Northumbria University

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-02

Novel multifunctional materials and surfaces are finding increasing use in a range of sectors like healthcare, energy, aerospace, communications and infrastructure. Understanding the complex interactions between the multifunctional surface properties of these materials often requires detailed characterisation of their nanomechanical, morphological and chemical properties. This is usually achieved by manually correlating data from separate instruments such as nano-tribomechanical-indenters and scanning electron microscopes (SEM) coupled with quantitative elemental characterization. However, this approach can be tedious and error prone as traditional nanoindentation tools take time to extract nano-mechanical data from a relatively localised site, which is not always representative of the whole material surface and the absence of detailed surface images or other correlative data from an in-situ SEM drastically increases the probability of misunderstanding the result. In contrast SEM picoindentation overcomes these issues and enables unprecedented correlative characterisation of multifunctional properties of these material surfaces. The Northumbria University (NU) Scanning Electron Microscope Picomechanical Indenter (NU-Pico) will provide a state-of-the-art regional facility for high-speed simultaneous characterisation of the nanomechanical, morphological and chemical properties of thin film coatings, surfaces and nanomaterials. NU-Pico will be the first SEM picoindenter in the northeast of England and will support unprecedented recent growth in biomaterials, renewable energy materials, civil engineering materials and smart materials and surfaces research at NU and provide a game-changing nanomechanical facility for the region and beyond. NU-Pico will be developed with user engagement, ease of service, seamless integration and sustainability in mind, to provide an enabling platform for academic and industrial researchers to perform high speed mechanical property mapping of material surfaces (surface hardness, Young’s modulus, compression, tension, fatigue, adhesion etc.), while using SEM capabilities to perform simultaneous high resolution surface imaging, chemical mapping, 3D surface profiling and phase distribution studies. NU-Pico can also operate as a stand-alone picoindenter capable of high-speed mechanical property mapping for users not requiring the additional SEM capabilities. Moreover, custom made modules will be capable of transforming NU-Pico into a powerful bio-indenter capable of studying the surfaces of soft and biological matter like biomaterials, biopolymers, functional biocomposites and hydrogels. NU-Pico will therefore achieve a drastic expansion on current nano-tribomechanical testing capability and unlock a range of complimentary material characterisation techniques, critical for rapid prototyping of novel materials for cutting edge applications. The modular and user-friendly nature of NU-Pico, together with its enhanced capability, will make it useful for a much larger user base, including early career researchers, PhD students, research technical professionals and industry users, from wider interdisciplinary research areas. The NU-Pico project also promotes the principles of equality diversity and inclusion by promoting Research Technical Professionals into key leading roles.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-02

This two-year project seeks to unlock the full potential of sonification — a method of representing data through sound — for interdisciplinary research and communication. Sonification involves using computer-generated sounds to convey information, as a Geiger counter does for radioactivity. The project lead recently used it to discover previously undetected cyber attacks [7]. Visualisation expert Robert Kosara wrote `[s]onification is not visualization for the ears, it follows completely different rules', and this makes it so interesting and challenging to do well. Sonification lets us select data that we wish to explore or monitor and attach sounds to it, thus bringing the intangible, such as distant galaxies, computer network traffic, the earth's magnetosphere, or the quantum states of materials into our audible experience. The project challenges the prevalent visual dominance in our society's understanding of knowledge. Challenge: Despite claims of sonification being inherently interdisciplinary, current practices are often limited to single disciplines and lack consideration of how design decisions affect its effectiveness. There are siloed disciplinary attitudes, including attempts to restrict sonification to a purely scientific method, excluding potential contributions from artists. In addition, scientists can be sceptical of the subjective associations of musical listening associated with sound, hindering sonification's development. Aims and Objectives: The overarching goal is to break down these barriers and establish sonification as a truly interdisciplinary practice, an interdisicpline, that can be widely utilised for exploring data, representing intangibles, and providing new embodied experiences. To achieve this we will: 1. Develop an interdisciplinary framework for sonification that overcomes existing barriers and disciplinary scepticisms. 2. Co-design sonifications of challenging-to-represent phenomena with research participants using interdisciplinary approaches. 3. Disseminate resources and best practices widely to increase the utility of sonification across disciplines. 4. Showcase sonification's benefits for education and outreach, especially targeting diverse audiences.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-02

Navigating Urban Ecologies: Mapping the Habitation Patterns and Socio-ecological Dynamics of Kittiwakes along the River Tyne The project explores the socio-ecological dynamics of urban kittiwakes along the River Tyne, highlighting their unique integration into the urban environments of Newcastle and Gateshead, UK. Since their initial settlement on industrial riverside structures in the 1960s, these unique seabirds have expanded to occupy a range of urban sites, including the Tyne Bridge and the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art (Coulson, 2019; Turner, 2010; Turner, 2020). While celebrated by many, their presence has also led to tensions over noise and waste, prompting the use of deterrent measures to prevent them from landing and nesting on man-made structures (Turner, 2002; Newcastle City Council, 2019; Wilson, 2022). We adopt a "more-than-human" perspective, focusing on the Tyne Kittiwakes to examine the future of cities in the context of shifting ecological relationships, climate change, and urban adaptation. We explore how inclusive strategies and participatory methods can be woven into urban ecological planning and building with nature, to enhance urban planning, politics, and policies, aiming to better accommodate socio-ecological dynamics (Folke et al., 2005). This includes understanding how urban kittiwakes navigate and adapt to intricate, ever-changing urban environments in alignment with their habits, speeds and rhythms, and how these urban environments influence their habitat and reproductive success (Turner, 2010). The challenges we engage with involve not only non-human elements but also deeply rooted socio-cultural values (Scholte et al., 2015), multispecies justice (Tschakert et al., 2021; Celermajer, 2020), and ecological restoration (Marzluff & Ewing, 2008), which are often overlooked or inadequately addressed in traditional urban planning models. This research integrates ethnographic methods, Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, and machine learning to study urban kittiwake habitats and interactions. Advanced tools such as AI-based image analysis and Ecological Niche Modelling (ENM) will be used to analyse the geo-spatial distribution of Tyne kittiwakes and identify key urban environmental factors—such as the distribution and quality of urban green space, proximity to water, and human activities—that influence their presence. The project investigates the evolving relationships between Tyne kittiwakes, urban nature, and human infrastructure, particularly in terms of population dynamics and spatial interactions. The virtual Newcastle Gateshead (VNG), a sophisticated 3D urban model, extends the AI and ENM analyses, while also facilitates public participation and co-creation. The aim is to lay the solid data-driven groundwork for a more-than-human governance framework, allowing urban planning policymakers, ecologists, and citizens to collaboratively envision a better future for these wild bird species co-existing with humans in urban environments. The specific objectives are to: (1) understand the complex politics of urban coexistence and how the Tyne kittiwakes both influence and are influenced by various political, socio-economic, and cultural factors; (2) identify and map out Tyne kittiwakes’ presence and inhabitation between Newcastle and Gateshead; (3) establish a resilient environment for Tyne kittiwakes considering environmental measurements; (4) reimagine the urban future for Kittiwakes under different scenarios; and (5) synthesise and formulate comprehensive guidelines for urban policies aimed at supporting and enhancing the resilience of Tyne kittiwakes. References Celermajer, D., Chatterjee, S., Cochrane, A., Fishel, S., Neimanis, A., O’brien, A., ... & Waldow, A. (2020). Justice through a multispecies lens. Contemporary Political Theory, 19, 475-512. Coulson, J. (2019). Gulls. Harper Collins Publishers, London. Folke, C., Hahn, T., Olsson, P., & Norberg, J. (2005). Adaptive governance of social-ecological systems. Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour., 30(1), 441-473. Marzluff, J. M., & Ewing, K. (2008). Restoration of fragmented landscapes for the conservation of birds: a general framework and specific recommendations for urbanizing landscapes. Urban ecology: An international perspective on the interaction between humans and nature, 739-755. Newcastle City Council. (2019). Tyne Kittiwakes and the Use of Deterrents Guidance. Available at: https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/sites/default/files/planning/Tyne%20kittiwakes%20and%20Deterrents.pdf Scholte, S. S., Van Teeffelen, A. J., & Verburg, P. H. (2015). Integrating socio-cultural perspectives into ecosystem service valuation: A review of concepts and methods. Ecological economics, 114, 67-78. Tschakert, P., Schlosberg, D., Celermajer, D., Rickards, L., Winter, C., Thaler, M., ... & Verlie, B. (2021). Multispecies justice: Climate-just futures with, for and beyond humans. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 12(2), e699. Turner, D. M.?(2002).?Disturbance?of?breeding Black-legged Kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla?on the.?River Tyne,?NE England.?Bird News 5:?37–41. Turner, D. M.?(2010).?Counts and breeding success of Black-legged Kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla nesting on man-made structures along the River Tyne, northeast England, 1994–2009.?Seabird,?23,?111–126. Turner, D. M. (2020). Kittiwakes Breeding along the River Tyne, 1994-2019: A Brief Overview. Northumbrian Naturalist: Northumberland Coastal Wildlife 2019, 8-13 Wilson, H. (2022). Seabirds in the city: Urban futures and fraught coexistence. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 47(4), 1137-1151.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-02

Context The climate action NGO WRAP reported that the fashion industry is the third largest contributor to global carbon emissions and 80% of this is determined during design/production. However, in a consumer-driven fashion industry, design choices informed by manufacturing cost and aesthetics, take precedence. By demonstrating consumer/designer acceptance of novel processes, this project will guide knitwear manufacturers towards supporting increased designer agency in making sustainable choices. Challenge The UK online fashion retailing market is predicted to reach £43bn by 2027. Gen Z is the largest market segment, but demonstrates a significant value/behaviour gap, where personal choices, driven by the low cost and rapid supply of fast fashion, do not follow environmental consciousness. Textile colouration accounts for 180mm tonnes (15%) of fashion’s carbon emissions however, colour is key in online sales, therefore garment manufacturing focuses on precise colour repeatability despite the difficulty of accurate digital colour communication. Nuanced designer colour choices result in the purchase of single-season materials or overproduction, creating pre-manufacturing waste (deadstock) of which only 12% are reused. Reuse of deadstock yarn, available in limited colours and quantities, is limited is limited in commercial production, leading to disposal by incineration. This contributes to the waste of an estimated $120bn of deadstock materials. The UK Environment Agency advocates waste reduction is paramount in addressing the fashion industry’s environmental challenge. Reusing 0.5% deadstock yarn in novel colouration methods could save 100,000 tonnes of CO2 but would affect colour consistency. In a consumer-led industry, this paradigm shift in manufacturing mindset, away from accurate colour repeatability, requires evidence of consumer/designer/manufacturer acceptance. In Royal Society funded research, deadstock yarn was blended during knitting to mitigate colour and count inconsistency and testing demonstrated that 81% of consumers will accept colour inconsistency in online purchases (n=311, Gaston, July/August 2024). The views of design stakeholders are now needed. This project aims to demonstrate the effective reuse of deadstock yarn in novel knitwear colouration. It will assess the acceptance of reduced colour specificity as a sustainable design practice within the professional knitwear design community and their target GenZ consumers. Maximising the impact of novel processes requires designer education. Co-designed knitwear and colour educational resources will inform sustainable design choices for current and aspiring designers beyond the project. Objective/Benefits1: Demonstrate the viability of using deadstock yarn in commercial knitwear. Producing industry-standard knitwear using deadstock yarn in a range of aesthetics, designed for and with GenZ consumers will provide a template for use across the knitwear industry, reducing deadstock waste. Objective/Benefits2: Test acceptance of novel colouration methods with designers. Evidencing that reduced colour specificity can produce creative excellence in design and does not directly influence consumer purchasing decisions, providing a sustainable colouration tool for commercial knitwear production. Objective/Benefits3: Develop educational resources to support the use of novel colouration. Enabling the transfer of experimental processes into professional design practice and maximising their impact, through high-quality resources, demonstrating the importance of design research on innovation and growth.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-01

'Petitioning, Citizenship, and Democratic Literacy' builds on a previous AHRC project (2020-23) 'Petitioning and People Power in Twentieth-Century Britain', which examined the role of petitioning in Britain's modern democracy. Our research revealed why, apart from voting, petitioning was the only form of political participation that engaged a majority of British citizens. The project team examined the use of petitions by a diverse range of campaigns, from the Edwardian suffragettes to the Jubilee 2000 debt relief movement at the turn of the millennium. Many different organisations chose to use petitions, including political parties, trade unions, NGOs, faith groups, social movements, as well as ordinary citizens. A key theme of our research was the accessibility and use of petitions by groups that were often marginalised within formal politics, including women, racialised minorities, and children and young people. Within the original project, impact was delivered through policy-focused activity, including through a report launched at the Palace of Westminster and organising an event at the Senedd that brought together officials from the e-petitions committees of the UK, Scottish, and Welsh Parliaments and the Northern Ireland Assembly. By contrast with the original project's emphasis on impact through policy engagement with political institutions, this Follow on Funding project aims to build on the underpinning research to promote democratic literacy among young people through creative engagement with historical material. We believe this initiative is timely, given the current context in which there is widespread concern with plummeting levels of democratic engagement with public institutions and the question of lowering the voting age to 16 is very much on the political agenda. The aims of the project will be delivered through collaborative between the researchers, a major regional UK theatre based in Newcastle, and two secondary schools from the north-east. The project will run for one term and involve thirteen weekly sessions with one school and three intensive workshops with the other. In both cases, the pupils would work with experienced facilitators from Live Theatre to creatively engage with themes relating to democracy and citizenship, drawing on relevant historical examples from the original project. The project would complement and connect with the Citizenship and History curriculum at both schools. The ambition of the project is to develop impact in partnership with the schools and Live Theatre to promote democratic literacy in two senses: 1) increasing understanding of the history and practice of Britain's modern democracy through engaging with the subject of petitioning; 2) developing skills necessary for exercising democratic citizenship, including oracy, advocacy, organisation, and filtering information. The pupils will get the chance to put these into practice at a concluding showcase event held at Live Theatre. The production of related teaching materials will ensure that key findings and tools from the project will be available to teachers and schools more generally as learning resources. Beyond its immediate impact with the pupils and schools involved, the project aims to show the potential benefits and wider application of using history to promote democratic literacy more broadly.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Water is indispensable for life, health, and human activities. As such, sustaining water resources and addressing their scarcity is an urgent global challenge. Latin American countries on the DAC list, like Brazil, are under enormous pressure to manage water resources sustainably. Over 100 million Brazilians lack access to safe sanitation, and more than 200 million rely mostly on hydropower for electricity (OECD, 2022), highlighting the urgent need for innovative solutions. Addressing these issues requires leveraging financial instruments that can drive sustainable environmental projects effectively. With a specific focus on Brazil, our proposed research aims to integrate an environmental risk approach into analysing the impacts of green bond investments, specifically on water resources. Green bonds are financial instruments designed to fund sustainable environmental projects, such as infrastructure, to address water-related challenges. However, their actual environmental effectiveness and transparency remain underexplored (Ehlers et al., 2020, Jia, 2023, Fatica and Panzica, 2021). Collaboration is at the heart of our approach. The UK is the global leader in water bonds, while Brazil leads in Latin America. By bringing together UK and Brazilian researchers, we aim to foster the exchange of world-class knowledge and innovative ideas and develop networks with local stakeholders; crucial in driving forward our research and ensuring its practical relevance. This partnership will enhance our collective ability to tackle the environmental challenges associated with sustainable finance. Our objectives are clear: to foster new collaborations, establish fresh partnerships and networks, and develop innovative research projects scalable for further funding applications. These goals will be achieved through a structured approach involving stakeholders via interviews, a workshop, dissemination of findings, and development of further research proposals. Ultimately, by addressing the complexities of environmental risk in green finance, our research will contribute significantly to global sustainable development and environmental stewardship. The timing of this research is pertinent due to the global push towards sustainable water infrastructure and the urgency to limit the rise in global temperature. Our project aligns with Sustainable Development Goals SDG6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG8 (decent work and economic growth) and SDG17 (partnerships for the goals). Moreover, the upcoming COP 30 in Brazil in 2025 places the Amazon at the centre of global sustainability and climate change discussions. COP 30 presents a crucial opportunity for the Amazon region to address innovative financial instruments like green bonds, offering a unique platform for our research to contribute to global solutions for water scarcity and climate resilience. Our project brings together researchers from the UK and Brazil, blending expertise in sustainability and finance to tackle complex sustainable finance challenges. Dr Beltran leads the UK team, specialising in sustainability transitions, with Dr Park contributing green finance knowledge and Dr Robins focusing on stakeholder engagement. In Brazil, Dr. Lima dos Santos brings expertise in sustainability and integrated reporting, supported by Dr. Dias in environmental accounting. Professors Tjahjono, Pereira, and Dr. Torres provide insights into sustainable operations, financial risk management, and environmental governance. Team members also participate in the RELES network (Latin American Sustainability Studies) (https://reles.dcya.cl). In conclusion, this project is not only timely but also essential. It will advance our understanding of green finance's impact on critical resources like water, promote innovative solutions to environmental challenges, and support broader goals of climate resilience and sustainable development in Brazil and will have implications far beyond its borders.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Background: Lead is toxic even in small amounts. It is common in our environment due to past use in paint, petrol and plumbing, contaminating our air, water, soil, dust and food. Children are more at risk from the effects of lead because of their growing and developing brains. Lead can reduce intelligence and attention span, increase antisocial behaviour, and lower educational achievement. It can also lead to many other health issues at all ages. Lead pollution is a global problem. In the UK alone, lead exposure is thought to cost about £6.8 billion per year and could affect thousands of children. Doctors can order laboratory tests for children they suspect have high blood lead, but this system likely misses children with no obvious symptoms. We need to understand the current levels of lead exposure in UK children to guide our public and environmental health policies and reduce the societal burden of lead exposure. Vision: We want to see an effective national childhood lead screening programme. To do this, we need to develop and test new screening methods. We want to make home blood sample collection easy, quick and stress-free. Lead exposure is preventable. Widespread monitoring of the amount of lead in blood will help to develop policies that reduce children's contact with lead in the community and at home. This will enable children to develop to their full potential. Aims and objectives: To develop and trial (in Leeds) a new method for a national screening study for monitoring the amount of lead in children's blood. Approach: Developing our methods includes testing a new, simple to use device for collecting a few drops of blood from a finger-prick at home and posting to the laboratory for analysis. We'll use questionnaires to ask about the child, the parents or caregivers, their lifestyle and their environment. We'll also ask families to provide samples of house dust, backyard or garden soil for lead testing. We will learn about what would put people off taking part and local sources of lead. All families will receive their results, a thank you voucher, and we'll randomly choose some families to receive a 'goodie bag' for their child to see if it encourages participation. To develop a successful child lead screening study and raise awareness of everyday exposures to lead requires a range of experts working together. We will design the methods and develop the study information with the help of a community group and with children's nurses and doctors. We will work with these groups to improve our study methods before and during the testing stage. Applications and benefits: This study will revolutionise the monitoring of lead in children's blood. It will pave the way for a national screening study and will help the development of lead surveys and prevention programmes in other countries too. The methods developed could also be used for other pollutants and diseases that are diagnosed by a blood sample, so could reduce the need for stressful needle blood sampling and hospital visits.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Context In June 2023, Pakistan experienced extreme temperatures exceeding 52.2°C, a level at which human cells begin to cook, blood thickens, muscles constrict around the lungs, and the brain is deprived of oxygen. This severe heatwave resulted in the death of 120,000 people, the loss of 26 billion potential labour hours (equivalent to $16 billion in lost income), and up to 9% of the country's GDP. The extreme heat, coupled with frequent power outages, worsened the vulnerabilities of socially deprived communities and women, leading to increased hospitalizations and miscarriages, as reported by the UNDP and the National Commission for the Status of Women (NCSW). Dinushika Dissanayake, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director in South Asia, called for urgent global action as these heatwaves severely impacted human rights in Pakistan. Co-creation & Co-designing In response to the crisis, the Pakistan Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning, and Refrigeration Society organized the 28th International Exhibition and Conference in June 2023. A working group led by Dr. Shahzad, consisting of researchers, stakeholders, and end users, was established to identify the issue and develop potential solutions. The group held its third meeting in December 2023 at the ASHRAE UK Chapter conference at Loughborough, where UK researchers and solution providers were invited to join this international effort. Currently, the working group includes over 50 representatives from Pakistani and UK institutions and industries. Aims and Objectives The S2Cool project represents a pioneering collaboration between the UK and partners in Pakistan. The primary aim is to develop a novel, low-cost, and energy-efficient cooling solution and capacity building platform. The primary objectives of the S2Cool project are: Design and Development: Develop and test the 20kW Novel Indirect Evaporative Cooler (NIEC) and its integration with Mechanical Vapor Compression (MVC) systems. AI Framework Development: Develop and implement an AI framework for process optimization and system integration. GESI and EDI Evaluations: Conduct GESI and EDI assessments to ensure equitable benefits for all community members. Performance and Impact Assessment: Assess performance through life cycle costing, and evaluate social, economic, and sustainability impacts. Technology Scale-up and Commercialization: Establish a framework for technology scaling and commercialization. Capacity Building Platform and Knowledge Dissemination: Develop online platform, conduct training and community engagement sessions, and share knowledge and findings. Potential Applications and Benefits The proposed system is versatile, applicable in residential, commercial, industrial, and vehicular settings, including buses. Its benefits include improved comfort, health, productivity, energy efficiency, and equipment preservation. This project will primarily advance UNSDGs 7 and 13, while also supporting goals 3, 5, 9, and 11 by reducing energy use in air conditioning and lowering emissions to combat climate change and address energy inequity in Pakistan. Ayrton Challenge and Theme The S2Cool project addresses the Ayrton Challenge area of "super-efficient demand." The project aims to develop a cooling solution that is highly energy-efficient, making it suitable for a country with limited energy resources and high electricity costs. ODA Compliance The S2Cool project is compliant with Official Development Assistance (ODA) guidelines, targeting a critical development issue in Pakistan, a low-income country. The project aims to improve living conditions, enhance productivity, and contribute to economic development by providing an affordable and energy-efficient cooling solution. By addressing the impacts of extreme heatwaves and supporting sustainable development goals, the project aligns with ODA objectives of poverty reduction and sustainable development in developing countries.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-12

We present an interdisciplinary, team science proposal building on a recent Cell Reports publication. We established a core community of bacteriophages in preterm mothers own milk (MoM). Phage community sequencing alongside untargeted lipidomics and network analysis revealed that specific bacteriophages formed complexes with long carbon chain length (LC) lipids. Supporting laboratory data translates this interaction where a LC lipid found in MoM formed a complex with a Sipho-like dsDNA phage and this reduced its infectivity. This opens an exciting area of research at the forefront of both phage biology and biotechnology relating to delivery and storage of phages for infection and disease, in humans, animals and agriculture. If we can improve stability of phage preparations using lipids, this aligns to BBSRCs priorities for the development of sustainable products. This is extremely important as the world refocuses on phages as an antimicrobial therapy. Preliminary data from our group has determined that the phage-lipid complex also allows the phage to be transported across models of gut epithelia. We believe we have discovered a novel, evolved strategy for delivery of phages from the gut lumen to the breast duct of mothers via LC lipids that can be transported directly to the lymphatic system. With understanding the frontiers of bioscience and rules of life, we aim to use this potential to develop a phage delivery method that could be used to treat bacterial sepsis. This phage-lipid complex may also protect the phage from recognition and clearance by the immune system and through lipid digestion in the preterm infant gut begins to show a slow delivery mechanism for phages at mucosal surfaces. We do not know how this impacts bacterial infection, function and how it alters microbiome development. The preterm infant gut microbiome is simple in diversity in early life, which makes it an ideal model to study. We have constructed bespoke communities that can be used to determine the impact of the phage-lipid complex on clonal infection and microbiome development. Slow release will modulate phage multiplicity of infection, or ratio of phages to bacteria which may preferentially drive lytic infection of the bacterial target with temperate phages. This again offers routes to developing phage delivery that is unique to an environment as it reduces the level of immunogenicity caused by bacterial lysis e.g endotoxins. We will monitor this using microbiological culture alongside data driven biology, including RNA-Seq, untargeted metabolomics and lipidomics. Our proposed research uses transformative technologies and development of a 3D-epithelial model to understand phage immunocompatibility and how this changes when in complex with a lipid. We believe this transcends multiple areas of BBSRC research and portfolio priorities including; integrating understanding of health, nutrition for health, one health and biotechnology for health. As the outcomes could be translated outside of preterm infants.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-12

With currently 3 billion people lacking access to broadband internet worldwide, European operators are struggling to fill the white areas with insufficient or nonexistent connectivity. In light of the early promises of 6G wireless networks, it is tempting to consider non-terrestrial networks as complementary to the ground-based radio and fiber infrastructure. However, radio frequency-based satellite systems are nearing their capacity limits and cannot be scaled further. Free-space optical technology is a natural alternative to deliver greater capacity and to better address data security needs by leveraging quantum communications. The first optical intersatellite links are being deployed in commercial networks at relatively low data rate (10 Gbps). However, once the most important remaining research challenges are resolved, they could rapidly expand and serve as a catalyst for the development of a new communication backbone in the sky, consisting of aerial and space optical nodes at different altitudes. The overarching aim of the FOCAL project is to train a new generation of highly qualified doctoral candidates in developing innovative aerial and space optical wireless technologies that will provide future telecommunication networks with ubiquitous connectivity, resilience, and quantum-proof security. In addition to contributing to the fundamental understanding and technical know-how of such networks through co-supervised individual research projects, FOCAL will train talented and innovative researchers with multidisciplinary expertise and skills that are desirable in this European industrial sector. This will be achieved through a combination of theoretical and hands-on research training provided by a unique consortium of 16 academic and 10 industrial partners from 8 countries, resulting in collaborative research including co-supervision and secondments, as well as transferable training skills, which is necessary for prosperous careers in this prominent R&I area.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-12

Context: This research project explores the mathematical study of how waves in the ocean behave when they encounter abrupt changes in seabed depth, known as abrupt depth transitions (ADTs). These sudden shifts in seabed topography can create unusual and potentially dangerous wave patterns. The focus is on nonlinear dispersive waves, which can lead to unexpected and extreme outcomes like rogue waves—waves significantly taller than those around them. The Challenge: Extreme (rogue) waves pose risks to coastal and offshore structures, like wind turbines and oil platforms, and ships. Understanding these phenomena is still a challenge but is crucial to improving safety and designing structures that can withstand such extreme conditions. Many existing studies rely on complex computer simulations or experimental setups, lacking the deeper insights that rigorous mathematical modelling can provide. The proposed mathematical approach will allow us to understand the core principles and relationships that govern wave interaction with ADTs, providing a deeper foundational understanding than empirical observations or simulations alone. The proposed model is particularly useful for studying nonlinear systems, where small changes can lead to significant effects. By exploring these nonlinearities, our model will reveal hidden behaviours, stability conditions, or emergent phenomena that are difficult to observe in experiments or simulations. Aims and Objectives: Our aim is to create a robust mathematical model that will explain how waves behave over abrupt depth transitions in three-dimensional settings. This involves developing an analytical framework that will identify the underlying mechanisms of wave propagation and stability. Our key objectives are: Develop a mathematical model that describes how nonlinear dispersive waves interact with abrupt seabed changes in 3D. Identify the conditions under which these waves can become unstable, leading to the formation of rogue waves. Potential Applications and Benefits: The results of this study can have significant practical applications. By understanding the conditions that lead to rogue waves, we can improve the design and safety of offshore structures, contributing to more accurate risk assessments in coastal and offshore engineering. This knowledge also supports the UK's Net Zero Strategy by providing insights that could help design sustainable offshore renewable energy infrastructure. Beyond engineering, the outcomes could benefit a broader scientific community interested in mathematical fluid dynamics, offering a deeper understanding of how waves behave in complex environments. Our findings will be shared with the wider research community through workshops, seminars, and publications, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-10

The history and development of musical instruments is a rich and diverse but much overlooked part of our cultural heritage. Intrinsically linked to creative expression, musical instruments both sit centre stage and at the periphery of our understanding of music-making: what makes a musical instrument? The study of organology seeks to answer this question by considering the design, function, and resultant sound of musical instruments, as well as broader discussions of social and cultural histories. But read more dynamically, a musical instrument also points to networks of knowledge within and across trades, geographies and temporalities, all underpinned by initial sparks of innovation that led to the final product. Organology is therefore an inherently multidisciplinary field, but one which has through necessity focussed on object-based analysis or case studies of makers or instrument groups. With a skills shortage in the discipline impacting museums and collections, and a dearth of organology scholars with academic affiliation, the ability for organology to make sizeable contributions to scholarship is limited, and the benefits of its bricoleur approach for intersecting fields unrealised. Building on Durkin's rising international profile in organology, and notably her scholarship considering the social and technical histories of instrument innovation and evolution, the project will adopt said bricoleur approach to analyse the global collaboration and cultural exchange which lies behind organological innovation 1700 to present. It combines methodologies from material cultures, musicology, and science and technology studies, with broader historical research and hands-on object analysis. Through a chronologically dovetailed case study approach, Durkin and her team will consider developments centred on Britain (long 18th century), Germany (long 19th century), and the US (long 20th century), and bring this historical study into the present through working with industry, and the translation of its themes for use in the primary music curriculum. The project will foster significant international collaborations with museums and collections, industry (mass and artisan production), and education, and will establish the PI and her team as world-leaders in the field. Findings will be published in articles in leading journals, a monograph by the PI, an edited collection, and further disseminated via public talks, workshops, project website, and engagement with education partners.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-09

Multimorbidity (the presence of two or more coexisting long-term conditions) is a significant challenge facing the NHS, especially given UK’s ageing population and the association with high levels of illness burden and healthcare costs. Over 50% of adults >65 years have multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs), which is projected to rise to 68% by 2035. Major consequences of multimorbidity include functional decline and mobility disability leading to increased likelihood of hospital admission, length of stay and readmission, healthcare utilisation, polypharmacy, and mortality. Despite the high value that the NHS and people with MLTCs place on mitigating mobility decline, clinicians and investigators lack accurate, reliable, and sensitive outcomes to holistically assess health status in people with MLTCs. Because walking (Gait) is considered the 6th vital sign, monitoring walking-related parameters in daily life could provide a global tool for the assessment and management of multimorbidity. Our group has validated a broad range of algorithms applied to single wearable sensors that have the potential to capture walking-related mobility outcomes (such as gait characteristics) accurately and reliably during activities of daily living across five single long-term conditions. These algorithms, however, cannot be readily applied to people with MLTCs because the effect of multimorbidity on mobility is amplified compared to single long-term conditions secondary to a greater number of complications and sequelae.  Accordingly, the aim of this study is to validate algorithms that would allow robust estimation of walking-related mobility outcomes during daily life activities in MLTCs. To meet our objectives, we will perform: i) laboratory-based technical validation of existing and newly developed algorithms for walking-related mobility outcome detection; ii) unsupervised real-life validation of selected algorithms; and iii) outcome construct validation by examining how well the validated walking-related mobility outcomes reflect global and disease specific characteristics in older adults with multimorbidity. We will adopt an integrated patient-centric approach where patients with MLTCs will be engaged early in the project to provide input of their perception and concerns regarding mobility limitation in daily life activities. Throughout the project, patients will be actively involved to ensure acceptance and preferences of wearable device positioning and appreciation of meaningful walking-related mobility outcomes. We are a multi-disciplinary team which incorporates diverse skills. We have worked together previously in the EU-funded Mobilise-D project (https://mobilise-d.eu/)  We have already shaped a robust plan regarding laboratory and real-world protocols; selection, validation, refinement, and development of algorithms; regulatory approvals; participant recruitment; data management, aggregation, and analysis; and manuscript publication. Our long-term ambition is to develop a global biomarker for multimorbidity based on real-world mobility evaluation.  With this application we aim to generate preliminary, critical data prior to seeking more substantive funding to validate novel diagnostic methodologies for real-world mobility assessment in older adults with MLTCs. Subsequent funding applications will include work to establish the predictive capacity of mobility outcomes in detecting all cause hospitalisation and/or mortality that could inform healthcare providers about patients at risk, aiding in their early management. In addition, intervention development will be significantly aided in early proof of principle studies considering that currently a global tool for assessing health status in multimorbidity does not exist. Furthermore, this project will pave the way to remote monitoring of mobility disability which may be used to supplement in person consultations and provide objective, quantifiable outcomes to support clinical management, assessment, intervention development and decision making.  

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-09

Doctoral Training Partnerships: a range of postgraduate training is funded by the Research Councils. For information on current funding routes, see the common terminology at https://www.ukri.org/apply-for-funding/how-we-fund-studentships/. Training grants may be to one organisation or to a consortia of research organisations. This portal will show the lead organisation only.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-09

Doctoral Training Partnerships: a range of postgraduate training is funded by the Research Councils. For information on current funding routes, see the common terminology at https://www.ukri.org/apply-for-funding/how-we-fund-studentships/. Training grants may be to one organisation or to a consortia of research organisations. This portal will show the lead organisation only.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-09

Doctoral Training Partnerships: a range of postgraduate training is funded by the Research Councils. For information on current funding routes, see the common terminology at https://www.ukri.org/apply-for-funding/how-we-fund-studentships/. Training grants may be to one organisation or to a consortia of research organisations. This portal will show the lead organisation only.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-09

It is well known, from daily experience, that any physical system (e.g. a gas, a liquid) will reach equilibrium when left on its own for a long period of time. The process of reaching equilibrium is often called thermalisation. This can stand for the melting of an ice cube on a plate at room temperature, or the dissipation of small waves at the surface of a pond. Thermalisation is usually explained by assuming that there is a very complex dynamics at smaller scales. This is sometimes dubbed as 'microscopic chaos'. Another important ingredient for thermalisation is that the environment may act upon the considered system (the warmer air surrounding the ice cube, the still surface around the perturbation in a pond). Recently the role of both those fundamental ingredients to describe thermalisation has been challenged. The first ingredient, (microscopic) chaos, can be proved to be absent in the specfic case of an integrable system. Integrability is a very specific property, which claims e.g. that, apart from the total energy, there are infinitely many conserved quantities during the time evolution. The second ingredient can nowadays be made effectively absent in cold atom experiments. At very low temperature it is possible to observe a system where the interaction with its environment is negligible. Indeed it was observed that standard thermalisation fails! This project aims to tackle the question of thermalisation for a new class of models. Those models are especially relevant as they can be tuned to be integrable or fully chaotic at the microscopic level. Hence they sit in a unique position to enable one to fully understand the relevant and required assumptions for thermalisation to occur. For the sake of simplicity our models deal with isolated systems so our predictions will be of direct relevance for the experiments described above. A very powerful tool to describe the possible equilibria of a system is called statistical field theory. This has been successful to analyse the effects of the symmetry on the possible equilibria of a given system. Our models sits in a group of models called (non)linear sigma models. The main idea is to enforce the symmetry effects in a geometrical manner. It is remarkable that the standard sigma models have consisted only of geometries without edges (e.g. the surface of a torus or a sphere). One central aspect of this project is to study the effects of having a boundary (hard wall). Those effects connect sigma models to mathematical billiards. Those consist of tracing a ray of light trapped inside a table with an arbitrarily chosen shape. For a rectangular billiard table, the ray will have an integrable time evolution. If two half-disks are glued to the smallest sides, one gets a stadium-like shape for which the time evolution meets the strongest criterion for chaos. In particular two rays starting from neighbouring positions will depart quickly from each other. The second important aspect of the project is to focus on the subtle regime where quantum particles (or fields) start to show similarity with their non-quantum (classical) counterpart, typically at moderate or high energy. This regime is called semiclassical, for which a specific toolbox has been used to study the quantum version of mathematical billiards. Our aim is to transfer this accumulated expertise to fields in sigma models. We shall start with simpler billiard shapes, also to compare with numerous alternative approaches. Then we will implement the semiclassical tools for fields trapped in a billiard table of arbitrary shape. We believe that this can lead to field theories of new symmetry class and enable one to use non-perturbative techniques for non-integrable field theories.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-09

Esmeraldas province (henceforth Esmeraldas) is amongst the poorest in Ecuador, characterised by state neglect, inadequate infrastructure and services, and the presence of multiple forms of socially and environmentally damaging resource extraction. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the already fragile situation in Esmeraldas has further deteriorated, with drugs-related violence, gang warfare, and organised crime bringing heightened instability, including increasing levels of GBV. The situation is further exacerbated by climate-change induced crises. The particular vulnerabilities to GBV that Black/Afro women face in this context of precarity have so far been absent from approaches to addressing GBV within Ecuador. Furthermore, existing understandings are based on limited quantitative data, creating an urgent need for research that brings together creative approaches and critical feminist, anti-racist analysis. The project brings together researchers from Northumbria University (UK), Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Ecuador), and the Mujeres de Asfalto Collective (a Black feminist community arts organisation based in Esmeraldas), alongside project partners from across Esmeraldas who are committed to tackling GBV (Union Nacional de Mujeres del Ecuador; Miradas Negras; AMATIF; GAD Timbire; Manglar), and Roots and Wings non-profit design agency (UK). Working with an existing cohort of Black/Afro women peer researchers, we will develop nuanced understandings of GBV from a Black feminist perspective, using participatory mapping, body mapping, and photovoice. Photovoice uses participatory photography to identify problems and collectively develop solutions, whilst participatory and body mapping elicit creative understandings of how Black/Afro women experience violence across different spaces and territories. Together these creative approaches will produce much-needed qualitative data capturing Black/Afro women's conceptualisations of safety and unsafety, rooted in the experiences and understandings of local communities. Working with project partners, we will use these findings to co-develop locally- and culturally-appropriate strategies to tackle racialised GBV. Project partners Roots and Wings will translate research findings into innovative and interactive outputs, including a website and other digital content.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-09

We live in an era of resurgent populist movements that seek to defend national sovereignty against the perceived threat of 'globalism'. However, mistrust of the existing or potential mechanisms for global governance is not confined to one particular part of the political spectrum, especially when it comes to questions of representation and legitimacy. If citizens lack trust in international cooperation, it can have wide-ranging implications: it risks undermining cross-border efforts to tackle global challenges, for example humanitarian crises, health inequalities and the climate emergency. The project addresses this urgent contemporary problem from a historical perspective: it traces popular engagement with bodies that sought to regulate or resolve global matters, from the aftermath of the First World War to the early 2000s. Drawing on insights from History, IR, Political Science and Sociology, the project pursues two major lines of enquiry. First, it examines campaigns that sought to create, reform, transform or abolish international organisations. In doing so, it highlights the democratic potentials and lacunae of international organisations while tracing broader efforts to democratise international relations. Second, the project investigates attempts by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and social movements to enlist the support of international bodies, partly in response to the obstacles they encountered domestically. Such endeavours implied a degree of trust in the ability of international organisations to become tools for positive change. By recovering the past relationship between political participation, democracy and international institutions, the project enables us to better understand how we might reimagine global cooperative mechanisms in the present. The project brings together researchers who have made major contributions to the study of international cooperation and citizenship in their respective fields. Working within an international and interdisciplinary team, they will produce an array of academic outputs (including a co-authored monograph, a range of journal articles as well as a special journal issues), run academic events in Canada, Switzerland and the United States, and engage external stakeholders through policy papers and workshops (for instance a knowledge-exchange event hosted by the project team in Newcastle upon Tyne).

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-08

This project will develop an international network which maps and interrogates the value, knowledge, and methodological innovations brought to fashion studies through practice-based research. Through a partnership between Northumbria University and Parsons, The New School (New York) and a series of collaborative knowledge exchange activities between an international cohort of practice-based researchers, activists museum and industry professionals, the project asks how methodologies of making, wearing, and performing can expand upon existing research practices in fashion studies and, in turn, broaden access to and participation in the field. At a point when both fashion studies and the fashion industry are at critical points of change and must confront the environmental impacts and systemic biases which underscore the fashion industry, the central aim of this research network is to explore what practice-based research can do: how research through practice can address and develop innovative solutions to challenges facing fashion and the field. The past two decades have seen an expansion of practice-based research in fashion studies, as indicated by the growing number of practice-based doctoral and masters programs. Current practice-based research in fashion studies encompasses a breadth of methodologies and thematic concerns. E.g., Sampson (2020) explores how wearing can uncover sensory relationships to dress, and Valle Noronha (2020) the agency of materials in fashion design and education, Davidson (2019) how remaking historic garments can expand understanding of historical dress, whilst de Greef (2020) looks at how curatorial practice can decentre western understandings of fashion. Yet, there is no network for this emergent area of the field, and practice-based researchers often face barriers to sharing their work through traditional routes. Building on the P-I and Co-I's current activities (Fashion Research Network, Fashion Studies) and publications (Sampson 2023, Barry 2023) this new network explores the diversity of methodologies used and knowledges produced through fashion practice and asks how these methods can address systemic issues in fashion. Network Activities: Over 18 months, the network will map current fashion practice-based research, identifying themes, commonalities and opportunities for further collaboration. Through a combined recruitment strategy of invitation and an open call, the network will recruit ten established and early career scholars from the global north and south who utilise different practice-based methods to study fashion. Project activities will comprise four workshops (two in-person and two online), each addressing a key theme and perceived risk in practice-based research: epistemologies, methodologies, rigour and dissemination. Over the course of the workshops participants will develop a practice-based project and write a reflective chapter which outlines their methods and the innovations and knowledge that their work produces. Central to this process will be the development of an open and iterative peer-review model, ensuring both transparency and rigour. In addition, each workshop will invite two stakeholders from the fashion industry and museum sector, instigating discussion around benefits that practice-based fashion research can bring to fashion and cultural industries and providing openings for further collaboration. Project outcomes will be shared through a symposium (Newcastle) and an exhibition (New York), an edited volume, and journal article co-authored by the PI and Co-I sharing the new peer review model. Through its multi-strand dissemination strategy, the network will highlight the benefits that practice-based research brings to fashion studies and the broader fashion and cultural industries. After dissemination activities, a review of network activity will inform the future direction of the network, identifying new participants and emerging themes.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-08

Electromagnetic field (EMF) generated from electronic gadgets, solar eruptions, and galactic cosmic rays could lead to severe health risks and deterioration of device performance, which make EMF shielding a crucial research topic. RF communication and aerospace devices require the concealed integration of EMF shields in the form of gaskets to fit the shape of electronic housing. Poor mechanical and electrical properties of these gaskets will cause device failure and inefficient EMF shielding. Therefore, there are strong demands for lightweight, flexible, and highly conductive EMF shielding gaskets. The project, InnoKets is aimed to address the above challenge by developing multifunctional ink-based 3D printed hydrogel EM shields in the form of gaskets, by applying a low cost and efficient 3D printing technology for high performance and miniaturized components to completely shield EMF (99.9%). The project is multidisciplinary and includes development and characterization of nanocomposite inks, 3D printing of hydrogel gaskets and Faraday fabric with good shape fidelity. The project is aimed to achieve high conductivity~105-106 Sm-1, reversible compressibility>90%, and good detergent resistance of fabric without compromising its shielding properties. This project will have significant economic impact on EU aeronautics industry due to the development of low-cost 3D manufacture methodology for significant weight reduction (due to new light weight gasket). It is in line with the EU strategy for the SDG of Good health and Well Being. Profs. Elmarakbi and Fu are among the most appropriate supervisor and co-supervisor, as they possess vast experience in relevant research areas, hosting previous Marie Curie fellows and managing many EU projects. Northumbria University will provide best environment and facilities for this project. This project will provide trainings for multidisciplinary and management/entrepreneurship skills, crucial for the future career of the researcher.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-07

The giant planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, have always provided a source of both awe and inspiration. Our first close-up glimpses of these systems came from early spacecrafts such as the Pioneers and the Voyagers over 40 years ago, revealing planets that were positively nothing like the Earth. These great spheres of dense gas showed intricate and violent cloud structures, with each planet having more moons than there are planets in the solar system. The upper atmosphere of these planets contain the interface between the planet and the surrounding space environment, with the charged particle ionosphere being the all important conduit that 'feels' the magnetic field. This is a critical region, because it is here that energy is exchanged via the powerful auroral process, producing stunning displays of light about the magnetic poles. From ground-based observations we can measure the global temperature of the upper atmosphere of the giant planets, and we find that they are much hotter than our models of this region predict. This is a decades-old and a major outstanding question in planetary science and has been dramatically named the 'energy crisis'. Two solutions to this puzzling problem have been proposed. Firstly the aurora can inject significant amounts of energy at the poles, but since these planets are spinning on their axis much faster than the Earth, there are forces that appear to prohibit the movement of this energy down towards the equator. Secondly, the dramatic turbulence that we see in images of theses planets generate waves that can travel up in altitude and break and release their energy in the upper atmosphere, heating it in the process. Up until now, we have not had the high fidelity data needed to test these theories, and to solve this crisis. This is what this Fellowship programme sets out to do. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a collaboration between American, European, and Canadian space-agencies, is the most powerful telescope ever constructed, and it will be launched from French Guiana on a European rocket in October 2021. Since the telescope is situated in deep space, far away from the Earth's atmosphere, and because the instruments are incredibly sensitive, the facility will provide completely new views of the universe, from our own solar system to the very early universe. A number of observations have already been planned with JWST, and those include observations of Jupiter and Uranus that I have closely been involved in the development of. These will be unlike anything achievable with telescopes on the ground at Earth, and will provide an incredibly detailed view of the atmospheres of these planets, and an opportunity to once and for all address the energy crisis. This research programme will use two of JWST's instruments - the Mid Infrared Instrument (MIRI), build in the UK with significant involvement by the University of Leicester, and the Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), led by the European Space Agency. By combining data from both instruments, we can capture light from the entire atmosphere, from the deep turbulent base of the atmosphere, all the way up to the upper atmosphere and the ionosphere. The analysis of these data will reveal how energy is transported within and between atmospheric layers, and I will directly test the two proposed solutions to the energy crisis. By observing the atmospheres of both Jupiter and Uranus, we get views of energy transport at both a Gas Giant and an Ice Giant, two different classes of planet that may indeed offer two different solutions to the crisis. Most of the planets discovered outside our solar system share many characteristics with either Jupiter and Uranus, and applying what we learn from this programme can significantly further our understanding of planets orbiting other stars.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-06

The ESPRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Renewable Energy Northeast Universities Plus (ReNU+) is a transformative programme that will train a new generation of Doctoral Carbon Champions (DCCs) who are characterised by scientific and engineering excellence and capable of interdisciplinary systemic thinking to accelerate Net Zero. The outcome from ReNU+ will be that DCCs will meet critical needs in high-skill employment across industry, policy, education and government and convert key challenges in resilience and equity into economic opportunities for the United Kingdom. This will be achieved through a professionally accredited training programme in a thriving environment of research excellence led by Northumbria, Newcastle and Durham universities. The 2023-2035 energy landscape sets a compelling context for ReNU+ and in particular, the need for future leaders in this space in the United Kingdom. Locally generated renewable energy will provide the UK with increased energy security and critically important additions in electricity capacity to meet domestic and industrial demands. This is only one piece of the landscape however, which also includes sustainability (e.g. critical materials supply), resilience (e.g. climate change mitigation) and an equitable transition to Net Zero, which offers both economic and health benefits. The absorptive capacity for ReNU+ DCCs is partly evidenced by the forecast of 694,000 new UK jobs in the low carbon and renewable energy economy by 2030 (source: UK Local Government Association). The ReNU+ training programme has a core focus on developing key skills that facilitate understanding of and engagement with the wider Net Zero system including investment, regulation and end-user engagement. It will become a reference for high-skill training in Net Zero that redefines the role of scientists and engineers as critical catalysts for decarbonisation who deliver impact well beyond technology. ReNU+ identifies a critical link between equality, diversity and inclusivity and decarbonisation and includes key innovations to leverage this link. Consequently, DCCs will also develop societal and citizenship values as they become living examples of the future workforces to enable an equitable and sustainable transition to Net Zero. This approach has been validated by our partners who have co-designed and will co-deliver the ReNU+ training programme. This support includes national and local Government, multinational companies, small-to-medium enterprises and charity organisations.