This project brings together a team of researchers at the University of Hull and three external stakeholder groups - Hull City Council; Groundwork and Probe - to explore how Citizen Inquiry methodologies and digital technologies can improve the quality of research that has public value. An important part of our work is to ensure our research is informed and used by the people who live in the communities around us. Citizen Science is a way of designing research that involves the general public or 'citizens' as contributors and collaborators in the project. There are various methods that we can use to carry out these inquiries but there are also many barriers and challenges that typically hinder academic researchers in universities from engaging the general public with Citizen Science. One of these is small participation rates and participation which is biased towards white, middle-aged and higher-income people (Defra, 2015) This is an issue that the project will challenge by exploring how researchers and the public can co-design research designed that meets the needs of a more diverse range of the population, particularly hard to reach and under-represented communities - the communities that we most want to work with. One approach is called Citizen Inquiry which is more participatory in nature and can involve the public is designing the research, collecting and analyzing data and sharing the findings. Digital technologies, such as mobile phones, often play a significant part in this process and this project will explore their effectiveness in engaging groups that are seen as hard to reach and traditionally reluctant to engage in citizen science, such as young people. The primary aim of the project is to explore how to convince academic researchers that Citizen Science is worthwhile and can add value to their research. We contend that Citizen Inquiry with its greater participatory approach is more likely to achieve this, through, for example, helping researchers to design more effective research questions that focus on issues of greater value to the public. To explore and verify this assumption the project will work with a specific cohort of researchers at the University of Hull who are currently exploring the issue of plastics waste as part of a larger project on plastics funded by the EPSRC. These researchers are part of a team working in what is referred to as the Plastics Collaboratory at the University of Hull. The project will investigate the barriers that traditionally inhibit these researchers from engaging more with the public in the research process itself and those that inhibit the three stakeholder groups themselves from working more closely with the research community. In the first phase of the project (January - February 2020) this will involve interviews and focus groups with a cross-section of participants from these different communities, leading to a project report and set of recommendations. In the second phase of the project (March-April, 2020), the research community and the three stakeholder groups will be brought together in a collaborative half-day workshop to share their collective wisdom on the issue and to explore how they might use Citizen Inquiry methodologies in the future. This workshop will include practical, hands-on-sessions to explore how mobile technologies and particular apps can be used to undertake Citizen Inquiry projects, laying down a foundation for further activities and engagement beyond the lifetime of the project itself which, if funded, will run from January to April, 2020. The project will conclude in April 2020 with an open conference bringing together researchers and interested stakeholder groups to share the findings from the research and to explore further opportunities to design collaborative research projects and seek additional funding.

From earliest times people have used hard skeletal tissues, such as bone, antler, ivory, horn, baleen (whalebone) and tortoiseshell, as raw material to create almost everything from simple tools to subtle and evocative works of art. Working these raw materials can greatly change their appearance and decay processes can render them almost unrecognisable. Today animal hard tissues have almost entirely been replaced as raw material for artefacts by metallic alloys and synthetic plastics, and wildlife conservation concerns have made some unavailable and unacceptable. With the passing of these raw materials, familiarity with their characteristics and properties has been lost, posing a challenge for those who work with historic and prehistoric artefacts, and to the detection of illegally trafficked, CITES protected materials. The correct identification of these materials is, however, fundamental to understanding the cultural significance, preservation needs and authenticity of these objects. Research is already in hand to refine and develop identification protocols through the collation, evaluation and validation of visual criteria and analytical techniques. This work has made great strides in improving our confidence in recognising, for instance, objects made in different species of ivory or in separating real tortoiseshell from fakes in horn or plastic. Using low-power microscopy, this can be done without the need to take disfiguring samples and at no risk to the object, by revealing the materials structure and patterns of degradation. However, like wood, these are complex 3D materials that can look and behave entirely differently depending on how they are worked and which aspects are revealed in the surfaces of an object. To interpret the evidence correctly it is necessary to understand the orientation of the object in terms of the material's natural structure. This is particularly difficult when similarly worked specimens of these materials are not available for comparison with the object being studied. Even if some of these raw materials, such as rhino horn, were available, it would be illegal (and questionable ethically) to prepare worked specimens. Using printed or web resources, illustrated by 2D diagrams and photographs to convey the detail of these complex structures, success largely relies on the ability of the user to think in 3D, and will not always lead to the correct identification. To overcome these problems, this project will develop a web-based resource for the 3D visualisation of the structures of these animal tissues. At its core will be a fully-rotatable 3D photo-realistic image of each raw material, a 3D diagram of its structure and 3D X-rays (CT scans) revealing the internal shape and structure. Zooming-in, the surface of the material can be explored at different scales with 'hot-spots' linking to photographs at a range of magnifications showing the structures revealed when it is cut in different directions, worked in different ways, fractured, aged or degraded. Once the correct material has been identified, it will be possible to orientate images of the object against the framework of the 3D model by matching the features revealed on the surface of an object with those indicated in the model. This will aid understanding of how the raw material was utilised and provide estimates of the size of the original tissue used, such as the minimum dimensions of the elephant tusk required to provide the material for a sculpture. Supported by on-line tutorials, this interactive visualisation resource will not only improve the accuracy of materials identification but will be an invaluable tool for researchers exploring the way that these raw materials have been used in the manufacture of artefacts, whether functional tools, devotional objects or fine art, across all time periods and geographical zones.

'Mobilising Adaptation: Governance of Infrastructure through Coproduction' (MAGIC) will demonstrate and evaluate a community led approach to reducing flood risk, whilst providing opportunities for urban residents to improve their health and wellbeing, through better engagement with blue/green space. We will do this via a case study of the flood-vulnerable region around Hull. Landscape interventions such as raintanks, ponds, raingardens, swales (designed ditches) provide additional water storage and slow run-off after heavy rain, thus reducing flood risk. This is especially true if numerous features can be embedded in one area to provide additional flood storage. Flood authorities know that climate change requires more storage, but to date they have been reluctant to fit such features, due to insufficient public land and the complexity of operating/maintaining diverse features across a city. In MAGIC we will explore whether communities themselves can provide and manage such storage features either on public land or on their own properties. Motivation to do so may come from a desire to reduce flooding risk, but also because such features enhance 'a sense of place' when designed imaginatively. Moreover, re-greening urban areas has been linked to improvements in health/well-being (better mental health and greater opportunities for physical activity) as well as promoting social cohesion. This is especially so when the community comes together to plan and manage the features. Additionally, if people collaborate to make their neighbourhood more flood resilient, they learn about the dynamics of local flood risk and how best to manage this. Even when floods occur in the future (and they will not be stopped completely), having considered and reduced the extent of local flood risk may help people feel more in control. In summary, MAGIC aims to examine whether flood avoidance/resilience can be enhanced through greater activation and empowerment of local communities - activities which we believe will improve local water management, but also have additional positive effects on residents' locality and well-being. This will be achieved through a case study in flood-prone Hull. Indeed, MAGIC can be understood as initiating Hull's 'third reservoir', adding to the existing systems of water supply (first reservoir) and flood storage lagoons (second). The third reservoir is not a single body of water but the accumulated storage from domestic raintanks, raingardens and swales combining across different neighbourhoods to help absorb heavy rain. We will also address flood resilience e.g. flood warnings. Building on close relations established in a previous project, MAGIC aims to facilitate change in two contrasting neighbourhoods: Bilton village in the East Riding and Derringham in Hull. We will also work with developers to explore how novel design can ensure new developments contribute to flood resilience, but in a way which enhances greenery and increases property value rather than simply relying on 'hard' engineering solutions. We will interview policy makers in Hull and London to examine how local and national organisational structures and policy making frameworks enable or inhibit local involvement in flood risk management. We will work in close collaboration with the Living with Water Partnership (a formal partnership of the flood risk management authorities for the Hull drainage catchment) and the Hull and East Riding Timebank (>900 individuals and organisations exchanging skills and offering mutual aid in Hull). The project objectives are: 1.To develop methods of coproducing household and neighbourhood adaptive infrastructure 2.To adapt flood resilience products and services for an urban setting at a neighbourhood scale to ensure they deliver best value in terms of both functional water management and local wellbeing 3.To identify wider factors supporting or hindering the uptake of coproductive flood resilience.

Air conditioning (AC) is one of the major energy systems applied globally with a market size of around £80 billion per annum. Current AC technologies require large amounts of electrical or thermal energy, accounting for 20% global electricity consumption and resulting in 1,100 mega-tons of carbon emission. The project aims to establish a scientific foundation for a pioneering, near-zero-carbon and all-climate-adaptive AC system. Compared to existing AC technologies (i.e. mechanical vapour compression, absorption, and adsorption types), the new AC system leads to over 80%-90% energy bills saving, and near-zero carbon emission. Unlike existing evaporative cooling AC systems which only suit arid climates, the new AC will be all-climate-adaptive. Novelties of the research lie in: (1) The best performing sorption, diffusion, air-tight and light-absorptive materials will be identified and/or refined; (2) A unique sorption/desorption bed comprising an air-flow-interactive sorption layer and a light-absorptive desorption layer will be developed; (3) A bespoke natural light harvesting configuration to deliver a controlled light radiation into the desorption layer surface; (4) The latest Fractal theory in the first attempt to a multi-medium/sized porous block instead of the traditional single medium/sized porous block; (5) A unique multiple-scale light simulation model, which integrate a non-sequential ray tracing method for simulating the macro-scale light and a finite-difference time-domain method for simulating the light-moisture interaction on the porous desorption surface; (6) A novel 'life-cycle-cooling-cost' oriented optimisation method. The project research programme includes: (1) Screening, refinement, characterisation and selection of the sorption/desorption materials, and determination of the composition/combination methods of the selected materials; (2) Establishment of the theoretical foundation for the light collection/transmission/distribution and light-moisture interaction and conduction of associated computer simulation modelling; (3) Establishment of the theoretical foundation and computer models for moisture adsorption, permeation, diffusion and vaporisation within the porous 'moisture-breathing' bed, and optimisation of the structure of the 'moisture-breathing' bed; (4) Optimisation of the integrated operation between the light-driven 'moisture-breathing' bed and dew point air cooler using the 'life-cycle-cooling-cost' oriented method; and investigation of the AC's building integration approach; and (5) Construction/testing of the AC prototype (including microbial hazard control) and validation/refinement of the integrated AC computer model. The proposed research will be carried out by a cross-university and multi-disciplinary team comprising Prof. Xudong Zhao of UHULL who is the world-class academic specialised in heating, cooling, renewable energy and energy efficiency, Prof. Semali Perera of Bath who is a leading scientist specialised in porous sorption/desorption materials, Prof. Barry Crittenden who is a Fellow of Royal Academy of Engineering specialising in adsorption and membranes, Dr Carmelo Herdes who is specialized in molecular simulations, experiments and characterization of sorption/desorption materials and molecular transport with industrial relevance, Prof. Brad Gilbon of UHULL who is an internationally recognised optical scientist, Prof. Jeanette Rotchell of UHULL who is a leading scientist specialised in environmental biology, Dr. Xiaoli Ma of UHULL who has expertise in renewable energy and dew point cooling, and Dr. Zishang Zhu of UHULL who is specialised in integrating renewable energy system into buildings. The project team will be supported by FIVE UK industrial/governmental organisations.

Purpose: This project aims to identify the gaps and leaks in a plastics circular economy, and explore and develop new pathways to an enhanced circularity in plastics use by facilitating the co-design and execution of specific innovations across an interdisciplinary range of academics, stakeholders and consumers, from the full plastic value chain. This project seeks to achieve exciting and transformative advances in the development of circular plastics economy (CPE). We have engaged a broad multidisciplinary consortium of interested researchers and stakeholders, within our Plastics Collaboratory, that aim to transform the plastic economy, with expertise ranging from development of new plastics, to post-use treatment for reprocessing, and our logistics, computer science and environmental and social science researchers. Together the outcomes will lead to improved understanding of the motivations and drivers of plastic flows in the economy and environment. To achieve this broad aim, a set of activities are planned as follows with a set of four interconnected Work Packages: i) Stakeholder engagement - a series of workshops and outreach events will be held with regional and national companies, industrial sectors and the general public to focus on their key challenges. The main aim will be to understand the drivers and challenges affecting peoples 'plastic' behaviours. These will be timetabled regularly throughout the programme to cover key issues concerning plastic uses, properties, costs, logistics, disposal and recycling. ii) novel catalytic chemistry to develop biodegradable biopolymers with useful plastic properties, to make new plastic material from non-fossil renewable sources which also do not persist in the environment. iii) novel catalytic chemistry and treatments for the depolymerisation, gasification and treatment of post use plastics, to create new feedstocks suitable for reuse in the making of new plastic materials. A range of technologies will be investigated which can utilise both oil derived and bioplastics. iv) a series of workshops to promote discussion between the different disciplines represented, and others that may emerge as relevant, ensuring cross-fertilization and idea generation; v) Pump priming - drawing on discussions with stakeholders and between disciplines we will pump prime a number of projects. These will include lab-based research and practical engagement - using the University of Hull campus as a test site for new practices, developing new and innovative ideas and solutions that will help us to eliminate future plastic waste. We anticipate these leading to longer-term legacy of the project through steering ISCF calls. The Humber region is fast becoming one of world's major green estuaries, and we will engage with the growing number of environmentally aware companies that have substantial holdings in the region and relationships with the university, including supermarket chains and large multi-nationals (see Partnership Letters). Business networks will also be used to build up a complete a picture of plastics flows as possible and aid modelling and mapping the shape and potential for future CPE.