Resources

In addition to the scientific contribution, our project also hopes to add value by focusing on aspects such as sustainability, equality, diversity & inclusion (EDI), and mentorship and training for early career researchers (ECRs). Below you can find some resources that could be useful when implementing research projects.

Sustainability

Sustainability is becoming increasingly relevant for research grant applications. Various funders such as the UKRI and the Wellcome Trust have implemented net zero targets for their funded research or aim to have their investment portfolio’s be carbon neutral. The carbon footprint of equipment purchases as well as project-related travel are already being considered. Currently, a concordat for the environmental sustainability of research and innovation practices is in development and it is expected that funding bodies may require information about your research carbon footprint in the future.

Research laboratories are responsible for producing significant percentages of a university’s carbon emissions:

• Disproportional use of resources
• Disproportional production of waste
• 4 – 10 times higher energy use
• 4 – 6 times higher water usage than ordinary offices

As an example, to run a fume cupboard uses the equivalent energy necessary to run about 105 UK households! In order to promote lab sustainability in our MultiDefence project and to quantify our carbon savings, we are encouraging the labs in our project to subscribe to the Laboratory & Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF). The benefits of subscribing to LEAF include lowering utility costs, reducing the environmental footprint of labs, improving research quality, promoting knowledge exchange between labs and improving career development for lab-based technical staff. We also recommend the work being done by My Green Lab.

In addition to sustainable lab practices, we are also advocating for green IT/ sustainable computing.

We hope to include any progress and innovation in this regard in our annual project reports.

The co-leads for sustainability on this project are Prof Stefano Pagliara and Prof Mario Recker.

Equality, diversity & inclusion (EDI)

We are a values-led consortium and will uphold our values through our decisions on engagement with individuals and organisations. We have drafted an EDI Safer Space policy for the project that every participant is required to read and follow. Our policy is intended to complement, not supersede, good practice at each participating institution. Institutional policies and HR guidelines will apply during any required mediation. 

Our values:

• We believe it is our responsibility to create spaces, both offline and online, that are welcoming and respectful to everyone. Adhering to these values and expectations is a collective responsibility where each person is individually responsible for their behaviour. 
• We believe that setting EDI guidelines enables project participants to enjoy, participate in and contribute to the MultiDefence project. The guidelines exist to ensure that individuals do not feel harassed or uncomfortable at work or when participating during meetings, events and associated activities or communications (including via email). 
• We believe that addressing and promoting EDI in research provides the opportunity to make research better and more relevant to all members of society. This approach to seek diversity is not to use differences to further marginalise groups without power or those who experience
  systemic exclusion. 
• We engage with and take good practice from the Researcher Development Concordat and UKRI’s evolving EDI Strategy.

The co-leads for EDI on this project are Prof Tim Blower and Prof Tiffany Taylor.

ECR Mentorship and Training

In order to promote the development of early career researchers (ECRs) involved in the MultiDefence project, we have a specific aim of supporting them through mentorship and training opportunities. At this time, we are focused on four elements:

• Interdisciplinary training opportunities: ECRs have the option of applying for mobility funding to spend time at another lab in the consortium or elsewhere to receive training in and appreciation of a wide range of techniques and approaches.
• ECR mentoring scheme: each ECR will be assigned a mentor from the project consortium. The idea is to discuss research progress, interdisciplinary training, presentation skills and advice, and future career and fellowship plans. We found the Academy of Medical Sciences resources useful in our conceptualisation of this scheme.  
• ECR team integration and ownership: Encouraging and enabling ECRs to lead on project talks and work packages or parts thereof. We also hope to equip and support them in (co-)leading the organisation of wider scientific workshops, conferences, or meeting. We are also planning away-days specifically for ECRs during the project life cycle.
• ECR authorship decision procedures: We have drafted a short policy document that explains key principles on authorship decisions within the MultiDefence project. We are taking guidance from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors as well as CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy).

The co-leads for ECR Mentorship and training on this project are Prof Mark Szczelkun and Prof Stineke Van Houte.