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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/S022961/1
Title: UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Application of Artificial Intelligence to the study of Environmental Risks (AI4ER)
Principal Investigator: Shuckburgh, Dr E
Other Investigators:
Archibald, Professor AT Gibbens, Dr R Turner, Dr RE
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Allstate Anglian Water BP
Buro Happold Cambridge Spark Centre for Env Fisheries Aqua Sci CEFAS
DeepMind Dept for Bus, Energy & Ind Strat (BEIS) Dept for Env Food & Rural Affairs DEFRA
Descartes Labs Environment Agency (Grouped) ESA/ESRIN
Esri European Bank for Reconstruction and Dev Friends of The Earth
Frontier Development Lab HSBC ICCCAD (Int Ctr Climate Change & Dev)
Impax Asset Management Isaac Newton Inst for Mathematical Sci Jane Street Europe
Marks & Spencer plc MathWorks MAX Fordham & Partners
Met Office Microsoft Mott Macdonald
Myrtle Software Natural England Risk Management Solutions
Schlumberger Total American Services Willis Towers Watson (UK)
Windward Fund World Conservation Monitoring Cen WCMC
Department: Earth Sciences
Organisation: University of Cambridge
Scheme: Centre for Doctoral Training
Starts: 01 April 2019 Ends: 30 September 2027 Value (£): 6,951,470
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Environment Information Technologies
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Panel DatePanel NameOutcome
07 Nov 2018 UKRI Centres for Doctoral Training AI Interview Panel U – November 2018 Announced
Summary on Grant Application Form
The UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in "Application of Artificial Intelligence to the study of Environmental Risks" will develop a new generation of innovation leaders to tackle the challenges faced by societies across the globe living in the face of environmental risk, by developing new methods that exploit the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) approaches to the proper analysis of complex and diverse environmental data. It is made of multiple departments within Cambridge University, alongside the British Antarctic Survey and a wide range of partners in industry and policy. AI offers huge potential to transform our ability to understand, monitor and predict environmental risks, providing direct societal benefit as well as potential commercial opportunities. Delivering the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and COP 21 Paris Agreement present enormous and urgent challenges. Population and economic growth drive increased demands on a planet with finite resources; the planet's biodiversity is suffering increasing pressures. Simultaneously, humanity's vulnerabilities to geohazards are increasing, due to fragilities inherent in urbanisation in the face of risks such as floods, earthquake, and volcanic eruptions. Reliance on sophisticated technical infrastructures is a further exposure. Understanding, monitoring and predicting environmental risks is crucial to addressing these challenges. The CDT will provide the global knowledge leadership needed, by building partnership with leaders in industry, commerce, policy and academia in visionary, creative and cross-disciplinary teaching and research. Vast and growing datasets are now available that document our changing environment and associated risks. The application of AI techniques to these datasets has the potential to revolutionise our ability to build resilience to environmental hazards and manage environmental change. Harnessing the power of AI in this regard will support two of the four Grand Challenges identified in the UK's Industrial Strategy, namely, to put the UK at the forefront of the AI and data revolution and to maximise the advantages for UK industry from the global shift to clean growth.

The students in the CDT will be trained in a broad range of aspects of the application of AI to environmental risk in a multi- disciplinary and enthusing research setting, to become world-leaders in the arena. They will undertake media training activities, public engagement, and training in the delivery of policy advice as well as the development of entrepreneurial skills and an understanding of the approach of business to sustainability. Discussion of the broader societal, legal and ethical dimensions will be integral to this training. In this way the CDT will seed a new domain of AI application in the UK that will become a champion for the subject globally.
Key Findings
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Potential use in non-academic contexts
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Summary
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Organisation Website: http://www.cam.ac.uk