STFC Air Quality Network+

科学和技术设施理事会(STFC)空气质量网络+(SAQN+)是一个由专家、研究人员、政策制定者和企业组成的多学科社区，旨在最大限度地利用STFC的研究、能力和设施来应对空气质量挑战。SAQN+旨在促进开发STFC能力的未开发潜力，以增强和进步空气污染的研究和创新，一个关键目标是开发空气质量问题的解决方案，减少对人类健康和环境的影响。空气污染是一个重大的全球性问题，在2014年被联合国环境规划署列为“世界上最严重的环境健康风险”。2018年，儿童死亡与英国多次违反欧盟空气污染限制之间的首个直接联系被确立。据估计，空气污染造成的死亡每年给英国造成的损失为200亿英镑，但这只是整体影响的一部分。空气污染给英国经济和社会带来的额外成本与以下方面有关：发病率增加，对医疗服务造成压力，降低生产率并影响生活质量；对自然环境的影响，包括生物多样性的丧失和作物产量的减少；以及对建筑环境的破坏。改善空气质量有巨大的机会实现经济和社会影响，SAQN+将建立一个由感兴趣的各方和专家组成的社区，使英国的研究能够准确地实现这一点。SAQN+的工作涵盖空气质量系统的所有部分，包括室内和室外空气污染；在STFC科学、设施或专业知识的参与下，有助于改善这一复杂景观的任何方面的活动都可以得到支持。为了帮助宣传这一概念，感兴趣的领域被归类为空气质量主题和STFC能力，但这些不应被视为限制与网络相关的活动范围。主题1：监测空气污染排放和浓度。主题2：空气污染模拟、预测和情景测试。主题3：对健康和环境的影响。主题4：制定和评估解决方案和创新。已经确定了能够填补能力差距的STFC专业领域，并使关键研究问题能够在空气污染专题内部和之间得到解决：STFC能力1：分析和综合大型和复杂的数据。STFC能力2：地球观测和遥感。STFC能力3：获得STFC设施和使用STFC设施的经验。STFC能力4：技术的开发和应用。最初，SAQN+侧重于提高对STFC社区优势的认识，以使其他人能够利用这些世界领先的设施和专门知识。SAQN+举办会议和论坛，以建立一个跨越传统学科边界的社区，并举办沙坑，为小范围研究制定研究建议。我们资助研究人员到其他大学、企业或政府工作，为未来的资助建立合作关系。我们还资助概念验证研究，以证明新想法的潜力。这些活动将被用来建立必要的联系，并展示新想法的价值和可行性，使更大的项目和合作的开发适合提交给未来来自英国国际研究院或其他资金来源的资金。在未来几年，可能会在空气质量研究方面进行重大投资，并增加对污染行业的压力，以减少对空气的排放。SAQN+及其相关机会将使其成员能够建立必要的多学科合作，以提出真正整合的、以挑战为导向的研究，以及对工业、政策、社会和经济产生实际影响的途径。

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Air Quality Network+ (SAQN+) is a multidisciplinary community of experts, researchers, policy makers and businesses aiming to make the best use of STFC research, capabilities and facilities to address air quality challenges. The SAQN+ aims to facilitate the exploitation of untapped potential of STFC capabilities to enhance and progress research and innovation for air pollution, a key aim is the development of solutions for air quality issues, reducing the impact on human health and the environment.Air pollution is a major, global issue classified in 2014 by the United Nations Environment Programme as the 'world's worst environmental health risk'. During 2018 the first direct link between the death of a child and repeated UK breaches of EU air pollution limits was established. Costs to the UK from deaths attributable to air pollution are estimated at £20 billion per year but this is only part of the overall impact. Additional costs to the UK economy and society as a result of air pollution are associated with: increased morbidity creating pressure on the health service, reducing productivity and impacting quality of life; impacts on the natural environment including loss of biodiversity and reducing crop yields; and damage to built environments. There are huge opportunities to achieve economic and societal impact from improving air quality and the SAQN+ will build a community of interested parties and experts to enable UK research to deliver exactly that.The work of the SAQN+ cuts across all parts of the air quality system, including indoor and outdoor air pollution; activities that contribute to improving any aspect of that complex landscape with the involvement of STFC science, facilities or expertise can be supported. To aid communication of the concept, areas of interest have been grouped under air quality themes and STFC capabilities, but these should not be seen to limit the scope of activities that are relevant to the network. Theme 1: Monitoring Air Pollution Emissions and Concentrations. Theme 2: Air Pollution Modelling, Forecasting and Scenario Testing.Theme 3: Impacts on Health and the Environment.Theme 4: Developing and Evaluating Solutions and Innovation.Areas of STFC expertise have been identified that can fill capability gaps, and enable key research questions to be addressed within and between the air pollution themes:STFC Capability 1: Analysing and integrating large and complex data.STFC Capability 2: Earth observations and remote sensing.STFC Capability 3: Access to and experience of using STFC facilities.STFC Capability 4: Development and application of technology.Initially the SAQN+ is focused on raising awareness of the strengths of the STFC community to enable others to take advantage of these world-leading facilities and expertise. The SAQN+ runs meetings and fora to build a community that cuts across traditional disciplinary boundaries, and sandpits to develop research proposals for small scoping studies. We fund travel for researchers to work in other universities, businesses or government to build collaborations for future funding. We also fund proof of concept studies to demonstrate the potential of new ideas. These activities will be used to build the necessary links, and to demonstrate the value and feasibility of new ideas to enable the development of larger projects and collaborations suitable for submission for future funding from UKRI or other funding sources.Over the next few years there are likely to be major investments in air quality research and increased pressure on polluting industries to deliver reductions in emissions to air. The SAQN+ and the associated opportunities will enable its members to build the multidisciplinary collaborations necessary to propose genuinely integrated, challenge led research with pathways for real impact on industry, policy, society and the economy.