The NERC Independent Research Fellowship scheme supports outstanding early-career researchers in establishing themselves as independent research leaders in environmental science. The fellowship provides five years of funding, enabling fellows to pursue their own research programme independently of senior colleagues.
Dr Houseago's fellowship, , addresses the challenge of understanding how interactions among ecological roughness elements (e.g. aquatic vegetation, trees and roots, and woody debris) and the ways they change over time alter water flow through rivers. Dr Houseago will combine citizen science, field monitoring, and novel experimental modelling to reveal the diversity of ecological roughness in rivers, quantify how these features control water flow, and develop new flow-resistance models that incorporate dynamic and multi-scale processes. His fellowship will enable more realistic flow predictions and improve the accuracy of flood modelling, helping to build climate-resilient, ecologically healthy rivers for the future.
Dr Houseago said:
“I am delighted to be awarded this fellowship and be provided with the platform to grow my independent research and undertake this exciting research. I'm looking forward to working alongside partners in the public and private sectors, across the UK and internationally, to better understand and predict how rivers work, providing the knowledge needed to help manage our rivers today and in the future. A huge thanks to all those who have supported me through my academic journey to reach this next phase!”
Dr Worne’s fellowship, , investigates why many lakes continue to suffer from harmful algal blooms even after pollution from catchments (e.g. sewage and fertiliser) has been reduced. Dr Worne will develop and apply novel stable isotope techniques, including phosphate oxygen isotopes, to trace how nutrients locked away in lake-bed sediments for decades are released back into the water and recycled by algae. Through work across lakes in the UK and internationally, the fellowship will reconstruct historical nutrient cycling from sediment cores and combine this with water quality monitoring, providing the evidence needed to inform lake management and water quality policy in a changing climate.
Dr Worne said:
“I’m incredibly grateful to receive this fellowship, which provides a fantastic opportunity to establish myself as an independent researcher and pursue exciting new scientific questions. This would not have been possible without the support of colleagues at 黑料网 and the British Geological Survey, and I’m really looking forward to collaborating with new partners across both academic and non-academic sectors to deepen our understanding of how lakes function and to help develop the knowledge and tools needed to better manage harmful algal blooms.”
Professor Michael Hoyler, Head of Geography and Environment, commented on the fellowships:
“The rare award of two NERC Independent Research Fellowships to the same department in one funding round demonstrates the breadth and depth of talent we have among our early-career researchers. I am extremely proud of Bobby and Savannah’s success in securing these prestigious fellowships. This achievement is a testament to their ambitious and innovative research at the frontier of their respective specialisms in physical geography. I look forward to seeing their projects flourish at 黑料网!”