Browsing by Author "Sayer, Emma J."

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    Contributions and future priorities for soil science: comparing perspectives from scientists and stakeholders
    (Wiley, 2021-08-27) Cimpoiasu, Mihai O.; Dowdeswell-Downey, Emily; Evans, Daniel L.; McCloskey, Christopher S.; Rose, Lewis S.; Sayer, Emma J.
    Soils are a fundamental natural resource but intensifying demands and increasing soil degradation necessitate focussed research into the sustainable use of soils. Since soil functioning is critical for the operations and performance of multiple industries, businesses and municipalities, soil scientists need to actively engage with these bodies to orientate research goals towards stakeholder needs. To achieve this, stakeholder views about the current and potential contributions of soil science to different sectors need to be taken into account when setting the future research agenda. Here, we assessed whether the current and future research priorities of soil science match the needs of four major industrial and environmental sectors: agriculture, ecosystem services and natural resources, waste management, and water management. We used an online questionnaire, distributed to 192 organisations and via social media, to compare stakeholders' and scientists' perceptions of (a) the contributions of soil science to date, (b) the areas not currently served by soil science and (c) future research needs in soil science. Stakeholders generally rated the contributions of soil science to date as ‘great’ or ‘fundamental’, but scientists rated the contributions more highly. Respondents identified numerous areas that soil research has not yet sufficiently addressed, which were mostly sector-specific and often overlapped with perceived future research needs. Importantly, stakeholders' and scientists' views of future research priorities differed strongly within sectors, with the notable exception of agriculture, where views were generally consistent. We conclude that soil science may hold unexplored potential in several industrial and environmental sectors. We call for improved research communication and greater stakeholder involvement to shape the future soils research agenda and ensure the sustainable use of soils across multiple areas of society.
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    On pedagogy of a Soil Science Centre for Doctoral Training
    (Wiley, 2021-10-13) Haygarth, Philip M.; Lawrenson, Olivia; Mezeli, Malika; Sayer, Emma J.; McCloskey, Christopher S.; Evans, Daniel L.; Kirk, Guy J. D.; Tye, Andrew M.; Chadwick, David R.; McGrath, Steve P.; Mooney, Sacha J.; Paterson, Eric; Robinson, David A.; Jones, Davey L.
    Here we describe and evaluate the success of a multi-institutional Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT), which was established to address a UK skills shortage in Soil Science. The government-funded ‘STARS’ (Soils Training And Research Studentships) CDT was established in 2015 across a range of universities and research institutes in the UK. It recruited 41 PhD students equitably split across the institutions under four core research themes identified as being central to the national need, namely, (1) Understanding the soil–root interface, (2) Soils and the delivery of ecosystem services, (3) Resilience and response of functions in soil systems and (4) Modelling the soil ecosystem at different spatial and temporal scales. In addition, the STARS CDT provided a diverse skills programme, including: Holistic training in soils, the promotion of collegiality and joint working, strategies to promote science and generate impact, internships with end users (e.g., policymakers, industry), personal wellbeing, and ways to generate a lasting soils training legacy. Overall, both supervisors and students have reported a positive experience of the CDT in comparison to the conventional doctoral training programmes, which have less discipline focus and little chance for students to scientifically interact with their cohorts or to undertake joint training activities. The STARS CDT also allowed students to freely access research infrastructure across the partner institutions (e.g., long-term field trials, specialised analytical facilities, high-performance computing), breaking down traditional institutional barriers and thus maximising the students' potential to undertake high-quality research. The success and legacy of the STARS CDT can be evidenced in many ways; however, it is exemplified by the large number and diversity of journal papers produced, the lasting collaborations, final career destinations, and creation of a web-based legacy portal including new and reflective video material.