@1in5project In her presidential address, the head of the British
Science Association Jane Francis indicated her support for the 1in5project initiative!

https://www.britishscienceassociation.org/blog/jane-francis-presidential-address-part-two

This initiative is trying to help get universities toward a target of one in five final year projects or dissertations taking on climate and bio-diversity issues - across all disciplines.

If your students are still finalising topics, or you want to join, see:

https://www.1in5project.info/

#Climate

@PenguinJunk Yes, of course. We thought undergrad projects was the obvious place to start, but already we have people adapting it for 2nd year practical classes and other things.

"Professions have key roles in tackling climate change and its environmental and human impacts. The College of Optometrists wishes to work with optometry researchers to contribute to the vital objectives of the 1in5 Project."

(https://college-optometrists.org https://1in5project.info/)

Michael Bowen, Director of Knowledge & Research

New (academic) year resolution: Get involved with the 1in5 project. See the website (http://1in5project.info) or come to one of our drop-in Zoom sessions 9:30am (UK time) on Monday 25th and 4:30pm on Thursday 28th. DM or email (contact@1in5project.info) for a link.

“It is crucial for university students to engage with the climate crisis and contribute to tackling it in an informed manner. We are working on this through a climate education campaign at Cambridge and are very excited about the impact the 1in5 project can have.” - Aman Vernekar, President, Cambridge Climate Society, https://www.cambridgeclimatesociety.com

Many of us are beginning a new academic year. Now is the perfect time to get involved in the 1in5 project. If you want to find out more check out the website (http://1in5project.info/), DM, or come to one of our drop-in Zoom sessions - contact us for a link.

@thartbm No, but will take a look at Climatematch Academy. Thanks!

We started with psychology, put together materials and brought people on board. Could your discipline be the next one? Please get in touch. What about beyond the UK? Again, get in touch. contact@1in5project.info

Prof Chris Preist, Academic Director of Sustainability, University of Bristol said “This is a really valuable initiative which I hope will flourish in many disciplines - arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences, health sciences and engineering disciplines. We will certainly be encouraging uptake throughout the University of Bristol.”

After completing a 1in5 project at Manchester, Emily said, " The carbon labeling project was incredibly interesting and inspiring..I learned a lot and the project allowed me to be part of important research that can help to mitigate climate change, which was empowering.”

Prof Jon Peirce, Founder of Open Science Tools Ltd, the makers of Psychopy said “This is a tremendously exciting project.. Hopefully staff and students alike will soon be sharing a range of behavioural #1in5 projects on Pavlovia.org to help others get started.”

Prof Andrew Stewart, Head of Department of Computer Science, School of Engineering, University of Manchester, said, “I’m pleased to see my colleagues in Psychology leading the way on this and I hope that other disciplines will join them”.

Prof Chris Chambers, co-founder of the UK Reproducibility Network said “Just imagine the positive impact we can make, and the knowledge we can gain, by running tens of thousands of high-quality climate projects every year across the country. This is how you change the world.”

Dr Marc Williams, clinical psychologist and lecturer, at Cardiff University said “The 1in5 project offers not just a platform for tackling environmental issues but also an opportunity for students to take the reins and transform their concerns into active contributions.”

Prof Michael Banissy, the Head of School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Bristol said “The 1in5 initiative will empower staff and students to work together to tackle one of the most pressing issues of our time. We’re in. We’re committed.”

Is this really a good idea? Who is on board? In the press release we highlight four leading schools of psychology. You can find many quotes and endorsements (plus FAQs) on the website (https://1in5project.info/). Here are half a dozen examples:

If the work generated is collated, it would form an unrivalled resource on climate change and biodiversity. It could be consulted, used, or searched for emergent patterns, by individuals (or computers) in universities and beyond.

Some of the work produced would be exceptional, and the experience of doing a 1in5 project will lead some of the students to go on after their degree and do exceptional things.

The influence of a large student group, equipped with skills, ideas and connections, would ripple out through thousands of interactions with friends, family and future employers, changing societal attitudes and actions.

Students would develop knowledge and confidence, they would gain the chance to turn some of their anxiety about the environment into agency.