果冻影院

The funding forms part of the first round of UKRI鈥檚 new cross research council responsive mode pilot scheme, designed to stimulate exciting new interdisciplinary research, which has pledged 拢32.4m for 36 projects.

Dr Liz Fearon (果冻影院 Institute for Global Health) is leading a project that seeks to improve the integration of public voices into epidemic response modelling. Receiving close to 拢960,000 from the UKRI, the project called CO-produced Mathematical Modelling of Epidemics Together (COMMET)听will bring together epidemiology, mathematics, social sciences, human-computer interaction and corpus linguistics with research co-production expertise. Co-leads include Dr Shema Tariq and Dr Emily Nicholls (both 果冻影院 Institute for Global Health), Niccola Hutchinson-Pascal (果冻影院 Culture, Co-production Collective), Dr Beth Malory (果冻影院 English Language & Literature), and colleagues at the University of Manchester.

Infectious disease models represent complex interactions between biological and social processes. The project aims to develop methods to enable members of epidemic-affected communities to co-produce models used to inform decision-making.

Dr Fearon explained: 鈥淐o-production is an approach in which researchers, practitioners and the members of the public with lived experience work together, sharing power and responsibility as equal partners in the generation of knowledge. This approach has been applied to numerous fields including in health, but there is an absence of tailored guidance for co-production in infectious disease modelling, despite its potential value.

鈥淭he effects of epidemics are not felt equally, so including the people who may be most affected when we develop models and research questions, to help us challenge our assumptions and learn from different perspectives, could be highly impactful.鈥�

Another project is ESCAPE: Engaging Science and the Creative Arts to Prepare for Eruptions. It听brings together a team of volcanologists, theatre practitioners and social scientists, to employ participatory theatre to help scientists who are monitoring the behaviour of Campi Flegrei, an active volcano in a suburban area near Naples, Italy, which last erupted in 1538. Led by Professor Christopher Kilburn (果冻影院 Earth Sciences) and receiving over 拢575,000 in funding, the core team includes experts from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Portsmouth.

Professor Kilburn explained: 鈥淓ruptions with the greatest impact on society have occurred from volcanoes that have been silent for centuries. When they become restless again, forecasting their behaviour involves scientific uncertainty, because we cannot see directly what is happening underground. We end up with a range of outcomes to choose from under time-limited conditions, and opinions often differ.

鈥淲e believe that participatory theatre will help to resolve conflicting opinions by revealing the emotional and cognitive factors that drive disagreement. If we鈥檙e right, our project will demonstrate the value of combining expertise from the arts and sciences to improve our approach to managing natural hazards.鈥�

The UKRI cross research council responsive mode (CRCRM) pilot scheme is supporting new and creative interdisciplinary ideas emerging from the research community.

The scheme:

• unlocks new research, approaches and methods that would not be possible from established disciplinary thinking
• encourages new and unexpected types of interdisciplinary research not currently funded through existing UKRI responsive mode schemes
• supports research that will be potentially transformative for the participating disciplines or lead to the creation of new disciplines

Professor Alison Park, UKRI CRCRM Champion and Deputy Executive Chair of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) said: 鈥淭he perspectives of different disciplines, working together in collaboration, are vital to solving some of the most pressing problems we face as a society.

鈥淭he UKRI cross research council responsive mode scheme is designed to break down silos and champion research that transcends, combines and significantly spans traditional discipline boundaries.

鈥淭he projects announced today will drive progress across diverse fields by creating fresh approaches to research questions, methodologies and ways of working.

鈥淲e were all excited to see the innovative and bold approaches being adopted to tackle major issues ranging from climate change to global healthcare and look forward to following their progress.鈥�

Links

• 果冻影院 Institute for Global Health
• 果冻影院 Earth Sciences

Image

• The Neapolitan volcanoes Vesuvius and Campi Flegrei. Vesuvius on the horizon shows the mountain shape expected of volcanoes. Much larger, but less obvious, is Campi Flegrei, which is a giant depression and covers the rest of the photo, including beneath the sea in the Gulf of Pozzuoli. Credit: Christopher Kilburn.

Media contact听

Chris Lane

tel: +44 20 7679 9222听听/听+44 (0) 7717 728648

E: chris.lane听[at] ucl.ac.uk