Overview
Water is an important, yet mismanaged and undervalued resource. As our water systems suffer degradation and further pollution, it is more important than ever to educate young people about water. However, as education systems become squeezed by focusing on testing and achievement, the opportunities for young people to learn outside of the classroom are diminishing. This leaves key questions about how young people will learn about the value of water, how best to use and reuse it, and learn to protect water and our environment.
In support of Nottingham’s 2028 Carbon Neutral Action Plan, this collaborative research project will explore the attitudes of young people in Nottingham towards water usage. This project also looks to collect data on behaviours and values around water, in the context of specific educational interventions which aim to change attitudes.
Working with Dragon Breath Theatre, the researcher will engage with several Nottingham and Nottinghamshire primary schools and visitors to the Papplewick Pumping Station Museum and evaluate existing educational approaches and interventions which aim to enhance the importance of water and its sustainable use and reuse. As well as examining the role of community partnerships in educating young people through immersive drama, this project will investigate to what extent, and how, the key areas of water management and carbon neutral futures are currently taught in local schools.
This PhD project is grounded in an interdisciplinary approach, combining history, sciences, engineering, and the arts, and would best suit a social sciences perspective to support sustainable attitudes and behaviours in relation to water use across Nottinghamshire communities.
This project has been co-created and is supported by researchers from Nottingham Trent University, the University of Nottingham, and partners at Dragon Breath Theatre and Papplewick Pumping Station. The successful candidate will be enrolled at Nottingham Trent University.
Project Aims:
This key aims of this research are:
- To understand perceptions and attitudes of Nottingham’s young people towards water use, and identify ongoing educational needs
- To benchmark water behaviours within Nottinghamshire communities via engagement with primary schools and visitors to Papplewick Pumping Station
- To explore how educational initiatives based on immersive drama can support school and public education around Nottingham’s water stories and how we can best use and reuse water today and in the future.
Supervisory Team:
- Lead Supervisor: Dr Frances Howard, Nottingham Trent University
- Co-Supervisor: Prof Rachel Louise Gomes, University of Nottingham
- Community Supervisors: Nettie Scriven and Peter Rumney, Dragon Breath Theatre
What is Co(l)laboratory?
Co(l)laboratory is a new research programme, led by Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham, that puts community knowledge and experience at the core of research. Co(l)laboratory takes a unique approach to PhD research, offering a new way for researchers to work closely with local communities and organisations to create and deliver new research, based on the needs and priorities of the people of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
Co(l)laboratory takes on unique and talented candidates, providing them with training in research skills, civic leadership, evidence-based policy, and more, developing them as community research leaders, and enabling them to bring about meaningful change through their research.
Who are we looking for?
Do you have the qualities of a careful and detail-oriented problem solver? Do you have experience working in local community settings? We are looking for candidates with a strong potential for success, who can demonstrate a solid researcher mindset, independence, and resilience, and who have a drive to make a meaningful difference to communities through research.
Entry qualifications
These PhDs are targeted towards students from non-traditional backgrounds, including local citizens, employees, and community practitioners. Applicants do not necessarily need a first or 2.1 degree. Please read the full eligibility criteria HERE.
How to apply
Applications to all Co(l)laboratory 2024 PhD studentships must be submitted through our online applications portal HERE. This also applies to Co(l)laboratory studentships which are hosted at the University of Nottingham. Applications open at 9am on Monday 23 October and close at 12pm on Friday 15th December.
Fees and funding
This is a funded PhD project for UK applicants.
Guidance and support
For full details of all Co(l)laboratory PhD projects, studentships and applicant support opportunities, please visit the Co(l)laboratory website at https://ufncollaboratory.ac.uk/applynow/
For further queries, contact Alex Nkrumah at collaboratory@universitiesfornottingham.ac.uk
