SuScit mailing-January 2008

 

 

CONTENTS:

 

1-SuScit Project update:

a-Engaging the local community.

 

2-Research:

a-National Association for Voluntary Community Action: Stronger Voices Research Project.

b-Leeds University-Sustainability Research Institute: The Environmental Effect of Car-free Housing.

c-DCLG:The Drivers of Black and Asian People's Perceptions of Racial Discrimination by Public Services.

 

3-Publication:

a-DEFRA: Elements: Science for a Sustainable Planet.

b-DEMOS: New report: Making Public Services Personal.

 

4-Events:

a- Green Economics Conference/Seminar at Oxford University: Social Aspects of Green Economics. Basic Income, Women and Debt, Poverty.9/02/2008.

b-Bassac Conference: Speak out! Strengthening Communities Voices.28-29/02/2008.

c-Capacity Global: Environmental Equality Summit.31st January.

d-EPSRC: Inclusive Transport and Urban Design. 13/02/2008.

 

5-Policy:

a- Equality and Human Rights Commission: Regeneration and the Race Equality Duty report.

b-DCLG: Delivering Housing and Regeneration. A consultation paper’s responses summary.

 

6-News:

a-NERC: New supercomputer for researchers.

b-ESPRC: Consultation on nanotechnology for health care.

c-Sustainable Development Commission: ‘Nuclear remains the wrong option’.

 

7-Funding:

a-EPSRC: Funding for Researchers. Responsive Mode.

 

8-Training and Jobs:

a-Internship position: Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering at UCL.

b-Capacity Global, FIELD and Ruskin College/Oxford: Environmental Justice residential course.27-29/2008 February.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1-SuScit Project update

a-Engaging the local community:

SuScit research team is currently recruiting groups of young people, lone parents and older people from diverse ethnic backgrounds in the Mildmay ward in Islington, North London to participate in the fieldwork programme. The SuScit project will, through a series of workshops and other activities, explore what local sustainability could look like in the future and deliberate with researchers and practitioners’ ideas for sustainable research and change.

For more information, visit:  www.suscit.org.uk

 

2-Research

a-National Association for Voluntary Community Action: Stronger Voices Research Project:

The Improving Local Partnerships Unit, based at NAVCA, has commissioned research on skills and development needs of representatives of the third sector on thematic partnerships of Local Strategic Partnerships.

 

Find more at: http://www.navca.org.uk/localvs/infobank/strongervoices.htm

 

b-Sustainability Research Institute: The Environmental Effect of Car-free Housing.

A study of a car-free model housing project in Vienna was conducted in order to assess whether people living in the settlement have more ‘sustainable lifestyles’ than people living in comparable buildings in Vienna. The project also aims to identify the lifestyle characteristics and activities which influence the environmental impact of the residents.

 

For further information, visit: http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/research/sri/projects/car-free.htm

 

c-DCLG:The drivers of Black and Asian people's perceptions of racial discrimination by public services.

DCLG has commissioned a research project aiming to understand the drivers of Black and Asian people’s perceptions of racial discrimination in eight key public services.

 

Download the findings on: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/driversdiscrimination

 

 

3-Publication:

a-DEFRA: Elements: Science for a Sustainable Planet:

DEFRA magazine Element: Science for a Sustainable Planet has examples of how science and technology can help us to safeguard the environment and lead more sustainable lives.

 

To download the publication: http://www.defra.gov.uk/science/how/documents/Elements1.pdf

 

b-DEMOS: New report: Making Public Services Personal:

DEMOS launch new report that advocates a more participatory self directed approach to the delivery of public services.

According to the report, the self directed services revolution begins with social services and is likely to reduce costs, fraud and risks.

 

To download the report Making it Personal, visit: http://www.demos.co.uk/publications/makingitpersonal

 

 

 

4-Events:

a- Green Economics Conference/Seminar at Oxford University: Social Aspects of Green Economics. Basic Income, Women and Debt, Poverty, Human Trafficking, Pensions, Women’s access to economics.

Date: 9/02/2008.

Location: Oxford University

 

For further information: http://www.greeneconomics.org.uk/papers/oxford_2008_basicincome.doc

 

 

b-Bassac Conference: Speak out! Strengthening Communities Voices.

Date: 28-29/02/2008.

Location: Salmon Centre, Bermondsey-London.

 

To book a place, visit: http://www.bassac.org.uk/uploads/File/bassac%20conference%202008.pdf

 

c-Capacity Global: Environmental Equality Summit.

In conjunction with ESRC /NERC Environmental Inequality Summit.

Supported by the Department for Communities and Local Development (DCLG) and the Environment Agency.

 

Date: 31/01/2008-Invitation only.

 

d-EPSRC: Inclusive Transport and Urban Design. Supporting Better Decisions for Whole Journeys environments.

A one day symposium. (Including a walkabout in the Kings Cross Pancras ‘testbed’ area) organised by the AUNT-SUE research consortium with the support of EPSRC and in collaboration with TFL and BURA.

Date: 13/02/2008.

Location: Friends House-London.

 

For more information: http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/Events/InclusiveTransportUrbanDesign.htm

 

 

5-Policy:

a-Equality and Human Rights Commission: Regeneration and the Race Equality Duty report:

Regeneration is about shaping the future of communities whilst securing social justice and sustainability for all.

The Regeneration and the Race Equality Duty report, draws attention to the hidden human costs of regeneration schemes. It also reveals that the communities affected by regeneration schemes are not being involved in the process as they should be.

To download the report, visit: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/publicationsandresources/Pages/legacypublications.aspx

 

b-DCLG: Delivering Housing and Regeneration. A consultation paper’s responses summary.

The Department for communities and Local government has published a summary of responses to the consultation on the planned establishment of the Homes and Communities Agency and the social housing regulator entitled ‘Delivering Housing and Regeneration: Communities England and the future of social housing regulation’.

 

To download the papers, click on: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/communitiesenglandresponses

 

 

 

6-News:

a-NERC: New supercomputer for researchers.

The Uk Research Councils have launched the most advanced supercomputing facility in the UK.

Based at the University of Edinburgh’s Advanced Computing Facility (ACF), HECToR

(High-End Computing Terascale Resources) will facilitate ground-breaking research and represents approximately the equivalent of 12,000 desktop systems.

 

Find out more on:

http://www.nerc.ac.uk/press/releases/2008/01-hector.asp

 

 

b-EPSRC: Consultation on nanotechnology for health care.

EPSRC is planning to support large-scale integrated projects on nanotechnology for healthcare in the summer 2008. The call will mean to cover healthcare in its broadest sense including nanomedicine, nanotechnology for diagnostics and drug discovery.

Given the broadness of the subject, EPSRC is running a consultation with researchers, providers and users.

 

For further information, please visit:

http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/ResearchFunding/Programmes/Materials/ReviewsAndConsultations/Nanotechnology/ConsultNanoHealthcare.htm

 

c-Sustainable Development Commission: Nuclear remains the wrong option.

The sustainable Development commission criticized the Government for its response to the population’s justifiable concerns over the new nuclear power.

Bernie Bulkin, SDC Energy Commissioner says that ‘some of the major concerns around nuclear energy remains unanswered’ and ‘the government should instead be focusing on delivering more sustainable methods of generating electricity, and on absolute reductions in our demand for energy.’

 

To read the full article, visit: http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/100108.html

 

7-Funding:

a-EPSRC: Funding for Researchers: Responsive Mode Funding.

EPSRC Responsive Mode funding funds projects ranging from small travel grants to multi-million pounds research programmes. High risk/high return research proposals are particularly welcome.

 

To find out more how to apply, visit:

 

http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/ResearchFunding/Opportunities/ResponsiveMode/Intro.htm

 

 

8-Training and Jobs:

 

a-Internship position: Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering at UCL.

The department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering at UCL is looking for interns for a period of 3 to 4 months to work on an exciting development that will create the infrastructure for online community maps across London.

 

For further details, please contact Claire Ellul:  e: claire@ge.ucl.ac.uk

 

b-Capacity Global, FIELD and Ruskin College: Environmental Justice residential course.27-29/2008 February:

Run by Capacity Global, FIELD and Ruskin College, The course explores Environmental Justice and is a 3 day residential course that offers an opportunity to discuss environment poverty and other related issues. The course is free to anyone who is unemployed or in low income.

 

For further information, visit: http://www.capacity.org.uk/events/index.html

To book a place, please contact: training@capacity.org.uk