The academic study of Islamic law has, so far, almost exclusively focused on Sunni legal thought. The legal thought and practice of Shi’ite (and other) traditions has been neglected, and this has created a rather skewed account of the history of Islamic law. This project aims to rectify this inadequacy by producing a body of research in which the Imami Shi’ite contribution to Islamic legal history is described, analysed and evaluated. Imami Shi’ites, sometimes termed Twelvers, are the largest branch of Shi’ism today. Imamis form a majority in Iran and Iraq where the major Shi’i centres of legal learning are located. In the project, we aim to examine the theories and methods used by scholars in the study of Islamic law, derived mainly from Sunni sources, and test them against the Shi’ite legal literature. The project aims to demonstrate that a non-Sunni tradition of Islamic legal thought, in this case Imami Shi’i law, can illuminate and enrich the general history of Islamic law. At times, Shi'ite law shares features with other legal schools; at other times it provides an alternative account, challenging long held assumptions concerning Islam’s legal development. The project will do this through 5 independent, but linked, Research Themes, in which research fellows and visiting professors will carry out detailed programmes of research. These will cover Imami law and doctrine, the dynamics of legal authority, the relationship between legal theory and doctrine and the influence of law on political theory. The project will facilitate opportunities to test the researchers' research findings with both international experts in the field, and scholars from within the Imami legal tradition. The Principal Investigator, Robert Gleave, has made a major contribution to this area in his research, publications and other activities for 20 years, and this project extends and expands this interest, aiming to make a lasting impact on the field of Islamic legal studies in the future.

The last two decades of exoplanet discoveries have revolutionised our view of planetary systems and our place in the cosmos, bringing us closer to answering fundamental questions about how these systems form and evolve. These advancements have, however, mainly focused on the inner regions of these systems due to the difficulties of probing their colder outer regions, despite their importance for the formation and evolution of planets. These barriers are, nevertheless, breaking thanks to observational campaigns led by me and others with ALMA studying exocometary discs analogous to the Kuiper belt, and JWST searching for sub-Jupiter mass planets at tens of au. This ERC program aims to constrain how the outer regions of planetary systems, and in particular the debris of which exocometary discs are made, form and evolve. Such an endeavour will require transforming our understanding of three key and interconnected pillars. First, we must understand how exocometary discs form as their structures encode key information about planet formation processes. This will require developing the first holistic models for exocometary disc formation and their comparison with ALMA observational constraints. Second, we must study what processes shape exocometary discs after formation to be able to use disc observations to infer the dynamical history of systems. This will require studying the disc interaction with planets and even stellar encounters while systems are young, and comparing the outcome of these interactions with JWST and ALMA observations. Third, we must advance in our understanding of exocometary gas as it could allow us to infer the presence of planets, affect their atmospheres and the distribution of exocometary dust biasing our dynamical inferences. Only by developing these three pillars, we will truly advance in our understanding of exocometary discs, a key element for deciphering planetary systems.

The level of polyandry is a key trait influencing population dynamics and inter-sexual interactions of organisms. In nature, females of some species mate only once in their life time, whereas others mate with multiple males. My research aims at understanding why there is so many variation in the level of polyandry. I will tackle this question by focusing on female immune function. Mating can up-/down-regulate immune function, which is likely to inflict fitness costs on females if they mate with multiple males. If the level of polyandry positively correlates with the efficiency of female immune function, immune function may compensate for the costs of multiple mating. To test this hypothesis, I will use 25 isolines of the fruit fly Drosophila pseudoobscura that genetically differ profoundly in their predisposition to polyandry. This unique system will allow me to examine effects of both mating and genetic variation in polyandry on female immune function. This project will complement my current research that to date has focused on specific applied agricultural-pest systems. I have less experience working on explicitly evolutionary-focused questions, so this research programme will provide an additional dimension to my applied research. Prof Wedell is a leading scientist in the field of experimental evolutionary biology, and is the perfect person to expand my horizons into more conceptual and broader ideas. Under her mentoring, I will be able to develop my own research and skills in proposal writing and teaching. The new knowledge, skills and techniques that I will acquire through the project will feed back to my previous work on agricultural pests, which will result in me being able to bridge the gap between model organism and agricultural pest systems. The unique situation will enable me to develop a unique line of research in both evolutionary and applied biology. Ultimately, this Fellowship will put me in an excellent position for my further career.

Our interaction with the natural environment plays a crucial role in all aspects of society: our health, wealth, safety and future development. The increasing availability of large and complex data sets from diverse sources (e.g. environmental monitoring; satellite remote sensing; climate modelling; electronic medical records; social media; and contributions from citizen science) presents an exceptional opportunity to transform our understanding of both the effects of environmental change and our planet-transforming power. This PhD will develop methods for integrating of data from multiple inter-related sources using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide evidence for informed decision-making and increase our understanding of environmental challenges. The ability to fully exploit the power of data offers the possibility of a step-change in our ability to respond to some of the most pressing issues facing society; including climate change, health oceans and clean air. Achieving this goal will require the ability to: source and integrate data from multiple sources; develop and apply modelling and computational frameworks that take account of both the data source and the application in question; meet the operational needs of end-users, including accessible computational facilities, suitable time-lags between data retrieval and processing, and the production of user-defined outputs that integrate with existing business processes. The result would be the information and tools that are required for decision making across a variety of sectors, including energy, water, transport, agricultural and government policy. It will also support efforts to address some of the most important challenges faced by society today, including mitigation and adaptation to climate change, air quality, reduction and reparation of environmental and ecosystem degradation, and preparedness and response to natural hazards. However, there are challenges associated with discovering and accessing suitable data; gaps and inconsistencies in the data and when it is available; and technical complexity in integrating different data types. Similarly, there are often disconnects between the communities generating data, and those who are making decisions. These challenges mean that society has yet to fully exploit the full potential of environmental data to empower individuals, organisations and businesses and support informed decision making. This PhD will aim to address these challenges and, ultimately, to provide a step-change in our understanding of the effects of changes in our environment and to provide solutions to challenges based on the use of data and AI.