High level NERC/Defra policy placement fellowship

我的研究重点是环境保护和管理，特别强调人为压力如何影响自然生态系统及其提供的服务。这项研究是与政府/监管机构和行业合作进行的，我坚信通过将学术界，行业和政府聚集在一起讨论共同问题并就最佳前进方向达成共识来增强科学的影响力。通过我非常积极地参与环境毒理学和化学学会（前SETAC主席和SETAC-欧洲主席），我组织了国际、多部门会议和研讨会来解决环境问题及其相关的科学挑战。例如，我今年2月在比利时组织了关于生态系统服务的SETAC特别科学研讨会，并将于明年夏天在美国组织一个关于生态系统服务的SETAC/美国生态学会联合研讨会。我还成立了SETAC生态系统服务咨询小组，该小组汇集了来自学术界、商界和政府的环境科学家和从业人员，以促进基于生态系统的科学;加强对压力源对生态系统提供福祉的能力的影响的理解;支持和通报基于生态系统服务的政策制定和实施。我有Defra的政策制定和实施的经验，曾在有害物质咨询委员会和农药咨询委员会（ACP）任职，并担任ACP环境小组主席。我目前是欧洲食品安全局专家组的成员，负责确定农药风险评估的保护目标，并起草技术指南，以支持农药的可持续使用。我们最近发表了一项意见，概述了使用生态系统服务概念制定保护目标的框架。在担任欧洲化学品生态毒理学和毒理学中心（ECETOC）科学委员会成员期间，我对化学工业的需求和限制的理解得到了极大的提高。显然有必要提高认识，并进一步了解生态系统服务在企业发展和环境保护中的作用。ECETOC已经成立了一个工作队，以探讨基于生态系统服务的方法对商业发展和管理的风险评估的影响，这是我所推动的。 在我自己的组织内，我有与最高级别的工作人员互动的经验，作为系主任，大学理事会成员，并通过我的战略小组和委员会的成员。我刚刚辞去谢菲尔德大学动植物科学系的领导职务。动物和植物科学在研究质量方面排名世界前50位，在英国排名第3，是一个拥有世界一流设施的国际卓越中心，也是NERC资助的主要接受者。我们的研究重点是了解生物体如何进化和功能，我们利用这种理解来解决主要的环境问题，包括：气候变化，粮食安全和绿色能源，污染和自然保护，城市化和可持续城市。我在环境生物学方面的强大科学背景，加上我对研究政策背景的理解以及与政府和行业同事合作的经验，使我能够加强NERC科学在环境政策中的影响。我对科学政策接口工作的承诺，明确的领导技能和出色的人际关系，网络和沟通技巧意味着我将高度致力于与NERC社区和Defra团队合作，以实现该奖学金的关键目标。

My research is focused on environmental protection and management, with a special emphasis on how anthropogenic stressors impact natural ecosystems and the services they provide. This research has been conducted in collaboration with government/regulatory agencies and industry and I am a strong believer in enhancing the impact of science by bringing academics, industry and government together to discuss common issues and to reach consensus on the best way forward. Through my very active involvement in the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (former SETAC President and SETAC-Europe President), I have organised international, multi-sector conferences and workshops to address environmental issues and their associated scientific challenges. For example, I organised the SETAC Special Scientific Symposium on ecosystem services in Belgium this February and am organising a joint SETAC/Ecological Society of America workshop on ecosystem services to be held in the USA next summer. I also founded the SETAC Advisory Group on ecosystem services, which brings together environmental scientists and practitioners from academia, business and government to: promote ecosystem-based science; enhance understanding of the impact of stressors on the ability of ecosystems to deliver well-being benefits; support and inform ecosystem service-based policy making and implementation. I have experience of Defra's policy development and implementation having served on the Advisory Committee for Hazardous Substances and the Advisory Committee for Pesticides (ACP), as well as being chair of the ACP Environmental Panel. I am currently a member of the European Food Safety Authority expert group tasked with defining protection goals for pesticide risk assessment and drafting technical guidance to support the sustainable use of pesticides. We recently published an opinion outlining a framework for using the ecosystem services concept for setting protection goals. My understanding of the chemical industry's needs and constraints has been greatly enhanced during my time as a Scientific Committee member of the European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals (ECETOC). There is a clear need to raise awareness and to increase understanding of the role of ecosystem services in business development and environmental protection. ECETOC have set up a task force to explore the implications of an ecosystem services-based approach to risk assessment on business development and stewardship, which I promoted. Within my own organisation, I have experience of interacting with staff at the highest level, as Head of Department, University Council member and though my membership of strategy groups and committees. I have just stepped down from leading the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield. Ranked in the world top 50 and 3rd in the UK for research quality, Animal and Plant Sciences is an international centre of excellence with world-class facilities and is a major recipient of NERC funding. Our research focus is on understanding how organisms evolve and function and we use this understanding to address major environmental issues including: climate change, food security and green energy, pollution and nature conservation, urbanization and sustainable cities. My strong scientific background in environmental biology, coupled with my appreciation of the policy context of research and experience of working with government and industry colleagues, places me in a strong position to enhance the impact of NERC science in environmental policy. My demonstrated commitment to working at the science-policy interface, clear leadership skills and excellent inter-personal, networking and communication skills mean that I would be highly committed and effective in working with the NERC community and Defra teams to deliver the key objectives of this fellowship.