Strategic Programme Advisory Group appointments - January 2016

21 January 2016

NERC has appointed six new members to its Strategic Programme Advisory Group (SPAG) to replace those who have completed their term. The new members are:

• Professor Alexander Densmore - external link, Durham University
• Dr Isabelle Durance - external link, Cardiff University
• Alyssa Gilbert, Imperial College London
• Professor John Ludden - external link, British Geological Survey
• Professor Rob MacKenzie - external link, University of Birmingham
• Professor Simon Tett - external link, The University of Edinburgh

SPAG, which is chaired by Professor Graham Underwood of the University of Essex, recommends prioritised highlight topic (HT) and strategic programme area (SPA) investment opportunities to NERC's Science Board. These opportunities are generated from broad and open input of ideas from the NERC community.

SPAG responds to ideas provided by the environmental science community to ensure that those strategic investments are appropriate, timely, support excellent research, and tackle environmental challenges faced by business and society.

Members are experts in their area of environmental science or profession and are committed to solving real-world problems through environmental science. As such they are well-placed to recognise emerging ideas and opportunities across all of the NERC remit and to make judgements across a range of scientific, strategic and policy issues.

SPAG members are appointed for one year in the first instance, with the possibility that membership will be extended for up to a further two years.

Further information

Tamera Jones
NERC media office
01793 411561
07917 557215
tane@nerc.ac.uk