‘The LCEDN: The First Two Years

Ed Brown, LCEDN National Co-Coordinator

Associate Director, Sustainability Research School, Loughborough University

Cambridge Workshop 15 January 2014

New Technologies for off-grid villages – A look ahead

Image courtesy of Practical Action

To act as a hub to bring together researchers, policy makers and practitioners from across the UK with interests in low carbon energy and international development.

To actively promote innovative new forms of knowledge, develop new methodologies to enhance transdisciplinary working and to enhance research excellence in this field.

To build a strong trans-disciplinary research community around these issues in the UK.

To more fully connect the UK academic community into the global and regional networks working on these issues.

To act as a repository and conduit for knowledge about these issues in the UK and make it more accessible (within and beyond academia)

Recognition (RCUK, DECC, DFID) of low carbon transitions and energy access issues as a critical arena for developing UK research capacity. This is a result of 2 main drivers.

First, the rapid explosion of global interest in low carbon energy and energy access issues across the Global South (new markets, products, funding) + growth of UK Government programmes in this area.

Second, lack of connection between energy and development research communities in the UK. The 2010 review of the RCUK Energy Programme highlighted this issue as a significant weakness of UK research – specifically that ‘energy technologies and development’ was an area of weak performance and high interest.

Alongside this, a group of us had

already independently recognized the

need to establish a stronger trans-

disciplinary research community.

UKERC Event in May 2010.

• In May and July 2011, meetings held to bring together UK academic and policy communities working in this field. • Gave rise to the idea of the formation of a National UK Network • LCEDN launched January 2012 funded by DECC for 15 months – managed by Loughborough and Durham in partnership with Imperial, SPRU and UKERC. • Through our Management Committee and other routes we liaise closely with DFiD, DECC, UKCDS, the UK Private Sector (via the Energy KTN) and the UK NGO sector (through Practical Action on behalf of BOND) • Continuing activity funded via different sources PLUS applying for EPSRC funding for next phase of activity

Image courtesy of Practical Action

1. Establishing a searchable directory of UK research expertise (over 180 individuals now listed)

1. Developing the LCEDN website as an innovative web space for the development of this research community (community blogs, ‘hot off the press,’ events, fundings, news etc.)

+ Broader Social Media Presence: twitter etc .

3. ‘State of the field’ reviews of the existing evidence base and current energy/development research in the UK including suggestions of strengths, weaknesses and gaps.

How best to present this – Data Visualization (see new section of our website)

4. ‘Rapid evidence reviews’ of specific technologies, particular regions or emerging themes where there is a current policy and research need.

Four completed and are being posted on the website – discussing format for next phase (Practical Answers)

5. Stimulation of new postgraduate/training programmes in this area and fomenting of active doctoral student community.

6. Running workshops, conferences and seminar series to drive the network’s development and facilitate real interaction with researchers and other actors from the Global South

7 . ‘lobbying for research funding’ – we have been liaising with colleagues in DECC, DFiD and EPSRC over how to promote joined-up research funding in this area. How UK research funding relates to other international funding etc.

Current Projects

Facilitation of The LCEDN USES Network.

Enterprise Fellowship: Danielle Gent (including secondment to Energy Generation and Supply Knowledge Transfer Network and the International Climate Fund team at DECC)

LCEDN Phase Two Bid

Annual Conference and Smaller targeted meetings

Further work on research landscape and data visualization

Development of much more interactive web presence and social media activity

Specific programme with the PG research community (alumni etc.)

Further initiatives with UK private sector/policymakers

New approach towards Rapid Response Reviews

Enhanced information repository role