Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/X016714/1
One Health for One Environment: an A-Z Approach for Tackling Zoonoses
Training Grant Award
- Lead Supervisor:
- Professor J Cable, Cardiff University, School of Biosciences
- Grant held at:
- Cardiff University, School of Biosciences
- Science Area:
- Earth
- Freshwater
- Marine
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Terrestrial
- ENRIs:
- Biodiversity
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Global Change
- Natural Resource Management
- Pollution and Waste
- Science Topics:
- Zoonoses
- Animal diseases
- Environment & Health
- Abstract:
- Predicting, detecting and controlling infectious diseases that pass between animals and humans (zoonoses) is one of the greatest global challenges. Through our innovative OneZoo Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) programme, students will gain a deep understanding of all core drivers of zoonoses (pathogen, environmental and human), enabling them to leverage environmental processes to develop sustainable practices (namely One Health and Planetary Health approaches) to prevent and reduce the burden of these infectious diseases. Award-winning educators from the four host institutions of our CDT (Cardiff University, Aberystwyth University, Queen's College Belfast and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) have: an established track record in zoonoses and pathogen biology, environmental sciences, conservation, animal and human health, humanities and maths; significant expertise in running successful doctoral training programmes; and experience in applying research to real world problems (from waste water monitoring for zoonotic pathogens to innovative environmental solutions for vector control). Our 29 partners (from WHO, DEFRA and UKHSA to international academics, industry and NGOs) offer >15 CASE studentships, a diversity of placement opportunities and new collaborations beyond this CDT. This will promote two-way knowledge exchange, providing our students with front-line insights of the complex challenges caused by zoonotic diseases, and help partners who are developing new One Health approaches. Our unique transdisciplinary training programme will deliver a new generation of high calibre researchers grounded in One Health approaches, who have a culture of global citizenship, a creative and adaptive mindset, and the multi-disciplinary tools and depth of understanding to enable a rapid solution-focused response to new challenges. We cover 3 regulatory nations within the UK and together have global reach. Key training elements of our CDT are: 1)Transdisciplinary research projects centred on Disease Preparedness, Disease Transmission and/or Disease Control, supported by trained CDT supervisory teams; 2) Multidisciplinary toolbox providing each student with specialist research skills and a thorough understanding of the lexicon and ideologies from different disciplines (e.g. translational experimental design, bioinformatics, policy); 3) Challenge exemplar events through which students (supported by staff and partners from multiple disciplines) will be charged with solving a specific zoonotic problem. Our exemplar zoonoses cover all key drivers of zoonotic diseases (pathogen, host, environment, and human societal factors). 4) Transferrable skills and networking including 'meet the expert', blogs, public engagement activities, work placements and employability training. We will train 60 PhD students, with equality, diversity and inclusion woven throughout the PhD programme, from recruitment through to effective disease biologists. These students will be supported to develop a strong research community, with peer mentoring, and academic and pastoral care from our 170 potential supervisors. Student progress will be monitored centrally by the CDT as well as their host institutions. Appreciation of the complexity of and connectively between the drivers of zoonotic infection will help students identify pragmatic, equitable and sustainable solutions that prevent pathogen spillover from the environment, which are cognisant of local socio-economic and cultural conditions. Such practices, deployed long term, will be more cost effective than reactive short-term options (therapeutics, lockdowns, trade restriction etc). Together this unique mix of activities and skill training will empower our graduates to secure positions in a range of professions to have influence and create impact.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/X016714/1
- Grant Stage:
- Awaiting Event/Action
- Scheme:
- Doctoral Training
- Grant Status:
- Active
- Programme:
- CDT
This training grant award has a total value of £6,878,563
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - DSA | Total - Other Costs | Total - Fees | Total - Student Stipend | Total - RTSG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £1,348 | £605,913 | £1,108,722 | £4,557,582 | £605,000 |
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