Addressing the need for renewable energy
The climate crisis continues to be a matter of both national and international importance. In recognition of this importance, the Midlands Innovation partner universities made a bid to Innovate UK to invest in energy research in the Midlands.
Formed in 2016, Energy Research Accelerator (ERA) initially received £60 million before later receiving an additional £120 million from investors, with the funding strategically allocated amongst the partners. The impact of this funding is ongoing, boosting the reputation of energy innovation in the Midlands.
Striving to put research skills on the national agenda
To become net zero, we must develop a highly skilled, capable and agile green workforce to rise to this challenge. ERA Skills was developed to create a network for PhD students at partner universities researching energy. As this initially attracted STEM-focused PhD students, ERA Skills adapted its approach in recognition of the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in tackling the global challenges of climate change and energy security. ERA Skills is now open to any PhD student attending the partner universities researching areas relevant to net zero and energy, regardless of discipline.
With around 180-200 people engaging with ERA Skills activity every year, and the regular engagement of over 60 PhD students, the network continues to adapt to the needs of its members. Through its partnership with ERA’s sister partnership C-DICE, the Centre for Postdoctoral Development in Infrastructure, Cities and Energy, ERA Skills has further expanded its reach and opportunities for professional development through the inclusion of post-doctoral researchers. Post-doctoral researchers often experience similar challenges as PhD students, such as understanding how to position their research within a bigger picture, and both groups benefit from the access to further skills-focused training opportunities.
ERA Skills seeks to put research skills on the national agenda, emphasizing the importance of doctoral researchers in responding to the global challenges of climate change and energy security.
Developing a highly skilled green workforce
ERA Skills seeks to develop a skilled green workforce by collaborating with C-DICE to provide events and training opportunities designed to develop the professional skills of its network members. This includes:
- Sandpit Events: Ran by C-DICE, post-docs are invited to interactive workshops designed to encourage interdisciplinary networking and collaboration. Post-docs generate collaborative research ideas with the potential for further development through seed-corn funding, with awards of up to £30k available to the best proposals.
- Mock COPs: Masters students participate in a ‘mock COP’, considering how they could address the challenge of climate change. Each group has a PhD mentor, providing PhD students with the opportunity to develop their leadership skills.
- Outreach Events: schools are invited to partner institutions to participate in outreach activities, such as the ‘Mini Grand Prix for Girls in STEM’. These events are led by PhD students, providing further opportunities to develop leadership skills.
- ERA Summer Showcase: through this event, doctoral and postdoctoral researchers are invited to showcase their work to an audience of fellow researchers, in addition to ERA’s academic and industrial partners. Workshops are also included, designed to help develop the skills researchers need to maximise the impact of their work.
- ERA Community Fund: this is a fund available to researchers (with a focus on PhD students) to design, develop, and deliver researcher development opportunities aligned with a net zero and/or energy context. In addition to funding, successful applicants receive support from ERA through tailored training and mentoring.
The nature of events and training offered to network members is continually influenced by the network’s needs. A key example is that post-pandemic, PhD students reported difficulties with communicating their research. Responding to this, ERA Skills hosted a retreat focused on developing communication skills. Roleplay-based activities helped PhD students to practice communicating the impact of their research in a safe environment.
By enabling its members to do great things, ERA Skills seeks to create a highly skilled green workforce of researchers in the Midlands. Developing this workforce is crucial to solving the global and social challenges of climate change and energy security.
