This proposal revolves around two specific questions: 1) to what extent multidisciplinary strategies to improve energy performance of existing buildings and neighbourhoods can be integrated; and 2) how this integration can bring technology and sustainable redevelopment of existing buildings together. It aims to develop an innovative learning platform for Knowledge Integration in Energy Retrofit (C-mapER) to develop the skills to manage complexity inherent in retrofit projects. An alternative method and an associated platform to evaluate and manage complexity, through a novel application of meaningful learning activities in designing technological solutions for energy retrofit, is the main vehicle.The objectives are to: 1) develop a conceptual framework of the key concepts and relationships that influence Energy Retrofit projects in workpackage 1 (WP1), 2) develop the beta version of the platform (WP2); and 3) test, refine, verify and disseminate the platform (WP3).The ultimate goal is to revolutionalise the traditional approach to educating future professionals, which is currently based on rote learning. This study will deliver an innovative learning platform and approach to develop practitioners who are well-placed to improve the energy performance of existing buildings through inter-disciplinary collaboration. The platform will address the lack of programs dedicated to interdisciplinary education, which helps develop the capacity to transfer information and knowledge between disciplinary boundaries and to deal with the tensions between social, economic, environmental and technological dimensions of sustainability. The outputs can be exploited at different levels within higher education sectors and professional development. By doing so, and in accordance with the main topic of the Marie Curie Individual Fellowship Action, new opportunities for developing the candidate’s career at the international level are created. It is anticipated that this Fellowship will create opportunities for inter-disciplinary teaching both within the host Faculty, across Oxford Brookes University, and beyond. It therefore has the potential to become a showcase exemplifying how research and teaching can be inter-linked.

The aim of the research is to support the career development of an experienced researcher through an interdisciplinary project that tackles a crucial policy issue for cities globally, that of urban regeneration governance. Developing a novel interdisciplinary conceptual framework, and applying a stakeholder evaluative frame in the analysis, the project explores the governance of urban regeneration projects in two world cities, Vancouver and London. The scientific objectives of the research are: to develop an innovative theoretical framework that integrates different disciplinary perspectives on urban governance; to critically analyse the dynamics of urban regeneration governance and in particular the role of different stakeholders in the process; and to provide research and policy recommendations for dissemination to wide audiences. The outgoing host is the University of British Colombia, Vancouver, at the School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), while the return phase will be hosted at Oxford Brookes University (OBU). Both SCARP and OBU provide ideal hosts for the fellow, offering a strong multidisciplinary environment, a network of international contacts, and an outstanding track record of training researchers. The research training objectives of the proposal are to train the fellow in a new methodology, digital ethnography, which she will then apply to the research; to complement the researcher’s knowledge of urban governance in the UK with in-depth understanding of the Canadian case, and so develop a comparative urbanism perspective; to participate in seminars and other events organised by the outgoing and return hosts; and to interact and collaborate with international scholars from different disciplines in areas of mutual interest. In order to maximise the impact of the research, the fellow will also undertake a three-month secondment at a Paris-based NGO, European Alternatives, where her findings will be exploited in real life regeneration settings.

Plant cells are a capable system for producing economically and therapeutically important proteins for a variety of applications, and are considered a safer production system than some existing hosts such as bacteria or yeasts. However, plants do not perform modifications to proteins in the same manner as mammalian cells do, which can have far reaching consequences for their safety and effectiveness. This project aims to genetically modify tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum) to create a plant-based system capable of fully "humanizing" proteins of interest, whilst improving safety of final product. We aim to demonstrate that the mammalian glycosylation enzymes B4GALT1, ST6GAL, GNTIV and GNTV can be expressed in plant cells, and localise to specific cisternae of the Golgi body. In instances where enzymes are more effective within specific cisternae, such as GNTIV & GNTV in the medial-Golgi and ST6GAL & B4GALT1 in the trans-Golgi. We demonstrate strategies to modify localisation to the desired cisternae by use of construct fusions with plant Cytoplasmic-Transmembrane-Stem (CTS) regions. This project addresses key areas of study for the British Biological Research Council (BBSRC) on new strategic approaches to industrial biotechnology. The project would offer an economically viable system for the production of high value renewables and therapeutics in a plant model organism as a low immunogenic alternative to existing systems, developed by fundamental manipulation of plant biology. This project aligns also with the BBSRC priority of 'World Class Underpinning Bioscience' as glycosylation is a critical aspect of cell functionality.

This will be updated once the student has chosen their project.