About Us

The UCL Environment Research Domain transcends organisational and disciplinary boundaries to build ambitious, well-connected research communities, fostering interdisciplinary communication and collaboration across UCL and beyond to develop innovative ideas and approaches to planetary crises that might not arise within traditional research silos. 

We do this by communicating research opportunities, building external and internal collaborations and networks, ensuring colleagues are represented at the COP Climate Conference and engaging with ECRs through the EDEN network. We aid the development of research proposals and facilitate research which would not otherwise happen.  We work closely with colleagues in Sustainable UCL, UCL Public Policy, UCL Grand Challenges, UCL Innovation and Enterprise and our other Domains and Research Co-ordination Offices. 

We also provide a platform for researchers to share their work and perspectives, to enhance knowledge dissemination and promote a deeper understanding of the challenges and potential solutions. This can lead to increased impact by informing policies, practices, and public awareness on environmental issues. 

Climate change is a strategic priority for UCL, however our environmental research cuts across all UCL’s current Grand Challenges themes: climate crisis; mental health and well-being; data-empowered societies; inequalities; intercultural communication. 

UCL Grand Challenges supports cross-disciplinary research and knowledge exchange to encourage innovative and collaborative projects that bring together researchers from different disciplines as well as external partners, promoting the exploration of new ideas and approaches to societal issues.  

The Environment Domain supports research and initiatives related to these Grand Challenges as well as other areas of research that come under the ‘environment’ umbrella.  

We believe that environment does not only refer to place, but also invokes the interconnectedness between the biosphere and societies.  

We welcome researchers from all subject areas. If you are a member of UCL research staff and would like to join the Environment Domain community, simply select the IRIS Environment Theme when you update your IRIS profile. 

If you want to find out about how you, or your organisation, can get involved with the Domain please contact Environment@ucl.ac.uk 

Our Strategy 

• Communicate research opportunities and notices across the UCL community and act as a channel to convey key messages. 

• Build external collaborations with key research institutes, organisations, industry stakeholders and policy makers to influence wider communities and decision making. 

• Promote and disseminate UCL research and build a network of key stakeholders. 

• Engage with Early Career Researchers through the EDEN network and ensure ECRs have access to multi-disciplinary opportunities and spaces to develop their career. 

• Work with UCL Open: Environment to promote open access to environmental journals. 

  Leadership 

  The co-chairs of the Environment Domain are Professor Nick Tyler (Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering) and Dr Lakshmi Priya Rajendran (Bartlett School of Architecture) 

The co-chairs are supported by an Internal Advisory Network consisting of researchers and professionals from across UCL. This group helps steer domain activities and assist in promoting the domain across their departments.  

Domain activities and research support is administered by Dr Becca Burns, the Strategic Research Facilitator for the Environment Domain (Office of the Vice Provost Research, Innovation and Global Engagement). 

Becca provides support for the domain both in terms of wider community/ capacity building and assisting the development of grant proposals. You can contact Becca via Environment@ucl.ac.uk or for specific proposal support book a 1:1 session. 

Advisory Committee  

The Environment Domain Internal Advisory Network is a panel of key UCL academic, research and professional services staff members.  

Their role is to ensure the Environment Domain strategically enhances the UCL research environment and meets the needs of the cross disciplinary community it serves.  Members aim to meet termly to guide key areas of strategic relevance for the domain and UCL.  

We are always interested in hearing from people who wish to join the Internal Advisory Network so please contact environment@ucl.ac.uk if you would like to find out more.