NERC Annual Report and Accounts HC 594 Session 2008-09
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The Natural Environment Research Council Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09 Presented to the Houses of Parliament under the Science and Technology Act 1965, c.4, s.2 (2). Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed on 16 July 2009. HC 594 London: The Stationery Office £19.15 © Crown Copyright 2009 The text in this document (excluding the Royal Arms and other departmental or agency logos) may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium providing it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as Crown copyright and the title of the document specified. Where we have identified any third-party copyright material you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. For any other use of this material please write to Office of Public Sector Information, Information Policy Team, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU or e-mail: [email protected] ISBN: 9 78 010296 0693 Contents Next generation science for planet Earth 05 The year in review 07 Climate system 08 Biodiversity 10 Sustainable use of natural resources 12 Natural hazards 14 Environment, pollution and human health 16 Earth system science 18 Technologies 20 Knowledge exchange 22 People 26 National capability 28 Partnerships 30 Delivering the strategy 32 Remuneration report 48 Annual accounts 51 Natural Environment Research Council Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09 ‘Can nine billion people be fed? Can we cope with the demands in the future on water? Can we provide enough energy? Can we do it, all that, while mitigating and adapting to climate change?’ Professor John Beddington, Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Government, speaking at the SDUK 09 conference. Joerg Boethling /Still Pictures 04 Next generation science for planet Earth Next generation science for planet Earth The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is a publicly funded organisation delivering world-leading environmental research and training the next generation of researchers. It is the UK’s main agency for funding and strategically directing research, training and knowledge exchange in the environmental sciences. NERC’s strategic goal This Annual Report to Parliament The UK is second only to the describes selected achievements US in terms of total citations for To deliver world-leading environmental from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009. published environmental research. research at the frontiers of It highlights NERC’s progress in The environmental research knowledge: delivering its five-year strategy Next community supported by the Generation Science for Planet Earth. Natural Environment Research s ENABLINGSOCIETYTORESPOND For each of the three years following Council can rightly be described as urgently to global climate change the Spending Review of 2007 we will world class. and the increasing pressures on also be presenting a Delivery Report natural resources; to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), formerly the s CONTRIBUTINGTO5+LEADERSHIPIN Department for Innovation, Universities predicting the regional and local and Skills (DIUS), reporting progress on impacts of environmental change achievements and activities contained over timescales from days to in our Delivery Plan and Scorecard. decades; and These and other NERC publications s CREATINGANDSUPPORTINGVIBRANT are available at www.nerc.ac.uk/ integrated research communities. publications, or call 01793 411750. The priorities we develop with our researchers and stakeholders provide a focus for the marine, polar, atmospheric, earth, terrestrial and freshwater science communities. The research is often multidisciplinary and in collaboration with other national and international partners. NERC runs a fleet of research ships and scientific aircraft. We have bases in some of the world’s most hostile environments and invest in satellite technology to observe environmental change on a global scale. 05 Natural Environment Research Council Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09 06 The year in review The year in review NERC-funded scientists deliver world-leading environmental research, helping us predict changes to our environment, use natural resources sustainably, improve people’s quality of life and find solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. NERC has made significant progress in Research Programme with the Met the UK. By providing the environmental delivering its strategy, Next Generation Office, including a shared investment in research and expertise that will Science for Planet Earth, now in its super computing; signed, at ministerial underpin new sectors, like renewable second year of the five-year plan. level, a polar research agreement to energy and carbon capture and storage, The appointment of theme leaders develop closer ties between the UK and we will help UK businesses seize the responsible for each of the seven Canada; and developed an international opportunities in new green markets. scientific themes has been well environmental research funders’ NERC invests in training to support received by the community and is workshop with the National Science the next generation of environmental proving very successful in highlighting Foundation, our US counterpart. scientists, helping sustain the research funding priorities to support our NERC’s international collaboration, base and meet the changing needs of strategy. and indeed all UK research, is made employers. This year we have started a It has also been an excellent year possible by the essential national skills review alongside the Environment in terms of scientific achievements. For capabilities that our investment Research Funders’ Forum to look at the example, evidence was presented that provides: our facilities, data and research skills needed to address the severe drought in the Amazon in 2005 expertise. These are largely managed challenges facing the UK economy. This turned the region from a carbon dioxide by NERC-supported centres. review will highlight new areas which sink to a source – a swing equivalent to The Government has called for NERC will support through masters and Europe and Japan’s combined annual a debate in the research community PhD studentships. CO2 emissions. about focusing research on areas where Investment in the way NERC is This sensitivity is a major concern, the UK has competitive advantage. organised has continued to make our not least because some climate models In partnership, the Research Councils research facilities better and more predict that parts of the Amazon will have developed six focused research efficient. We made excellent progress dry out this century. Another example programmes, in areas that are hugely with the re-structuring of the Centre is Arctic sea-ice extent, which reached important to our society – Energy, for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH). New a record low in autumn 2007. Research Living with Environmental Change laboratories and office space are using satellite data has led scientists to (LWEC), Ageing, Digital Economy, either completed or being built at CEH estimate that sea-ice thickness in the Security and Nanoscience. NERC leads Edinburgh and Wallingford, and we are following winter was nearly 19 per cent for the Research Councils on the LWEC close to opening a new building – the thinner in some areas compared with programme, but we also contribute to William Smith Building – at the British the previous five winters. Many more most of the other programmes. Geological Survey in Keyworth. highlights of our research are presented LWEC is a partnership of 20 These combined achievements in the report. organisations spanning research show NERC’s success this year, and The quality of our research is councils, government and delivery the vital contribution our environmental fundamentally important. In 2008-09, agencies. In June 2009, LWEC research can make to people’s lives we commissioned independent experts announced 18 new research and to the global economy at a time to look at how NERC-funded research programmes representing a total of major environmental, economic and papers rank internationally in terms investment of more than £100 million, social challenge. of citations. Their analysis shows that of which NERC plans to contribute across all our funding mechanisms – be £30 million. This initiative, and others it blue skies research, strategic research detailed in this report, show the or research by fellows – NERC-funded environmental research community can research is extremely highly cited. respond rapidly to changing priorities The report also shows why NERC and help boost the UK economy. is such an attractive partner for national The green economy is high on the Alan Thorpe, Chief Executive and international collaboration. This year, public agenda, and NERC is working Ed Wallis, Chairman we have launched the Joint Climate with partners to develop a major role for 24 June 2009 07 Natural Environment Research Council Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09 Climate system Major changes in the Arctic and the Amazon came to the fore in 2008-09. UK researchers showed Arctic sea ice is thinning as well as shrinking in area during summer months. And UK scientists announced that the unusual Amazon drought in 2005 led to the rainforest emitting more carbon than it absorbed. A boat attempts to navigate a Photos Euzivaldo Queiroz/AP/PA dried up section of the Amazon River near Uricurituba, in northern Brazil. Role of forests in storing carbon Further research reveals that The study compared observed becomes clearer ancient forests in temperate regions changes