GALLANT - Glasgow as a Living Lab Accelerating Novel Transformation
Delivering a Climate Resilient City through City-University Partnership
What is GALLANT?
The University of Glasgow, in partnership with Glasgow City Council, are working on a £10.2 million research programme: GALLANT - Glasgow as a Living Lab Accelerating Novel Transformation. Funded by UKRI NERC as part of their Changing the Environment investment, University researchers are helping the city move towards climate resilience whilst tackling health, social and economic inequalities.
GALLANT will use Glasgow as a living lab to trial new sustainable solutions throughout the city. GALLANT takes a whole-systems approach. While addressing the city’s key environmental challenges, the programme will consider the co-benefits and trade-offs for public health, wellbeing, and the economy. GALLANT aims to deliver the social priorities of the UN Sustainable Development Goals while remaining within the planetary boundaries of a 1.5°C world - using doughnut economics as a framework.
GALLANT started on 31st January 2022 under the leadership of Centre for Sustainable Solutions Director, Professor Jaime L. Toney, and in collaboration with 29 key programme partners from a variety of public bodies, community groups and businesses. The University of Glasgow team will build on existing inter-disciplinary academic collaborations, and develop new ones, as well as new ways of working to suit these urgent challenges, with over 50 researchers from across our Schools, Colleges, and Institutes, and ten exciting new PhD projects (currently open for applications).
Professor Toney says:
"Together we aim not only to bring nature back into the city system, but make meaningful, lasting change that embeds sustainability across major policy decisions and empowers communities as stewards of their local places. GALLANT will work with local partners and communities to transform the city into a thriving place for people and nature. GALLANT will help Glasgow achieve its goal to be carbon neutral by 2030 and accelerate its path to climate resilience."
The aim of this research partnership is to boost Glasgow's transition to climate resilience through:
- Designing, implementing and testing a translatable whole-system approach to urban environmental and wellbeing challenges to deliver the social priorities of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, while remaining within the ecological ceiling defined by the planetary boundaries of a 1.5C world, and
- Working with our partners and local communities to co-produce and deliver five interdependent, mutually reinforcing environmental solutions for climate resilience that build capacity for ongoing innovation in the Glasgow living lab.
The five solutions are:
- To address flood risk related to tidal changes, sea level rise, and increased water from extreme weather events. GALLANT aims to transform land use along the River Clyde by identifying sites for urban corridor parks for flood water storage, while also improving areas along the Clyde for wildlife and people.
- To halt biodiversity loss by restoring and connecting currently isolated habitat patches. GALLANT will improve biodiversity by restoring and connecting habitats across Glasgow. Citizens will play a key role in helping researchers to map important bird and mammal species that lead to new management practices in greenspaces to increase connectivity between habitats.
- To trial new ways of regenerating derelict and polluted land through technology that mineralises greenhouse gases and traps organic pollutants into building materials for the future, as well as returning these sites for community use and ecologically functional places.
- To enhance the connectivity that is important not only for nature, but for active travel and inclusive mobility. GALLANT will work with communities to increase active travel including cycling, wheeling and walking to reduce car journeys, improve air quality and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
- To tackle sustainable energy as a key challenge to achieving net zero carbon. GALLANT will develop sustainable low carbon energy solutions at the community scale that empower local people as active energy citizens to co-create clean energy demand.
Through our living lab approach we will learn how to create solutions that are place-based and meaningful to local people. Our global network of partners, means that we will exchange our learning and solutions with both academics and policy leaders across the world. This is an exciting opportunity for Glasgow to lead and carry on the legacy from the recent COP26.
- Contact Professor Jaime L. Toney for more information
- See our University news item here
- GALLANT is supported by the Natural Environment Research Council as part of the Changing the Environment Programme - NERC grant reference number NE/W005042/1
- UKRI NERC Changing the Environment
- See also GALLANT's page on the UKRI Gateway to Research
- UN Sustainable Development Goals at the University of Glasgow
- Doughnut Economics - Kate Raworth
- Glasgow City Council - Sustainable Glasgow
The GALLANT Team
GALLANT Leadership Team
| Name | Role | School / Subject / Unit |
|---|---|---|
|
Prof Jaime L Toney (GALLANT Principal Investigator) College of Science and Engineering |
Professor in Environmental and Climate Science Director Co-Chair |
School of Geographical and Earth Sciences Centre for Sustainable Solutions University of Glasgow Sustainability Working Group |
|
Prof Petra Meier (GALLANT Co-PI) Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
Professor of Public Health Associate Director |
MRC/CSO Social & Public Health Sciences Unit Centre for Sustainable Solutions |
|
Prof Marian Scott (GALLANT Co-PI) College of Science and Engineering | Professor of Environmental Statistics | School of Mathematics and Statistics |
GALLANT Management Team
| Name | Role | School / Subject / Unit |
|---|---|---|
|
Sarah Currier College of Science and Engineering |
Programme Manager |
GALLANT Programme |
|
To be appointed College of Science and Engineering |
Programme Communications Officer |
GALLANT Programme |
|
To be appointed College of Science and Engineering | Programme Monitoring and Evaluation Officer | GALLANT Programme |
|
To be appointed College of Science and Engineering Currently being recruited; applications closed | Programme Administrator | GALLANT Programme |
|
To be appointed Research & Innovation Services Currently being recruited; applications closed | Centre for Sustainable Solutions Coordinator | Centre for Sustainable Solutions |
Whole Systems Team
| Name / College | Role | School / Subject / Unit |
|---|---|---|
|
Prof John Crawford (Team Co-Lead) College of Social Sciences | Professor in Strategy and Technology Management | Adam Smith Business School |
|
Prof Petra Meier (Team Co-Lead) Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
Professor of Public Health Associate Director |
MRC/CSO Social & Public Health Sciences Unit Centre for Sustainable Solutions |
|
Prof Denis Fischbacher-Smith College of Social Sciences |
Research Chair in Risk and Resilience; Visiting Professor of Risk Management |
Adam Smith Business Schoo School of Interdisciplinary Studies |
|
Prof Graeme Roy College of Social Sciences |
Dean of External Engagement Professor in Economics |
College Senior Management Adam Smith Business School |
|
Dr Annika Hjelmskog Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
Glasgow's City Portrait Research Associate |
MRC/CSO Social & Public Health Sciences Unit |
|
Petra Baiba Olehno Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
Glasgow's City Portrait Project Manager |
MRC/CSO Social & Public Health Sciences Unit |
|
To be appointed Institute of Health and Wellbeing Currently being recruited; applications closed |
Research Associate in Systems Thinking and Modelling |
MRC/CSO Social & Public Health Sciences Unit |
|
To be appointed College of Social Sciences Currently being recruited; applications closed |
Research Associate in Complex Systems Modelling & Visualisation | Adam Smith Business School |
Community Collaboration Team
| Name / College | Role | School / Subject / Unit |
|---|---|---|
|
Dr Ria Dunkley (Team Lead) College of Social Sciences |
Senior Lecturer in Geography, Environment and Sustainability Core Member |
School of Education Centre for Research and Development in Adult and Lifelong Learning (CRADALL) |
|
Prof Minty Donald College of Arts |
Professor of Contemporary Performance Practice | School of Culture & Creative Arts |
|
Dr Nai Rui Chng Institute of Health and Wellbeing College of Social Sciences |
Research Associate Post Doctoral Research Associate Research Associate in Innovative Methods for Co-Evaluating Collaborative Community Practices (GALLANT) |
MRC/CSO Social & Public Health Sciences Unit Institute of Health & Wellbeing Social Sciences School of Education |
|
Dr Rhys Williams College of Arts |
Lecturer in Energy & Environmental Humanities Associate Director |
School of Critical Studies Centre for Sustainable Solutions |
|
Dr Russell Jones Glasgow Centre for Population Health |
Public Health Programme Manager | GCPH |
|
Prof Adrian Boyce SUERC |
Professor of Applied Geology Manager of NEIF Stable Isotope Laboratory | SUERC |
|
To be appointed College of Social Sciences Currently being recruited; applications closed |
Research Associate in Applied Creative Practices in Communities | School of Education |
|
To be appointed College of Social Sciences Currently being recruited; applications closed | Research Associate in Innovative Methods for Co-Producing Collaborative Community Practices | School of Education |
Data and Data Analytics Team
| Name / College | Role | School / Subject / Unit |
|---|---|---|
|
Prof Claire Miller (Team Lead) College of Science and Engineering | Head of Statistics / Professor | School of Mathematics and Statistics |
|
Prof Ana Basiri College of Science and Engineering |
Professor of Geospatial Data Science | School of Geographical and Earth Sciences |
|
Prof Marian Scott College of Science and Engineering |
Professor of Environmental Statistics |
School of Mathematics and Statistics |
|
Prof Nick Bailey College of Social Sciences |
Professor Associate Director |
Urban Studies Institute of Health & Wellbeing Urban Big Data Centre |
|
Research Associates will be appointed later in the programme |
Flood Adaptation & Creation of Riverscapes Team
| Name / College | Role | School / Subject / Unit |
|---|---|---|
|
Prof Larissa Naylor (Team Co-Lead) College of Science and Engineering | Professor of Geomorphology and Environmental Geography | School of Geographical and Earth Sciences |
|
Dr Martin Hurst (Team Co-Lead) College of Science and Engineering |
Lecturer in Physical Geography |
School of Geographical and Earth Sciences |
|
Dr Giedre Jokubauskaite College of Social Sciences |
Lecturer in International Law |
School of Law |
|
Dr John Shi College of Social Sciences |
Senior Lecturer in Hydrology |
School of Interdisciplinary Studies |
|
Dr Richard Williams College of Science and Engineering |
Senior Lecturer in Fluvial Geomorphology and Geospatial Science |
School of Geographical and Earth Sciences |
|
To be appointed College of Science and Engineering Currently being recruited; applications closed |
Research Associate in Modelling the Potential for Nature-Based Solutions to Mitigate Flood Risk |
School of Geographical and Earth Sciences |
Restoring Biodiversity Team
| Name | Role | School / Subject / Unit |
|---|---|---|
|
Dr Dominic McCafferty (Team Co-Lead) College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences |
Senior Lecturer Associate |
Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health & Comparative Medicine School of Life Sciences |
|
Dr Thorsten Balke (Team Co-Lead) College of Science and Engineering | Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography and Landscape Ecology | School of Geographical and Earth Sciences |
|
Dr Davide Dominoni College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences | Lecturer in Urban Ecology | Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health & Comparative Medicine |
|
Dr Ria Dunkley College of Social Sciences |
Senior Lecturer in Geography, Environment and Sustainability Core Member |
School of Education Centre for Research and Development in Adult and Lifelong Learning (CRADALL) |
|
To be appointed College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences Currently being recruited; applications closed |
Research Associate in Spatial Ecology |
Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health & Comparative Medicine |
|
To be appointed College of Science and Engineering Currently being recruited; applications closed |
Research Associate in Urban Wetland Ecology |
School of Geographical and Earth Sciences |
Regenerating Derelict Land Team
| Name / College | Role | School / Subject / Unit |
|---|---|---|
|
Dr Cise Unluer (Team Lead) College of Science and Engineering | Reader (Infrastructure & Environment) | James Watt School of Engineering |
|
Dr Adrian Bass College of Science and Engineering |
Senior Lecturer |
School of Geographical and Earth Sciences |
|
Dr Caroline Gauchotte-Lindsay College of Science and Engineering |
Senior Lecturer (Infrastructure & Environment) |
James Watt School of Engineering |
|
Dr John MacDonald College of Science and Engineering |
Lecturer in Earth Sciences |
School of Geographical and Earth Sciences |
|
To be appointed College of Science and Engineering Currently being recruited; applications closed |
Research Associate in Carbon Sequestration |
James Watt School of Engineering |
Promoting Active Travel Team
| Name / College | Role | School / Subject / Unit |
|---|---|---|
|
Prof Cindy Gray (Team Co-Lead) Institute of Health and Wellbeing | Interdisciplinary Professor of Health and Behaviour | Institute of Health & Wellbeing Social Sciences |
|
Prof Jason Gill (Team Co-Lead) College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences |
Professor of Cardiometabolic Health Associate Associate |
Institute of Cardiovascular & Medical Sciences Institute of Health & Wellbeing School of Life Sciences |
|
Prof Alex McConnachie Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
Professor of Clinical Trial Biostatistics Associate |
Robertson Centre for Biostatistics School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing |
|
Bruce Whyte Glasgow Centre for Population Health |
Public Health Programme Manager |
|
|
Dr David McArthur College of Social Sciences |
Senior Lecturer Associate Director – Training and Capacity Building |
Urban Studies Urban Big Data Centre |
|
Prof Emma McIntosh Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
Professor of Health Economics Associate |
Health Economics & Health Technology Assessment School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing |
|
Prof Nick Bailey College of Social Sciences |
Professor Associate Director |
Urban Studies Institute of Health & Wellbeing Urban Big Data Centre |
|
To be appointed College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences Currently being recruited; applications closed | Research Associate in Sustainable Urban Mobility | Institute of Cardiovascular & Medical Sciences |
Community Scale Sustainable Low Carbon Energy Team
| Name / College | Role | School / Subject / Unit |
|---|---|---|
|
Prof Gioia Falcone (Team Lead) College of Science and Engineering |
Rankine Chair of Energy Engineering Associate Director |
James Watt School of Engineering Centre for Sustainable Solutions |
|
Dr Anastasia Ioannou College of Science and Engineering |
Lecturer in Sustainable Resources (Systems Power & Energy) |
James Watt School of Engineering |
|
Dr Andrea Cammarano College of Science and Engineering |
Senior Lecturer (Systems Power & Energy) |
James Watt School of Engineering |
|
To be appointed College of Science and Engineering Currently being recruited; applications closed | Research Associate in Sustainable Energy Solutions | James Watt School of Engineering |
GALLANT Key Partners
- Glasgow City Council
- C40 Cities
- Korn Ferry
- Deloitte MCS Limited
- UNECE (UN Economic Commission Europe) - Sustainable Energy Division
- The Alan Turing Institute
- Bike for Good
- NERC British Geological Survey
- Cycling Scotland
- Environment Agency - Thames RFCC (Flood & Coastal Comm)
- ERS (Environmental Reclamation Services) Remediation
- Glasgow Natural History Society
- Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery
- ITM Mechanical Solutions
- NatureScot (Scottish Natural Heritage)
- Paths for All
- Ramboll UK
- RSPB Scotland
- Scottish Environment Protection Agency
- SLR Consulting Limited (UK)
- Star Refrigeration Ltd
- Sustrans
- Zero Waste Scotland
- CSIRO - Climate Science Centre, CSIRO Oceans
- Seven Lochs Wetland Park
- Clyde Mission
- Glasgow Life