Carbon Crucible-Innovating for a Low Carbon Society

Take your research to another level – by working with others on the biggest challenge facing us today. Innovating for a low carbon society will require interdisciplinarity, ingenuity, close and unusual collaborations and a personal commitment to transformation. Are you ready for the challenge? As an experienced post-doc, recent academic appointee or team or project leader with research responsibilities in industry or the public sector you would be part of a select group gaining new skills and contacts and developing transformative ideas to create a sustainable, low-carbon future. Your research could be in any area that will affect the energy agenda, from engineering to social sciences. You will be able to demonstrate a high level of achievement and an ongoing commitment to a career in research, and a desire to engage with the wider context of the energy agenda.

Programme Description

The Carbon Crucible is a new professional and personal leadership programme, which will bring you together with 29 other energy researchers from a mixture of academic, industry and other research backgrounds. The programme will inspire you to think differently about, and work together on the low carbon energy challenge. 

As a group you will attend 3 residential workshops (LABS), each spread over 3 days, where you will explore the wider social, technological, economical and political context of a low carbon society. The LABS will be a mixture of lectures, seminars, skills sessions, tours, informal discussions and visits. You will meet and hear from inspirational people, who will explore innovation and collaboration, and you will learn about yourself. Working together you will expand your creativity to generate new ideas and collaborations to meet the energy and low carbon research challenge and embark on new exciting directions in your work. In the 4^th weekend you'll be encouraged to work on your ideas and bid, as consortia, to a small funding pot. 

Programme Schedule

The workshops will be a mixture of lectures, seminars, skills sessions, tours and informal discussions and visits. The workshops will be broadly themed on the following:

• LAB 1: The bigger picture: gaining an understanding of the public policy aspects of the energy challenge (7-9 December, London)
• LAB 2: The low carbon challenge: opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations (2-4 February, Edinburgh)
• LAB 3: Skills for innovating for a low carbon society  (16-18 March, Totnes)
• LAB 4: Participant Collaborations (27-28 April, tbc)

Eligibility

You should be:

• Resident in the UK, for tax purposes, for three of the last six years with the intention of basing your career in the UK.
• Have at least three years postdoctoral experience or equivalent experience in another environment

For more information about eligibility, please see the essential information and application form. PLEASE NOTE - online application will be open until 13 October 2008 - the application form in the link above is for information only.  

Your Commitment

Participants are required to attend all three workshops; the fourth workshop is optional.

Participation

We will cover all residential costs, including accommodation and catering. Travel costs and other reasonable costs such as childcare will be provided where required. In most cases we would expect industry participants to have their expenses covered by their companies.

Applying

Applications will be accepted via the UKERC web site from 8 September – 13 October 2008. You will need to complete a short online application form, and attach a copy of your CV (including publications) by 13 October 2008. Participants will be notified on 1 November 2008 if their application has been successful.

For more information or to discuss your eligibility, please contact Jennifer Otoadese  

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ONLINE APPLICATION NOW CLOSED

We will inform applicants about the final selection by 3 November 2008.