support from technology solutions and business model innovation. This project will investigate an innovative business eco-system by integrating support from ICT technologies and business model innovation, in order to address the synergy between all stakeholders.

A tap with water