date: Fri, 25 May 2001 16:59:47 +0100
from: Mike Hulme <m.hulme@uea.ac.uk>
subject: big ideas for big money
to: P.M.Allen@Cranfield.ac.uk,"N.W.Arnell" <N.W.Arnell@soton.ac.uk>, f.berkhout@sussex.ac.uk,j.kohler@econ.cam.ac.uk,m.cannell@ite.ac.uk, j.a.halliday@rl.ac.uk,jenkins@fs5.ee.umist.ac.uk, brian.launder@umist.ac.uk,t.markvart@soton.ac.uk,cnash@its.leeds.ac.uk, <simon.shackley@umist.ac.uk>,j.g.shepherd@soton.ac.uk, a.watkinson@uea.ac.uk,m.hulme@uea.ac.uk,n.adger@uea.ac.uk, "H.J. Schellnhuber" <john@pik-potsdam.de>

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Dear All,

One of the outcomes from the Supervisory meeting was an invitation to 
propose to the R Councils big ideas for big money for the SR2002 
exercise.  All three Councils were suggesting Tyndall may wish to offer 
suggestions over the next few weeks.  They would welcome good, big research 
concepts.

John Schellnhuber and I have briefly talked about this and would like to 
see if there are good ideas out there in Tyndall about priorities.  The 
criteria would be:

- initial 1-page concept
- best to be cross-Council
- originate from Tyndall's unique position as inter-disciplinary climate 
change centre
- could be multi-million pound programmes to run over several years
- would be looked at by the R.Councils and maybe shortlisted for 
consideration by OST when the next spending review (SR2002) gets completed 
next winter.

Two ideas John and I have had - without much discussion it should be said - 
are:

a. A comprehensive vulnerability study of London to climate change:
- V&A assessment bring together many different strands of work - health, 
AQ, Thames Barrier, riverine flooding, infrastructure damage, social 
exclusion, risk assessment, insurance

b. Towards a sustainable aviation industry
- consideration of future sustainable technology options for aviation 
linked to further work on environmental impacts of aviation (cf. IPCC 
Aviation report) and linked into work on the drivers of expanding aviation 
- business, globalisation, tourism - with the tourism issue linked into 
sustainable tourism and climate change.

Both of these could be seen as integrated assessments that Tyndall is well 
positioned on, but clearly could involve big sums of money and wider expertise.

Any thoughts on these or other ideas gladly received.  Consult with 
colleagues as well to see what ideas are lurking.  We may touch on these on 
the 15 June and in any case I would like to get back to the Councils before 
the end of June.  It would be good if some ideas clearly touch on BBSRC 
territory.

Thanks,

Mike

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