Interdisciplinary Research Projects
This searchable database contains details of pump-primed cross-discipline research projects taking place at the University of Aberdeen.
One of the main strands of our Aberdeen 2040 plan is to address urgent and wide-ranging challenges in the interdisciplinary areas of Energy Transition, Social Inclusion and Cultural Diversity, Environment and Biodiversity, Data and Artificial Intelligence, and Health, Nutrition and Wellbeing.
The wide range of projects on display here is a demonstration of some of the early-stage research being funded in these critical areas as well as the University's commitment to addressing the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals, a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all."
Projects undertaken in 2021 were funded by the University of Aberdeen's Scottish Funding Council allocation.
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A holistic approach towards identifying the phenotypic plasticity and resilience response to environmental stress in the intertidal zone
Understanding how marine organisms respond to pollution is vital so we can assess and mitigate our impacts on coastal ecosystems. Adding to our current limited knowledge is critical in unravelling the biological consequences of anthropogenic change.
Pathways to sustainable and healthy diets: Young people’s views about climate change and eating less meat
Young people are often painted in the media as the generation who will adopt sustainable and healthy diets through concern about climate change and other related issues. But is this really the case? We try to find out.
An interdisciplinary approach to generate a paradigm shift in characterising biodiversity
Biodiversity plays an integral role in ecosystem function, health and service, but this is threatened by the unprecedented loss of species. To combat the global biodiversity crisis, we need to better understand diversity at all levels of organisation.
Citizen science for biodiversity conservation in agricultural-conservation transition zones
Citizen science has grown rapidly in popularity in recent years due to its potential to educate and engage the public while providing a means to address a host of scientific questions. Here, we aim to elucidate biodiversity patterns and associated human-wildlife conflicts in agricultural conservation transition zones.
Enhancing universities’ contribution to the resilience of communities, business and government through science diplomacy
Science diplomacy has emerged over the last decade as a key tool for bringing scientific and technological innovations to the international negotiating table and solving transnational challenges. However, a disconnect remains between scientific evidence and governmental decisions. We aim to create a training programme for researchers to enable them to more effectively inform the political discourse.
A pilot study to estimate glacier surface velocities for ice avalanche events
Glacier ice avalanches present a series of hazards to those living in the vicinity of high mountains. By constantly monitoring data we should be able to estimate surface velocity changes and predict potentially catastrophic events before they happen.
Comparing rural attitudes to solar PV farms and windfarms in the UK
Photovoltaic solar energy has the potential to be rolled out on a larger scale than is currently the case in most of the UK, in the form of solar farms. However, little research has been carried out into the ways such farms might affect relationships with rural environments. We aim to conduct a scoping study to better understand this.
Sub-liquid and Atmospheric Measurement (SAM)
The SAM project is a pilot study of a space instrument concept, the Aquatic Systems Habitability Analyser, designed to investigate the habitability of the ocean worlds of our Solar System, such as Saturn’s moons Titan and Enceladus and Jupiter’s moon Europa.
Autonomous robotic sampling of bio-aerosols for real-time DNA sequencing using MinION sequencer
Bioaerosols are tiny airborne particles originating from plants or animals, and human exposure to them comes with potentially serious health risks. We propose using a portable sequencer to determine their source and composition in order to control and regulate potentially dangerous emissions.
Analysing stakeholder power dynamics in the policy-making process: an exploratory analysis of Scottish cities and towns
The distribution of power among stakeholders involved in the planning process differs under varying economic and political conditions. Our interdisciplinary investigation takes into account perspectives from real estate, policy making and negotiation, initially focusing on a relevant sample of Scottish cities and towns