Hannah

I am studying for an interdisciplinary MSc/PhD in the Doctoral Training Centre for Low Carbon Technologies: 2009-2013

Project Title: Decision making for microgeneration: integration with energy networks at the domestic and district scales

I am currently involved in reviewing literature for my PhD project on microgeneration in new build homes. Having two supervisors from different departments and experience from the first year of the course have made interdisciplinary working much easier. I am planning to apply an interdisciplinary analytical framework to the development of microgeneration, to bridge the gap between technical, economic, political and sociological analyses.

I have also been involved in work for the City Energy Futures project – an interdisciplinary collaboration between the Universities of Leeds and Nottingham. I am assisting in conducting interviews with a hard-to-reach group (residents of a socio-economically deprived area of Leeds) about energy use. This experience will be invaluable once I start collecting data for my own project, and may lead to co-authorship of a paper.

Taught modules

The taught modules thus far have been useful. Although work involving thermodynamics and similar calculations was challenging as I had little background here, having more experienced colleagues on the DTC was immensely helpful. Two modules have been particularly useful and relevant for my project: ‘sustainable energy processes’ and ‘ecological and environmental economics’. The former was an excellent detailed overview of renewable energy technologies, while the latter covered a number of concepts relevant to my project. Although time-consuming, the taught modules have provided invaluable context to the PhD research, and have broadened my skills.

Placement

I have completed a two month placement as a Science Policy Intern at the Royal Society. The internship was hugely enjoyable. I had a large number of new and exciting experiences in a short space of time and made some contacts which will undoubtedly be useful in my future career. Personal highlights from the placement included hearing about life in space from some visiting astronauts and meeting Sir David Attenborough at the first meeting of the population project working group.

Working at the Royal Society vastly improved my knowledge of science and policy issues. Work on stakeholder mapping developed my awareness of relevant government departments (domestic and international), research institutions and NGOs. I also developed a better appreciation of the challenges inherent in applying scientific research to policy, and the ways in which scientists collaborate and communicate with policymakers. A key realisation was how fast-paced policy decision-making can be, necessitating timely action on the part of scientists who seek to influence the process.