Beneficiaries and Partners
The Beneficiaries
Academic research and education at VU Amsterdam is characterised by a high level of ambition, and encourages free and open communication and ideas. In 2015, VU hosted around 23,000 students and over 1200 fte scientific staff. The total research output in 2015 translated to over 4,400 scientific publications, and 265 doctoral theses. VU University Amsterdam founded in 1880, is a leading research university that ranks among the best in Europe. Within the VUA, the Faculties of Humanities and Science had 4480 students and 225 PhD students in 2014/2015. Researchers from the Faculty of Humanities, dept. of Archaeology (Prent), CLUE+, International Association of Landscape Archaeology and Center for Environmental Humanities (coordinator, Kluiving) and from the Faculty of Science, Institute for Environmental Studies (Verburg) participate in this ETN.
Both faculties have a good track record in education and PhD based research with a combined interdisciplinary group of more than 50 PhD students. Both the archaeology and earth sciences groups have all necessary facilities (expertise and infrastructure) to host PhD students for training in archaeological data synthesis, agent based modeling, palaeoclimate analysis, landscape modelling. ESRs 4 and 10 will be part of a PhD education in humanities and environmental sciences including up to 40 PhD students. Both archaeological and environmental groups are partners of a strategic research area (CLUE+) and linked to a related PhD research school (ARCHON, SENSE), both based at VU University Amsterdam. The BANACUL ESRs joining the archaeological and landscape modeling group at VU University will automatically be part of CLUE+ and can apply to the ARCHON and SENSE courses, and will take part in the events of the new Environmental Humanities Center at VUA.
The Faculty of Archaeology of Leiden University is the only archaeology faculty in the Netherlands and one of the few in Europe. This independence makes it possible to pursue an efficient and stimulating policy in the fields of education and research, and to take advantage of new developments. Apart from the traditionally strong Prehistory of Northwestern Europe and Classical Archaeology, Leiden offers (as the only university in the Netherlands) a specialization in the Palaeolithic, and in the archaeology of the civilizations of the Near East, Asia, and the Americas, as well as a number of archaeological sciences, such as landscape archaeology, pollen analysis, archaeozoology, computer applications, ceramology, and microwear analysis The Faculty also hosts the national research school ARCHON of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), as well as the Centre for Global Heritage and Development (CGHD; www.globalheritage.nl) of Leiden University, Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Amsterdam. Official collaboration within Europe has been established with Excellence Cluster TOPOI in Berlin (Freie Universität Berlin and the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), University College London and the University of Gothenburg (Centre for Critical Heritage Studies).
Leiden University offers a whole range of facilities for training Early-Stage Researchers:
– Training in data mining, linked open data, large archaeological databases, SDIs (Spatial Data Infrastructures) and dynamic modelling of early stages of landscape change
– Theories, methods and techniques for conducting field research and analysis in Landscape Archaeology and interdisciplinary landscape and heritage research
– Soft skills, such as Project Management, Public Dissemination of Scientific Knowledge, Science Journalism, etc.
which is a joint initiative of Leiden University, Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam. The graduate school and CGHD offer excellent facilities for young researchers, not only in terms of supervising but also in terms of organisational and financial support if necessary.
Additionally, Early-Stage Researchers are enabled to join the courses of ARCHON, the national Research School for Archaeology of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). ARCHON offers intensive two-day or three-day courses on both specialized subjects and topics of interdisciplinary interest.
Technology for conducting the research (Rooms, IT, GIS etc.) is well available at the Faculty of Archaeology, which is now housed in a new building in the Leiden Bioscience Park.
The ESRs will carry out their research at iDiv, the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), where the training activity will also mainly take place. iDiv is one of six research centers funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) with an annual budget of seven million Euros since October 2012. The scientific core of iDiv is formed by four research areas (Biodiversity Patterns, Biodiversity Processes, Biodiversity Function, and Biodiversity and Society) to follow its central mission of promoting theory-driven experiments and synthesis and data-driven theory. As a unique feature, a Synthesis Centre for Biodiversity Sciences (sDiv) is integrated in the research environment of iDiv to foster theoretical and synthetic thinking in biodiversity sciences by hosting workshops and funding short-term postdoc and sabbatical positions. iDiv also has a graduate school, yDiv, which educates a new generation of scientists in transdisciplinary biodiversity research. iDiv is jointly hosted by the Martin Luther Universitaet Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU), and the University of Leipzig (UL).
The host group is the Biodiversity Conservation group. It is an international and interdisciplinary group with work interests ranging from global biodiversity change studies to socio-ecology. The group studies the dynamics of biodiversity change and its consequences for ecosystem services using a combination of theoretical and empirical approaches. Current research projects include the impacts of land-use change on biodiversity and ecosystems services, rewilding, scenarios for the future of biodiversity, and biodiversity monitoring.
The Biodiversity Conservation research group, within the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), has access to:
1. Several laboratories and amenities on site, such as a GIS lab, a population genetics lab, a library, and a High Performance Computing Cluster.
2. Field work equipment: GPS, acoustic recorders, field handhelds, weather station, unmanned aerial vehicle for vegetation mapping, LAI canopy analyser, soil probes, camera traps, moth traps, small mammal traps.
3. Field Station in Peneda Geres National Park, in northern Portugal.
Department of Archaeology and Ancient History Uppsala University combining Global Archaeology. Egyptology, Classical Archaeology, and North European Archaeology, Coordinating Environmental Humanities consortium with Stockholm University, University of Technology Stockholm, University of Agricultural Sciences. Umeå University, Lund University and Mid Sweden University.
UU has the required range of support facilities to conduct international research including, Radio Carbon Accelerator, advanced Geosciences equipment and laboratory and world standard genetics facilities. The Department of Archaeology and Ancient History has developed its own GIS laboratory specialising in GIS for the humanities, and focuses on investigating the long-term development and transformation of cultural landscapes, the development and growth of cities, & historical ecology. Established Geoarchaeology research platform with Department of Geosciences.
Aarhus University (AU) is a large and internationally top-ranked university, with top 65-119 rankings by several influential rankings (Leiden, ARWU, QS, THE). It currently includes approx. 50000 employees and students, including 1900 PhD students. The Department of Bioscience has approx. 500 employees, including >80 PhD students. The ESRs will carry out their research with the Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity (ECOINF) at the Department of Bioscience. ECOINF is one of the department’s strongest sections, with 2 full professors, 3 associate professors, 1 assistant professors, 15 postdocs, and 18 PhD students, with a high level of internationality (currently 16 nationalities). Research: basic and applied geographical ecology, integrated macroecological and -evolutionary studies, and interdisciplinary studies on land-use dynamics and human-biodiversity interactions, including focus on rewilding. Methods: ECOINF is strong in geospatial analyses and ecoinformatics, including the usage of remote sensing data. Associated to ECOINF is currently starting an integrated research center on “Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World” (BIOCHANGE), based on a 5.3 mio EUR personal grant to section head Prof. Svenning (see below). ECOINF is involved in a number of large international research projects, including the Aarhus University Research on the Anthropocene (AURA) project.
Prof. Svenning has strong experience in training ESRs (37 PhD students and 44 postdocs (past and ongoing)). ECOINF offers a vibrant environment for ESRs, with weekly journal club (run by Prof. Svenning), weekly and biweekly thematic meetings for ESRs and senior researchers, PhD courses (e.g., “R for Macroecology” and “Megafauna Ecosystem Ecology”), strong emphasis on a collaborative atmosphere, and frequent international visitors. ECOINF has very strong computing facilitiesand strong support for advanced geospatial analyses.
The palaeoecological research group of the Department of Environmental Geography will be involved in TerraNova. The group currently includes seven senior researchers, two research engineers, one technician, five PhD students and four Post-Docs. Environmental Science includes, besides palaeoecology, geoarcheology, environmental geology and chemistry. The focus of the palaeoecological group is on Holocene landscape dynamics and relationships/interactions between vegetation/landscapes, human activity, metallurgy and pollution history and climate change over century and millennial time scales. The most unique expertise of the group includes pollen-vegetation modelling (pollen-based quantitative reconstructions of past vegetation cover/landscape openness/deforestation), sedimentology and diatoms analysis for reconstruction of past human occupation and pollution and anthracology for inference of past fire regimes, metallurgy and land-use.
The palaeoecology group has all necessary facilities, expertise and infrastructure (open space, new laboratories, microscopes) to host PhD students for training in pollen analysis, macro and micro charcoal analysis, and pollen-vegetation modelling. The PhD students will also be involved in the activities (workshops, meetings, etc) of the PAGES LandCover6kworking group (http://www.pages-igbp.org/ini/wg/landcover6k/intro) currently coordinated by Prof. M.-J. Gaillard (partner of this ITN) and Dr Florence Mazier (responsible of land-cover reconstruction for Mediterranean area).
IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. IUCN’s work focuses on valuing and conserving nature, ensuring effective and equitable governance of its use, and deploying nature-based solutions to global challenges in climate, food and development. IUCN supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world, and brings governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice. IUCN is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organisation, with more than 1,200 government and NGO Members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries. IUCN’s work is supported by over 1,000 staff in 45 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world.
The IUCN European Regional Office is located in Brussels and is an out-posted Headquarters office unit providing global services to the organization. The office provides vital linkages for IUCN – its Members, National Committees, scientific Commissions and the global Secretariat – to key EU institutions and other public and private actors in the EU. In Brussels, the IUCN European Regional Office acts as liaison between the large IUCN constituency and the European Union. As focal point for IUCN on relevant EU policies, both internal as well as external, it plays an active role in promoting the extensive knowledge and science generated by IUCN, its Members and scientists to influence the EU decision-making process, through partnerships and networking, as well as raise awareness of the importance of nature conservation among EU policy-makers.
The IUCN Regional Office for Europe has an office with capacity to host up to 25 staff, consultants, secondments and member organisations. Currently not the full office capacity is used. The office is easy to reach by public transport and offers all required office facilities.
The University of South-Eastern Norway , USN) was established on 1-1-2016, when Buskerud and Vestfold University College merged with Telemark University College. It has around 19,000 students and 1500 staff. Within USN, the Institute of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health (INHM) includes an active research group in Ecology (16 permanent staff). The interaction between ecosystems and climate change is one of the main research topics. The group has a broad expertise, including vegetation dynamics, climate modelling, zoology, aquatic ecology, environmental chemistry and genetics. INHM has excellent national and international networks.
Excellence in training of ESRs is a top priority at INHM. The institute is coordinating a PhD program in Ecology that started in 2011. A PhD supervision committee safeguards the quality of the PhD programme. Currently there are 25 students enrolled in this program. In the past 5 years, 11 ESRs completed their PhD within the institute and 10 more will submit their PhD thesis in the next year. The ESR based at INHM will be part of the PhD programme in Ecology and will have access to all MSc and PhD courses, which are taught in English. PhD courses relevant to TerraNova include: Alpine Biodiversity and Climate Change, Field methods: fish and wildlife, Boundary layer and local climates, Study design and statistics, Quantitative methods.
The Partner Organisations - co-supervisors
The Berliner Antike Kolleg (BAK), founded in 2011 as an institution with an innovative structure, is deeply rooted in the long lasting tradition of classical and ancient studies in Berlin. One aim of the BAK is to stimulate and consolidate the interdisciplinary research between natural and cultural science. To realize this goal and to achieve synergies, six major institutions standing in different traditions work together in the BAK framework: a) Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, b) German Archaeological Institute, c) Freie Universität Berlin, d) Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, e) Max-Planck-Institute for the History of Science and f) Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Staatliche Museen Berlin.
The Physical Geography Section of the Institute of Geographical Science has sound expertise in the reconstruct-tion of paleo-environmental conditions, evaluating human impact on process dynamics, and landscape history. The facilities of the laboratory of the Physical Geography section allow the preparation of soil and sediment samples and the determination of geochemical and mineralogical parameters. During the last decade, several doctoral candidates from foreign countries (Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Venezuela, Italy, Hungary,Kyrgyzstan) jointed the Physical Geography working group and conduct(s)(ed) successful research within the network of this group.
Prof. Dr. Brigitta Schütt f (Physical Geographer, co-supervisor ESR2, provides secondment to ESR2), Prof. Dr. Wiebke Bebermeier f (Physical Geographer, contributes to co-supervision and guiding ESR2, contributes to T1.1), BAK supports field access to the Oder delta (FL1b) and contributes to network-wide training events.
The University of Évora is organized in 4 Schools and offers 41 undergraduate and 120 postgraduate degrees. Research and Development (R&D) covers a vast array of scientific areas through a network of 14 Research Units, coordinated by the Institute for Research and Advanced Studies (IIFA). Furthermore, the University of Évora established two privately-sponsored Chairs in areas of excellence: Biodiversity and Renewable Energies. The University has fostered a close link with the regional and local communities through the participation in the Évora Science and Technology Park as well as through the establishment of protocols and contracts for the supply of services in partnerships with Companies, Universities, Associations and Institutes
Dr. José Muñoz-Rojas Morenés m (Geographer),
Rural and Environmental Geographer, currently working as scientist in rural land-use and landscape sustainability at the Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (MED) of the University of Évora (Portugal).
Research experience of over 15 years across diverse rural landscapes in NW and SW Europe, involved in 16 International and 14 National research and consultancy projects and programs.
Editor of 3 Special Issues addressing; Mediterranean Farm and Land Systems (Land-Use Policy, 2019), Rural Landscape Governance (Landscape Ecology, 2019), and Agroforestry Landscape Management (Sustainability Science, 2020).
Role in TERRANOVA:
Co-supervisor of ESR4 (WP2)- Including guiding Phd secondment at the University Évora (January-February 2021),
Involved in guidance of field work and documentation in NW Iberia,
Coordination of Iberian research teams and groups and case studies.
The WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme has been active in Romania since the early 1990s but was officially registered in 2006 to conserve the natural environment and ecological processes in Romania and to contribute to science-based nature conservation in the Danube Carpathian Region.
The programme will facilitate ESRs staying at the (SW Carpathian, Danube Delta) sites, as well as facilitate ESR dialogue with the stakeholders in the project/s area. WWF will provide access to information, transfer of knowledge and access to sites.
The programme will facilitate ESRs staying at the (SW Carpathian, Danube Delta) sites, as well as facilitate ESR dialogue with the stakeholders in the project/s area. WWF will provide access to information, transfer of knowledge and access to sites.
Dr. Orieta Hulea f (PI, Senior Freshwater Expert, co-supervision ESR5, providing secondments ESRs 5,8).
WWF contributes to the training program during network-wide TAFS events.
The European Landowners Organization (ELO), created in 1972, is a unique federation of national associations from the EU28, representing the interests of the landowners, land and forest managers and rural entrepreneurs at the European political level. The ELO’s statutory commitment is to defend and promote sustainable development, conservation and protection of the environment, renewable energies and responsible use of natural resources. To further its positions the ELO developed a communication strategy including elaboration and coordination of action programmes, involvement in the EU and international events, think-tank management, publication of position papers and studies, EU projects, etc. The efficiency of the organisation relies on its ability to gather together rural actors, land and forest managers, scientists, businesses and political decision makers at local, regional, national and European levels. ELO has been co-organising for 10 years the Forum for the Future of Agriculture www.forumforagriculture.com, which is a unique event advancing discussions on food, environmental and energy security, attended by more than 1500 people and international press. The ELO is developing the Wildlife Estates programme and Pollinator Network initiative in EU in collaboration with academics, ministries and stakeholders.
The ELO offices are located in the EU quarter, next to the EP, DGs buildings, and libraries. The added value of ELO is its network of members and experts, the access to a series of high level conferences, seminars, ad hoc groups etc organized in Brussels by the institutions or organisations. ELO manages this type of conferences with high level speakers, decision makers and experts on regular basis. ELO can also provide office facilities including video conferences (to limit traveling costs and time resources).
Ms. Marie-Alice Budniok f (Senior Expert, co-supervisor ESR14, contributes to T3.4, T5.1),
ELO contributes to the training program during network-wide TAFS events, and will co-host TAFS VI in Brussels.
Ştefan cel Mare University of Suceava (USV) is one of the most dynamic universities in Eastern Europe, providing higher education of high quality standards. USV is accredited with “High degree of confidence” by Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education is recognized as research and development unit of national interest by National Authority for Scientific Research. Department of Geography is very dynamic and ranked with the best international visibility being a leader for publishing in international journals. Our team has a great reputation in reconstruction of paleoclimate and paleo-environments working inter- and multidisciplinary (organizing few events in this directions on regional or continental scale) using climate modelling (GIS techniques).
Geography Department has the following different facilities:
1) GeoScience Laboratory, 2) Sedimentological analysis laboratory. 3) GIS Laboratory: Equipments of cartographic determinations / Informatic systems printers, scanners, scanner Platiband single pass / GPS GARMIN MAP 60 CSX / Receptor GPS Magellan Mobil Mapper CX, 4) CaveRec Laboratory for caves and ice cave proxy analysis: Picarro cavity ringdown spectometer L2130-i Isotopic H2O and accessories, etc, 5) Auto Labs (Dacia Logan MCV, Land Rover Discovery), 6) Topographical survey (Leica total station and accessories), 7) Forest biometrics and tree rings laboratory (COX Analytical System)
Dr. Marcel Mîndrescu, m (PI, Geographer, Coordinator; co-supervisor and provides secondment to ESR5.
USV contributes to training in TAFS network-wide events, will co-host TAFS V in Romania in month 30 of the TERRANOVA project and gives access to FL3 for ESRs.
Spanish Association for the Quaternary Study (AEQUA) is constituted as a scientific association integrated for a group of researchers (university professors, researchers, liberal professionals) interested in Quaternary research in Spain. The aims of AEQUA will be to promote, promote and disseminate the knowledge, progress and applications of the different disciplines that investigate the Quaternary, advise in scientific and educational matters to the Institutions and Entities that require it and represent the scientific interests of the Quaternary community of Spain at international level, in relation to INQUA (International Union for the Study of the Quaternary), and at national level with the corresponding Administrations, Institutions and Organisms.
Dr. César Borja Barrera (PI, Geomorphology, Geoarchaeology, University of Seville, Spain), Dr. Pablo Fraile Jurado (GIS, Physical Geography, University of Seville).
Tallinn University (TLU) is the third biggest public university in Estonia. The mission of TLU is to support the sustainable development of Estonia through research. The university has set international research collaboration as one of its central aims in its Development Plan 2015-2020, in order to promote intelligent lifestyles and social change in times of globalisation.
The basic research at the Institute of Ecology concentrates the spatio-temporal impacts of natural and anthropogenic processes on upland and aquatic ecosystems. All the information from the basic research is used to prognosticate the development of natural ecosystems and landscapes and human populations connected with natural processes, climate changes and human activities.
The School of Natural Sciences and Health offers the following key facilities, infrastructure and equipment to the Researcher: office space, access to pollen-databases, close integration into the bigger research team with same interests, administrative support, and access to library service and academic databases. The Institute of Ecology has all the necessary expertise, facilities and infrastructure to host PhD students and researchers for training in palaeoecological analysis (including pollen, diatoms and plant macrofossils), sedimentology, geomorphology, plant ecology, GIS and other modelling approaches.
Dr. Sugita is an expert and mentor in the areas of modelling approaches in pollen-vegetation relationships, pollen-based reconstruction of past land-cover changes, spatiotemporal dynamics of plant communities in the Holocene (at Midwest of USA, north western Europe and eastern Asia), and climate and anthropogenic impacts on vegetation and land cover.
Landscape Research & Management (LRM) is a private consultancy that aims to provide holistic, yet bespoke geoarchaeological and palaeoenvironmental advice and practical assistance to organizations mitigating and managing the impacts of landscape change within the heritage and natural environment sectors. LRM has specialist skills in palaeoenvironmental analysis (sediments and palaeoecology), geomorphology, Quaternary geology and geodiversity; works with a variety of governmental, non-governmental and private companies.
LRM works from a dedicated office in Bridgnorth, Shropshire (UK) with a standard range of office hardware (laptops, desktop PCs and printers) and software (Microsoft Office suite) as well as specialist software for GIS spatial analysis and remote sensing (QGIS, SAGA). LRM has a range of equipment available for palaeoenvironmental fieldwork including a full range of coring equipment for environmental sampling and geoprospection as well as portable GPS systems.
Dr Andy Howard (PI, Quaternary Geoarchaeologist, co-supervisor ESRs 2,7, provides secondments to ESRs 2, 7, contributes to T2.1, LRM contributes to the training program during network-wide TAFS events).
Asociasia de Geografie Aplicată Geoconcept (AGAG) is a Romanian non-profit NGO. It was established in 2010 by professionals and academics from the geography-environmental science field, and its main goals are linked to the preservation of environment and conducting/supporting activities connected to this objective, promoting academic research in geosciences in the Carpathian area, identifying natural and anthropogenic risks particularly in protected areas and areas with valuable natural or cultural heritage, environmental education and dissemination of recent scientific advances in environmental science to the general public.
Dr. Ionu Cristea, m (Vicepresident AGAG, Associate Professor in Geography; co-supervisor and provides secondment to ESR9, guides ESR3), and Dr Gabriela Florescu, f (Vicepresident AGAG, PhD in Paleolimnology; co-supervisor and provides secondment to ESR3, guides ESR9).
Wild Business Ltd is a specialist Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service consultancy. We believe in the need for more nature in the world, and that more nature is good for business. We want to use our scientific and consulting expertise to help businesses create wild space, and benefit from doing so.
Wild Business was founded by Christopher Sandom and Joseph Bull. Chris specializes in Rewilding having worked as an academic and practitioner in the field with experience of developing rewilding strategy and implementing rewilding policies. Joe specializes in Biodiversity Offsetting, particularly in establishing suitable baselines and strategies for establishing positive biodiversity trajectories.
Dr. Christopher J. Sandom (Director, biologist, provides secondment to and is co-supervises ESR11, contributes to T4.1). WB contributes to the TERRANOVA network wide training events.
The Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF was founded in 1954 as the German Film Academy, the only Film Academy in the German Democratic Republic. The Film University is the only arts academy in the German state of Brandenburg. It is the oldest and largest film academy in Germany with approx. 660 students. Formerly known as Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen Konrad Wolf, it changed its name to Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF in July 2014, when it received University status in recognition of its outstanding educational, artistic and research activities. Thus it is the only film education institution in Germany that can award doctoral degrees. Thanks to its location directly on the grounds of the renowned and world-famous Studio Babelsberg, the Film University is an integral part of the Potsdam-Babelsberg media center.
The Film university has participated in a number of projects in the area of science communication.
With its expertise in media education and media production since 1954 the Film University has the necessary expertise and equipment for developing science communication activities (training and production). In the past projects workflow pipelines have been developed allowing an intense collaboration between researchers and media practitioners. The developed approaches can be applied easily on TerraNova issues.
Additional diverse team members are needed as well in training as in media production. Film University students and alumni offer a broad expertise of media professions to fulfil these needs (e.g. script writing, acting, directing, production, cinematography, sound, editing and animation).
Jörn Krug m (project manager, associate manager to Task 5.3, contributes to course Film and Broadcasting at TAFS I; MOOC production and other dissemination activities). Jorn Krug is project manager, trainer, researcher and producer of science based film productions, entrepreneurial transfer support since 2007, 2010–13 researcher and coordinator for communication in PROGRESS, 2014-15 Train Transnational, since 2015 project manager start-up training.
The Iasi Branch of the Romanian Academy has been founded in 1948 and currently coordinates the activity of 11 fundamental research institutes and houses 159 researchers from all areas of science. The Institute of Archaeology has currently 15 tenured full-time researchers with fields of expertise ranging from Palaeolithic to Late Middle Age, making it the largest research institution of its kind from NE Romania. The activity of the Department of Prehistoric Archaeology enjoys international recognition visible in numerous running bi-lateral collaborations with universities and research institutes form UK, Germany and Belgium. Through his members, the hosted ESRs will also be integrated in a highly dynamic and interdisciplinary informal research group, focused on the analysis of human-environment interaction, formed of specialists from various institutes of the host, including experts in archaeology, geography and rural development.
The Institute of Archaeology has a well-stocked library, and specialists in optical microscopy with a state-of-the-art laboratory. Alongside ample desk space and specialist computer the Institute of Archaeology has all the necessary infrastructure to support this research.
Dr. George Bodi (m) is one of the prominent names in landscape archaeology in Romania and is known for his work on the analysis of human-environment relationship in the Chalcolithic of NE Romania. He authored or co-authored two books, numerous peer-reviewed articles, and was invited to present conferences at prestigious European institutions on this specific topic. He has been a member of two doctoral mentoring commissions. He has coordinated the administrative aspects of 25 post-doctoral fellowships and has been directly involved, as mentor or PI, in the scientific coordination of six early stage researchers, four of the latter holding now tenured positions at prestigious Romanian institutions. Dr. George Bodi contributes to co-supervision and Romanian secondments of ESR5, supports access to archaeological data in FL3, and contributes to the TERRANOVA network-wide training events.
PU is one of the largest Universities in the UK with an enrolment of >25,000 students, >2900 staff, turnover >£234M and ranks in the top 350 worldwide Universities. SoGEES is a centre of international research excellence (>95% research is internationally recognised in the UK REF2014). The Quaternary Research cluster includes expertise and research leadership in human-environment relationships in the present and past, including focus on quantification of long-term landscape change, social resilience, rewilding, long-term conservation, and environmental governance.
Plymouth University has been awarded over £21.5 million for MSCA projects since 2007 and hosted 26 MSCA fellows since then. SoGEES has received almost £1.5M and hosted 12 fellows. Plymouth University is currently a coordinator for two Marie Curie Initial Training Networks and two Research and Innovation Staff Exchange projects. The Quaternary group has all necessary facilities (expertise and lab infrastructure) to host PhD students for training in palaeoecological analysis.
Prof. Ralph Fyfe m (quantification of landcover; environmental archaeology; quantitative statistical analysis; data-model inter-comparison; temperate and Mediterranean European land cover change; contributes to co-supervision of ESR5, secondment ESR5; contributes to T2.1, T3.3).
The palaeoecological research group of the Department of Biology and Environmental Science currently includes
two senior researchers (professors) and two Post-Docs and is part of the PhD education in environmental science and technology including 8 senior researchers (5 professors), 15 PhD students and six Post- Doc. The focus of the palaeoecological group is on Holocene landscape dynamics; the strongest expertise of the group is pollen-vegetation modelling (pollen-based quantitative reconstructions of past vegetation
cover/landscape openness/deforestation). Other strong expertises are palaeoentomology for reconstruction of past vegetation/landscape and climate, and charcoal analysis for inference of past fire regimes.
The palaeoecology group has all necessary facilities (expertise and infrastructure) to host PhD students for training in pollen analysis, plant macrofossil- and insect analysis, charcoal analysis, and pollen-vegetation modelling. The PhD student will be part of a PhD education in environmental sciences including up to 15 PhD students. Moreover the palaeoecological group is partner of a strategic research area (MERGE-ModElling the Regional and Global Earth system) and linked to a related PhD research school (ClimBECo), both based at Lund University (Lund, Sweden).
Prof. Dr. Marie-José Gaillard f (PI, Palaeoecologist, pollen-vegetation modelling, co-supervision ESR6, provides secondment to ESR6, contributes to T1.2, T2.2).
Rewilding Europe (RE), established in 2011, is a unique, European non-profit organization that promotes a new conservation vision for Europe, with more space for natural processes and wildlife, where people can earn a fair living from the wild. Rewilding Europe currently works in nine (8), but ultimately >10 rewilding landscapes across Europe that become showcases of such new vision, showing practical and meaningful results for the return of wild nature and wildlife, developing nature-based economies based on this, create a new pride in wild nature and inspire other initiatives across the continent to adopt RE’s vision and approach. Rewilding Europe is currently working in 12 different European countries and connecting rewilding initiatives in more than 25 European countries. RE is member of the European Habitats Forum, has partnerships with >25 related organizations all over Europe and has built its own European Rewilding Network in which >55 partners cooperate.
Hosting of an ESR can be done in both the rewilding NGO and rewilding enterprise section of RE. The ESR can make use of the physical and digital infrastructure of RE and interact on a daily/weekly base with the rewilding and rewilding enterprise specialists of RE on central level.
The department of Earth Sciences at the University of Hong Kong was established in 1995 to meet local demand for Earth science expertise. This is because as a densely populated city, Hong Kong’s subtropical location, local geology and limited water and mineral resources present significant societal challenges.
As an international hub located in East Asia, Hong Kong’s global connectivity, strong work ethic and knowledge-based society provide competitive advantages that allowed the department to quickly establish high standards of teaching and research. This of course also benefited from their access to the fascinating Asia region which provided prime study areas, teaching laboratories and collaborative opportunities.
Dr. Jed Oliver Kaplan, Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). Dr. Kaplan has been a core member of the TerraNova consortium from proposal stage. Dr. Kaplan will serve in the project as a principle advisor to ESRs 3, 6 and 7 and in Work Packages 1 and 2, as well as an advisor to the Atlas Working groups.
The School of Life Sciences is one of the largest Schools in the University of Sussex, both in terms of research activity and student and staff population. They strive to engage with real world problems and produce impact in fields as varied as cancer biology, drug discovery, neuroscience and biodiversity.
As a partner of TerraNova, the University of Sussex will participate and contribute to the research, innovation and training activities as planned in this project. In particular, the University of Sussex will be involved in hosting secondments and providing associated training and support research into exploring opportunities for land-use change to deliver more sustainable landscapes.
Dr Christopher Sandom, Senior Lecturer in Biology (Evolution, Behaviour and Environment)
In particular, the University of Sussex will be involved in hosting ESR Rowan Dunn-Capper on a secondment and provide associated training and support his research into exploring opportunities for land-use change to deliver more sustainable landscapes.
The mission of Geo Engine:
Integrating geodata into analyses and processes is a major challenge. They are difficult to obtain, are available in a wide variety of formats, and require a lot of storage space. This makes them the epitome of Big Data.
The Geo Engine is a cloud-based analysis platform that overcomes the limitations of existing solutions on the market. It connects data sources in such a way that data scientists can process them interactively over time intervals and analyze them visually. The results can be integrated into machine learning frameworks and business processes via our interfaces or presented to decision makers as an interactive app.
Geo Engine GmbH will be involved in developing and deploying the Terranova Data-Atlas.
Philip Schweitzer, CFO at Geo Engine GmbH & Dr. Christian Beilschmidt, Co-Founder, Data Visualization & Analysis & Dr. Johannes Drönner, Co-Founder, Product Development & Deep Learning.
Geo Engine will provide training and host secondments for ESRs.
In particular, Geo Engine GmbH will be involved in developing and deploying the Terranova Data-Atlas and provide associated training, workshops and support for the Atlas. This will enable the Terranova ESRs as well as the researchers in the project to appropriately prepare their heterogeneous data sources as well as present the results and other relevant data to internal and external Stakeholders.