On the 12th December 2024, Sustainable Futures hosted Celebrating Interdisciplinary Sustainability Research conference, an event showcasing interdisciplinary sustainability research at The University of Manchester. Organised with Manchester Environmental Research Institute, Henry Royce Institute and the Sustainable Consumption Institute, the conference reflected on past interdisciplinary initiatives and achievements while focusing on future opportunities for advancing sustainability solutions.
Held at the university's Alliance Manchester Business School, researchers explored how to leverage seedcorn funding as a critical tool to build capacity for larger and more impactful funding applications as well as tackling the challenges of interdisciplinary working. By fostering collaboration across disciplines, the conference aimed to inspire new ideas and strategies that address the pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges of our time, driving the University’s role as a leader in interdisciplinary sustainable innovation and development.
Dr Helen Holmes, Senior Lecturer in Sociology in the School of Social Sciences at the University of Manchester and deputy chair of Sustainable Futures, welcomed attendees and introduced the event partners: Professor Matthew Paterson, Professor of International Politics and Director of the Sustainable Consumption Institute, Dr Tim Foster, Reader in Water-Food Security and Director of the Manchester Environmental Research Institute and Michaela Kiernan, Research and Business Engagement Manager for the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub at the Royce Institute.
Dr Tim Foster proceeded to introduce the first session, Technology for Sustainability and the speakers: Dr Ciara McGrath, Lecturer in Aerospace Systems at the University of Manchester. Read more about Ciara's project below:
Ciara was followed by Dr Suzanne Embury, Reader in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Manchester, who presented the project 'Video-games as a new transformative medium to engage people in sustainability research' produced in collaboration with Prof Ricardo Climent, Professor of Interactive Music Composition at University of Manchester. Watch a game trailer below:
Despite Dr Ben Parkes not being able to make it on the day due to sickness, he has recorded his presentation, which you can watch below:
Below you can watch the full first session:
The next session, Circular Economy, was chaired by Dr Suneel Kunamaneni, Senior Lecturer in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre. He introduced the speakers: Dr Helen Holmes, Senior Lecturer in Sociology in the School of Social Sciences, Dr Jane Wood, Lecturer in Fashion Technology and Elisabeth Allen, Research Associate (Microfibres) and PhD student in the Department of Materials, and Dr Neil Dixon, Reader in Sustainable Biotechnology at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology.
Next, Prof Michael Shaver, chaired the discussion panel: Developing impactful research from seedcorn funding. The panellists were Chloe Jeffries, Head of Strategic Funding Prof William Sampson, Chief Scientific Officer at the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre and Professor of Materials Modelling and Dr Ciara McGrath, Lecturer in Aerospace Systems:
Watch the full session below:
The afternoon was kicked off with the third session, Net-Zero and Energy, chaired by Prof Alice Larkin, Professor of Climate Science & Energy Policy at the Tyndall centre, University of Manchester. Alice introduced the speakers: Dr Jingyi Li, Research Associate based at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Dr Tim Braunholtz-Speight, Lecturer and Research Fellow from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and Prof Matthew Paterson, Professor of International Politics and Director of the Sustainable Consumption Institute.
Watch the full session below:
Lastly, the fourth session, Sustainability and Health, was chaired by Dr Cyrill Bussy, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, affiliated to the Centre for Nanotechnology in Medicine, the Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, and the Manchester Environmental Research Institute. Cyrill introduced the speakers: Dr Charis Enns, Presidential Fellow in Socio-Ecological Systems at the Global Development Institute and Dr Anke Bernau, Senior Lecture in English Literature in the Faculty of Humanities.
The day concluded with another discussion panel, The challenges of interdisciplinarity in environmental sustainability research chaired by Prof Matthew Paterson alongside panellists: Prof Gareth Clay, Professor of Geography; Dr Anke Bernau, Senior Lecturer in English Literature and Dr Tom McDonald, Reader in Sustainable Materials.
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