Hull Environment Research Institute

The Hull Environment Research Institute (HERI) commenced operations in January 2004. Its key objective is to become a centre of excellence for research across the interdisciplinary span of environmental science, bringing together researchers with complimentary and compatible skills to work on the major environmental issues of the day irrespective of discipline and departmental boundaries. Work will be concentrated under three main headings:

• EMM - Environmental Monitoring and Modelling
• SCR - Sustainable Cities and Regions

HERI's earliest success was the coordination of a successful bid for SRIF funding which resulted in the award of nearly two and a half million pounds to support infrastructure for research into the environment. This provides an excellent range of new equipment including new SEM, ICPMS, high-performance computing, GIS and analytical microbiology facilities and gives a facelift to many of our laboratories including those for eco-toxicology, bioinformatics and wetland archaeology.

Later in January members of HERI coordinated a successful bid to Yorkshire Forward for funding for the regional Environmental Technology Centre for Industrial Collaboration which will bring in œ600,000 over three years. This centre is set to become the commercial arm of HERI, working with businesses and attracting funding for R&D.

Summary Aims of the Institute

• To develop a world class Institute for environmental research with distinctive foci
  
• To become recognised nationally and internationally for setting the research agendas in our selected areas of research activity
  
• To maximise the research potential of existing environmental research staff across the University
• To develop new, interdisciplinary research projects that can compete in the premier league and attract quality research grants
  
• To develop new inter-institutional research collaborations with both UK and international partners
• To work with government, NGOs and industry to solve pressing environmental problems
  
• To work with the RDA to help improve the competitiveness of regional businesses