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Research and knowledge exchange led by Prof. Jefferies in sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) has driven the design and integration of SUDS into urban environments, into urban planning and everyday practice in the UK, Europe and worldwide. This research has contributed to the development of policies and established guidelines that have informed the set-up of operational and monitoring systems and the reduction of a training manual which is impacting widely on the sector (downloaded >40.000 times). Evidence gathered through this research has supported drainage policy nationally and now underpins important parts of urban infrastructure, improving environments and their resilience to flooding.
Research undertaken by Professor Phil Jordan on nutrient pollution from land to waters has led to significant changes in government policy and in expectations for Water Framework Directive (WFD) and Waste Directive (WD) compliance in Ireland. The WFD is European wide legislation requiring that all water-bodies should be of at least good ecological status by 2015. His research has provided unequivocal scientific evidence that bio-physical lag times preclude the achievement of WFD water quality targets from diffuse source pollution by 2015. This has led to targets for good water quality in all River Basin Management Plans being extended without threat of European fines. Further, inclusion of Jordan's research on the specific environmental risk of rural point source pollution in assessments of septic tank system risk has resulted in the overturning of a European Court ruling under the Waste Directive, and the consequent lifting of daily fines of €19,000.
Cranfield's research on improved soil management planning through enhanced spatial information has influenced policy development, allowed the adoption of new approaches to soil mapping, and enhanced the management of strategically important land assets. The research has provided key input to policy development nationally, within the European Union and across the globe. It has developed new technologies which have been used to survey soils at the scale of complete countries, saving significant cost and survey time compared to conventional methods. Cranfield's modelling has also supported the management of strategic land assets such as military training areas, and soil-related geohazards related to road networks and other linear infrastructure at the regional and national levels.
Research by Dr Switzer since 2009 has led to scale-up and commercialisation of a new smouldering combustion-based remediation technology: Self-sustaining Treatment for Active Remediation (STAR). STAR is sold commercially by SiREM, a division of Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. that has an exclusive worldwide licence. Since its commercial launch in 2010, STAR has [text removed for publication] and now employs 5 staff. Clean-up rates for STAR far exceed those of other methods, achieving 99.9+% destruction of contaminants in the soil and delivering cleaned soil suitable for reuse.
Geography at Exeter has a well-established reputation for research on the effects of soil erosion and land management on soil quality, diffuse pollution, and on water quality in UK river systems. Since 2008, this research has been used to inform DEFRA policy, in relation to soils, water, and the DEFRA code of good agricultural practice. Dissemination of effective approaches to land management, most especially through the Catchment Sensitive Farming Initiative has resulted in clearly demonstrable changes in farming practice by landowners in several priority river catchments within the UK, demonstrating a positive change in behaviour and improved management of environmental risk. In addition, research on agricultural erosion has been used in the development of new agricultural policy practices in Canada.
In 2008-2009 the UK was subject to legal infraction proceedings at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for allegedly failing to implement the European Union's Urban Waste-water Treatment Directive (UWWTD). Research by the Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Studies, Hull (IECS) for the Environment Agency (EA)/Defra provided evidence to the UK Government for its defence against these allegations. The research consisted of:
- literature/data reviews and collection and analysis of critical evidence from the Humber.
- co-ordinating workshops and convening an expert panel of sufficient authoritative academic opinion to counteract the European Court of Justice allegations.
In December 2009 the European Court of Justice ruled in favour of the UK. Our research therefore helped to save very significant, unnecessary capital investment in nutrient removal technology for sewage treatment nationally and in the Yorkshire and Humber region especially. The UK government thus avoided the possibility of major European Commission fines of up to €703,000 per day, or €256m per annum, for infraction of the Urban Water-water Treatment Directive [1].
Research led by Dr Brian Singer on techniques for analysing artists' materials has helped museum and gallery conservators develop treatments through a sound knowledge of the materials present. Publications by conservators (2008-11) reference the research and, in relation to high-profile works by Munch, cite changes in practice that have enhanced the continuing availability of this artist's oeuvre. The same research has supported the estate of Francis Bacon, assisting its authentication committee to define authenticity and date of unattributed works for inclusion in Bacon's catalogue raisonné. Singer's research and methods have ultimately benefited the wider public, ensuring engagement with 20th Century art in the long term.
Knowledge of the three-dimensional structures of macromolecules is a prerequisite for understanding their function at the atomic level, an essential component of modern drug development. Most structures are determined by X-ray crystallography: the majority using molecular replacement (MR, which exploits known structures of related proteins), and about half of the remainder using single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (SAD). The Phaser crystallographic software, developed by Read and colleagues, implements powerful new likelihood-based methods for MR and SAD phasing and has made a large impact, accelerating over the period 2008-2013. At the pharma giant, AstraZeneca, Phaser is considered the "tool of choice" for solving structures by MR.
The applied use of earthworms in soil restoration, bio-monitoring, agro-ecosystems and organic waste management has had wide-reaching impact on the commercial sector and the public. A variety of commercial groups (such as the Forestry Commission and BAE Systems) have benefitted from this research in both the UK and abroad. In addition to this, earthworm research has also reached the public domain through outreach activities and media coverage. For example, this UoA was involved in a National Open Air Laboratories campaign. Our earthworm identification guide produced in collaboration with the Natural History Museum in London has now been widely distributed and used.
XeraCarb Ltd is a spin-out company formed in 2011 to exploit a class of ceramic composite materials co-invented by Jones. These materials were first devised in 2008 via a Materials and Engineering Research Institute (MERI) Knowledge Transfer activity and developed from 2009 onwards through a series of UK Ministry of Defence (UK MoD)-funded research projects. XeraCarb was spun out after the underpinning research won a national award in 2011 as the most promising UK materials system for commercialisation. The applications for XeraCarb's materials range from body- and vehicle-armour to kiln furniture and wear-resistant components. The company has attracted significant venture capital investment and is valued at over £1m. It has set up an independent production facility, has appointed employees, has been awarded a TSB grant, has materials undergoing trials in respect of a number of applications, and has delivered its first orders.