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Research School for Socio-Economic and
Natural Sciences of the Environment |
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Newsletter July / August 2018
28 June 2018 |
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Decision-making in a storm of discontent ›› |
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TEDx talk Rick Hogeboom (UT): Your water footprint revealed ›› |
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Flying on biofuel for just a few extra euros ›› |
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Sustainable water use by smart modelling ›› |
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Jan Klok (WUR) wins the public vote of the Prins Friso engineering award ›› |
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Overview of PhD graduations upcoming period ›› |
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Principles of Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics, 26-28 September ›› |
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Summer School Archetype analysis in sustainability research, 8-12 October ›› |
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Overview of PhD / postdoc courses July - September ›› |
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Overview of recently announced PhD / postdoc courses ›› |
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IHE PhD symposium Nature for Water: Overcoming water challenges with sustainable solutions, 1-2 October ›› |
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International Conference Water science for impact, 16-18 October ›› |
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Overview of upcoming events ›› |
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Springtij Regenboogsessies 2018 ›› |
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16 very personal reasons why you should not commit scientific fraud ›› |
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NWO Network event for women in science, 27 September ›› |
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Vacancies at SENSE Partners ›› |
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Other vacancies in the SENSE field ›› |
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| Editorial |
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| Decision-making in a storm of discontent |
[The title of this editorial is in fact a literal copy-paste of a recent publication in SCIENCE.]
Now this title may by itself already attract the attention of many of us – since it is indeed a challenge to have scientific research play a role in actual contested decision-making, especially when the outcome is relevant to many different stakeholders (which is often the case). But this particular SCIENCE publication is probably even more interesting to all of us, since the authors have both served as General Director of SENSE in earlier years: Prof. Nico van Straalen (VU) and Prof. Juliette Legler (UU).
Let us consider a quote from this publication and put some elements of it between brackets (as I have already taken the liberty to do here, http://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6392/958): “Apart from the inherent scientific complexity, the [glyphosate case] illustrates a fundamental societal issue. (..) It is time for a new scheme for [pesticide evaluation] in which regulatory decision-making takes into account not only the technical evidence on safety but also the societal context in which decisions are made.”
Now my (strong) feeling is that (m)any of the PhD candidates in SENSE could insert their own research subject(s) between the brackets.... and then this quote would still make a lot of sense, or should I say: SENSE. Perhaps you could try this out for yourself and your own research: does this quote shed a light on the possible impact of your research also? If you would like to respond and discuss, just let me know... it could well be that the authors of this cited publication are open to discuss with you too.
Let’s make SENSE together!
Ad van Dommelen |
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| SENSE News |
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| TEDx talk Rick Hogeboom (UT): Your water footprint revealed |
 The TEDx talk was part of the TEDxTwenteU event, held in Enschede's theatre Concordia on May 2nd. A short intro that may be posted with the talk: Rick is pursuing his PhD at the University of Twente and has a passion for water. Young and energetic, Rick aims to foster and facilitate science-based, practical and inclusive water stewardship whenever and wherever he can. Always with a big smile. Water is so precious - we cannot go without it for more than a couple days - yet the way we use and misuse it is gravely underexposed. In his TED talk, Rick will try to share his passion for water, his quest for enlightenment, and inspire you to become good water stewards yourselves.
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| Flying on biofuel for just a few extra euros |
 The aviation sector accounts for 1.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. By 2050, emissions produced by the sector are expected to increase by three to six times. In his doctoral thesis, SENSE PhD candidate Sierk de Jong (UU) argues that we can limit a large part of this growth by using biojet fuels, if we produce the fuel sustainably, develop new production technologies and introduce adequate policy incentives. De Jong also makes recommendations for policymakers and the aviation sector. De Jong defended his doctoral thesis in the University Hall of Utrecht University on 15 June 2018.
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| Sustainable water use by smart modelling |
 SENSE PhD candidate Joeri Willet (Environmental Technology WUR) is developing a model to better match water supply and demand of the industry. Within two years, he aims to have built a model that is capable of matching water supply and demand by finding alternative local water sources. In addition, the model calculates how to utilize supply sources in a sustainable way.
Willet: ‘We want to enable water users to match their water consumption with the availability in the local environment, as well as with the water availability at any particular moment.’
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| Jan Klok (WUR) wins the public vote of the Prins Friso engineering award |
 With his innovative reactor design to remove hydrogen sulfide from natural gas, SENSE PhD graduate Jan Klok (Environmental Technology WUR) won the public vote of the Prins Friso engineering prize last March. The Prins Friso prize is yearly awarded by the Royal Institute of engineers (KIVI) to the ‘engineer of the year’ who’s research has demonstrated expertise, innovation, impact on society and entrepreneurship. Besides this jury award, the public’s favorite engineer is awarded by votes from the general public.
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| Upcoming PhD Graduations |
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| Overview of PhD graduations upcoming period |
- Benjamin Osei Botwe
Sediments in the Tema Harbour (Ghana): chemical pollution and sedimentation rates
29 June 2018, IHE Delft, Pollution Prevention and Control
- Hassana Ibrahim Mustapha
Treatment of petroleum refinery wastewater with constructed wetlands
29 June 2018, IHE Delft, Pollution Prevention and Control
- Karrar Mahdi
Transport of silver nanoparticles in the soil-water nexus
5 July 2018, Wageningen University, Soil Physics and Land Management
- Jonathan Moncada Botero
11 July 2018, Utrecht University, Energy and Resources
- Omar Ali Ahmed Mohamed
11 July 2018, University of Twente, Department of Water Resources
- Rosalien Jezeer
13 July 2018, Utrecht University, Energy and Resources
- Nastassia Rajh Vilfan
18 July 2018, University of Twente, Department of Water Resources
- Moiteela Lekula
20 July 2018, University of Twente, Department of Water Resources
- Fengjiao Peng
Ecological risks of personal care ingredients for subtropical benthic communities
27 August 2018, Wageningen University, Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management
- Kizar Sumon
Effects of insecticides on aquatic ecosystems in Bangladesh
27 August 2018, Wageningen University, Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management
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| Upcoming Courses |
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| Principles of Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics, 26-28 September |
| Ecological genomics is a quite new scientific discipline, which studies ecological complexity, nutrient cycles, life-history patterns and responses of organisms to environmental stress at the genomic level. Analysis of environmental genomes will improve our understanding of ecosystem functions and biodiversity and may help to define and measure environmental quality. This course is intended for those just embarking on genomics within an ecological setting and teaches the fundamentals of the discipline, while concentrating on ecological questions. The course will focus on three topics, each of which is treated by introductory lectures, assignments, case studies and student presentations. |
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| Summer School Archetype analysis in sustainability research, 8-12 October |
Interdisciplinary sustainability research, e.g., on land-use or adaptation to climate change, is increasingly confronted with the difficulties of embracing complexity while building and testing theories that synthesize such complexity into actionable theories. Comparative case studies are frequently employed for this task. However, rigorous comparative approaches are yet frequently hampered by (i) a high heterogeneity of cases that limit generalization, and (ii) multiple epistemic perspectives (e.g. from institutional economics, geography or modelling) that are not easily integrated. In recent years, archetype analysis has been evolving as an approach to deal with this twofold challenge.
The summer school provides a cutting-edge introduction to archetype analysis by internationally leading experts. The approach will be trained by hands-on applications, accompanied by an introduction to and training of suitable analytical methods (Qualitative Comparative Analysis or Cluster Analysis), and further developed. |
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| Overview of PhD / postdoc courses July - September 2018 |
- Meta-Analysis
4-5 July 2018, Wageningen
- Workshop 1D and 2D water systems and watershed modelling with US EPA SWMM5 and PCSWMM Europe (NEW)
9-10 July 2018, IHE Delft
- International Summer School : Concepts and tools to engage in knowledge co-production and public participation
9-13 July 2018, France
- Interpretive Policy Analysis Summer School: Conflict and sustainable futures
9-13 July 2018, Amsterdam
- Crash Course in Experimental Economics
20-25 August 2018, Amsterdam
- ALTER-Net Summer School "Biodiversity, ecosystem services: science and its impact on policy and society"
22 August - 1 September 2018, Peyresq, Alpes de Haute-Provence, France
- Summer School: Earth system variability throught time
26-31 August 2018, Switzerland
- Towards a Global One Health: an interdisciplinary lens to explore synergies, trade-offs and pathways for food systems transitions (NEW)
27-31 August 2018, Wageningen
- Introduction to Ecometabolimics for Ecologists
27-31 August 2018, Germany
- Summer school Risk Analysis and Risk Management in Agriculture: Updates on Modelling and Applications
27-31 August 2018, Wageningen
- Hydrological and Hydrogeological Field Methods
5-6 September 2018, UFZ Leipzig, Germany
- Mapping Ecosystem Services
18-19 September 2018, UFZ Leipzig, Germany
- Ethics in Environmental Research: Arguments for the Conservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
20 September 2018, UFZ Leipzig, Germany
- Geostatistics for Water Management and Environmental Sciences
24-28 September 2018, Delft
- Principles of Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics
26-28 September 2018, Wageningen
- PCDI course Employability Outside Academia
28 September, 19 October and 16 November 2018 (all Fridays; spare date: 14 December), Utrecht
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| Overview of recently announced PhD / postdoc courses |
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In case you are interested in either participating or teaching a course that is currently not in the programme, please do not hesitate and contact us with your suggestions. |
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| Upcoming Events |
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| IHE PhD symposium Nature for Water: Overcoming water challenges with sustainable solutions, 1-2 October |
We are pleased to announce the PhD symposium 2018 scheduled for 1st-2nd October, 2018 to be held at IHE Delft, Institute for Water Education. This symposium will provide a unique opportunity for PhD fellows/students to present their research to the IHE community.
The theme for the 2018 PhD symposium is “Nature for Water: Overcoming Water Challenges with Sustainable Solutions” and will run under 4 main topics. We welcome presentations which make a statement on the theme of the symposium.
With the goal of integrating the PhD community, we also welcome a certain number of presentations from external PhD students on relevant topics.
Abstract submission deadline: 10 July
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| International Conference Water science for impact, 16-18 October |
Water Science for Impact will focus on water quality and quantity in the broadest sense. The conference brings together leaders in science, policy, and the public and private sectors to examine water science from a multidisciplinary perspective. Water science is crucial to expanding our understanding of water quality and quantity related issues that humankind encounters. Such understanding is key towards identifying critical water-related challenges, developing novel solutions and implementing steps that contribute to achieving the sustainable development goals. We welcome contributions from both the natural and social sciences, as well as from stakeholders and decision makers and from private and public sectors.
Early bird registration before 31 August 2018 |
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| Overview of upcoming events |
| Recently announced: |
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| Full list of interesting upcoming events: |
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| Tips |
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| Springtij Regenboogsessies 2018 |
NIA en Springtij zoeken ondernemers/organisaties die innovaties willen pitchen tijdens de zogenaamde Regenboogsessies tijdens Springtij Forum 2018 (27-29 september). Hierbij gelden de volgend criteria:
- De innovatie is de ideefase al gepasseerd, er wordt gewerkt aan een prototype (TRL 6) of een demo (TRL7);
- Er is een business case;
- De innovatie kan binnen 3 jaren op de markt worden geïntroduceerd;
- De innovatie heeft de potentie om op te schalen waardoor de maatschappelijke impact groot is;
- De innovatie levert niet alleen een bijdrage aan de realisatie van de klimaatdoelen, (Sustainable Development Goal, SDG, 13) maar bij voorkeur ook aan een aantal andere SDG’s;
- De financiering die nodig is bestaat voor een substantieel deel uit privaat kapitaal.
Springtij werkt aan een duurzame wereld, in het grote visionaire verband dat ooit door Limits to Growth (1972) werd bepaald en dat blijkens de meest recente data nog altijd actueel is. Je kunt geen probleem meer oplossen zonder over de rand van je eigen denk- en werkwereld te kijken, en naar het systeem waarbinnen jijzelf (jouw organisatie, jouw sector, jouw land) functioneert. Springtij zorgt ervoor dat zowel de waarschuwingen als de vernieuwingen zichtbaar zijn. Dit is de basis voor het ‘Springtij Libretto’, dat ten grondslag ligt aan de koers en het programma. |
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| 16 very personal reasons why you should not commit scientific fraud |
| We all know that scientific fraud is bad for science and society in general. However, apart from these general considerations it is necessary and effective to make young scientists aware of the fact that scientific misconduct ruins their personal integrity and destroys their careers. 16 personal reasons to convince young scientists that scientific misconduct is a bad idea. |
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| NWO Network event for women in science, 27 September |
| The NWO Domain Science attaches considerable value to diversity in science and to strengthening all of the talent present within science. NWO Science is contributing to this by organising the network event Insight Out on Thursday, 27 September 2018. The theme of Insight Out 2018 is: Connecting women in science. For example, how can you find each other so that you can collaborate and how can you make optimum use of your own and each other's networks? These are two key questions during this second edition of the event. The programme offers inspiring stories from role models and experts, including professor of astrophysics Anna Watts, as well as a range of workshops and plenty of networking opportunities. The day will be hosted by Ans Hekkenberg, head of communication at CWI (the national research institute for mathematics and computer science). Insight Out is the number one event for sharing insights and strengthening connections with fellow scientists. So make sure you are there! |
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| Job vacancies |
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| Vacancies at SENSE Partners |
- Postdoc ‘Evidence-based master selection within Geosciences’, Utrecht University
Application deadline: 30 June 2018
- PhD candidate position in project CARBOFLOW, Wageningen University
Application deadline: 1 July 2018
- Postdoc Social-ecological systems, Wageningen University
Application deadline: 15 July 2018
- Managing Director Pathways to Sustainability, Utrecht University
Application deadline: 15 July 2018
- PhD candidate Future energy and demand and supply in urban areas, Open University Heerlen
Application deadline: 15 August 2018
- Assistant professor Indoor and mobile mapping, University of Twente
Application deadline: 19 August 2018
- Professor (0.4 fte) Spatial Resilience for disaster risk reduction, University of Twente
Application deadline: 19 August 2018
- Tenure track faculty position Sustainable Water Resources Management, Utrecht University
Application deadline: 31 August 2018
- Professor and Chair of Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, Wageningen University & Research
Application deadline: 7 September 2018
- Assistant professor Strategic spatial planning, University of Twente
Application deadline: 15 September 2018
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| Other vacancies in the SENSE field |
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| More vacancies |
| During the month new vacancies are regularly posted on the SENSE vacancy page. |
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