SENSE Research Clusters 2008 - 2013

An overview of the members of each Research Cluster is available upon clicking the title of each separate Research Cluster below.

Core theme 1

Environmental contaminants and nutrients

Core theme 1 chair: Professor J. (Jacob) de Boer (IVM-VU)

 

Research Clusters / Research Topics:

I. Behaviour, exposure and effects of environmental contaminants and nutrients (chemical speciation, bioavailability, mobility, uptake and eco(toxico)logical risk assessment of nutrients and micropollutants; developing and testing of new analytical and measurement techniques; risk-based toxicity profiling of new pollutants, organic compounds and heavy metals (from molecular level to the thermodynamic macroscopic scale and field scale)

Co-ordinators: Dr. P.E.G. (Pim) Leonards (VU-IVM-C&B); Dr. E.J.M. (Erwin) Temminghoff (WU-SOQ);Dr J. (Juliette) Legler (VU-IVM-C&B)

 

II. Ecological genomics (ecological complexity, nutrient cycles, life-history patterns and responses of organisms to environmental stress at the genomic level. Analysis of environmental genomes to improve our understanding of ecosystem functions and biodiversity and to contribute to define and measure environmental quality)

Co-ordinators: Dr. D. (Dick) Roelofs (VU-IES-AE2); Dr. H. (Hauke) Smidt (WU-MIB); Dr J. (Juliette) Legler (VU-IVM-C&B)

 

III. Biotechnological and physico-chemical processes for sustainable use and reuse of water, energy, materials and minerals (treatment of waste, wastewater and off-gases; removal of pollutants; reuse and recycling of energy and minerals; self-purification; biomass & bio-energy; bio-conversion; eco-technology)

Co-ordinators: Prof. P. (Piet) Lens (UNESCO-IHE); Prof. J.B. (Jules) van Lier (WU-ETE)

 

XV. NanoSENSE (nanomaterials, nanoparticles and nanotechnology; detection, characterization and fate; bioaccumulation and ecotoxicology; risk assessment and life cycle analysis)

Co-ordinators: Bart Koelmans (WU) and Jan Hendriks (RU)

 

Core theme 2

Environmental processes and ecosystem dynamics

Core theme 2 chair: Professor A.J. (Jan) Hendriks (RU Nijmegen)

 

Research Clusters / Research Topics:

IV. Ecosystem dynamics (temperature; nutrient, carbon and salt cycling in ecosystems; multiple stress; food webs; feedback mechanisms; disturbance and resilience; biodiversity processes, modelling at landscape, watershed and ecosystem scales)

Co-ordinators: Dr. K. (Klaas) Metselaar (WU-SEG); Dr. E.H. (Egbert) van Nes (WU-AEW)

 

V. Adaptation to environmental change (variation in the response of organisms to global warming, urbanization, pollution, drought and other stresses, with emphasis on the consequences for species interactions, community diversity and community composition)

Co-ordinators: Dr. J.H.C. (Hans) Cornelissen (VU-IES-SE)

 

VI. Landscape ecology, restoration ecology and nature conservation (key processes; causes for decline: effects of fragmentation; stable states & catastrophic events; strategies for restoration: nutrient impoverishment; restoring faunal communities; reintroduction of species; modelling)

Co-ordinators: Dr. Wil Tamis (LU-CML); Dr. Jerry van Dijk (UU)

 

VII. Processes in soil, water and atmosphere (soil dynamics, subsurface hydrology, groundwater hydrology; water flow; transport of nutrients, micropollutants and bacteria in soil and water; soil degradation, erosion and landscape evolution; geophysics; atmospheric boundary layer dynamics, circulation and distribution of air pollutants; carbon and nutrient fluxes, the hydrological cycle; extreme weather events, the effects of climate change on floods and droughts; integrated soil and water management; scale issues; modelling)

Co-ordinators: Dr. Ger de Rooij (WU-SEG); Prof. Stefan Uhlenbrook (UNESCO-IHE)

 

XIII. Land use, spatial analysis and modelling / Ecosystem and Landscape Services (development of tools for analysing, understanding and visualising patterns and dynamics of environmental functions and values; competing claims for land use, development of decision support systems for spatial planning and management; quantifying, evaluating and developing effective financial mechanisms regarding ecosystem and landscape services and implementation of this knowledge in integrated local planning, landscape design and management; governance of natural resources, biodiversity, ecosystem and landscape services)

Co-ordinators: Dr. Dolf de Groot (WU-ESA); Prof.Dr. Paul Opdam (WU-LUP/Alterra)

 

Core theme 3

Global Environmental Change

Core theme 3 chair: Professor P. (Pier) Vellinga (WU / VU)

 

Research Clusters / Research Topics:

VIII. Global environmental change: pressure, state and impact (interacting biogeochemical cycles; global change observations and trends; earth system compartment interactions; complex systems and resilience; effects on ecosystems and biodiversity; scenarios and modelling potential impacts; uncertainty and communication)

Co-ordinators: Dr. L.N. (Laurens) Ganzeveld (WU-ESS); Stefan Dekker (UU)

 

IX. Managing global and climate change (the role of technological change on mitigation strategies; the development of long-term mitigation and adaptation policies in an international context; assessment of climate adaptation strategies for the Netherlands and internationally; risk management of vulnerable areas like river basins, river delta's and coastal areas; the use of spatial analysis, economic analysis and policy instruments in water management; global change and human health)

Co-ordinators: Dr. H. (Hasse) Goossen (WU/Alterra)

 

XIV. Integrated Assessment of Global Environmental Change (sustainability science; integrated modelling; participatory methods; uncertainty analysis; decision support systems for integrated pollution and/or ecosystem management)

Co-ordinators: Dr. P.J. (Pieter) Valkering (MU-ICIS)

 

Core theme 4

Sustainable development and social change: actors, institutions and governance

Core theme 4 chair: Professor G. (Gert) Spaargaren (WU-ENP)

 

Research Clusters / Research Topics:

X. Governance for Sustainable Development (understanding the limits to growth regarding inputs with inelastic supply, like energy resources, materials, land and water and outputs in terms of emissions to be constrained to what the system earth can manage; transforming these boundary conditions in requirements for sustainable development; international relations; international and national instruments and multilateral agreements; sustainability partnerships; public-private partnerships; EU and regional frameworks for environmental governance; sovereignty; governance at local, national and international level)

Co-ordinators: Ron Cörvers (MU-ICIS); Dr. P.H. (Phillipp) Pattberg (VU-IVM-EPA); Dr. A. (Aarti) Gupta (WU-ENP)

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XI. Industrial transformation / Sustainable production and consumption / Transitions to Sustainability (analysing the metabolism of society as involved in production and consumption; understanding of social and technological change in processes of long-run transitions towards sustainability; effective policies and decision making for sustainable technological development and for sustainable production and consumption).

Co-ordinators: Prof.Dr. Henk Moll (RUG-IVEM); Dr. Bas van Vliet (WU-ENP); Dr. R.P.M. (Rene) Kemp (MU-ICIS)

 

XII. Sustainable use and reuse of energy, material and resources / Cradle to Cradle approach (technological innovations; closing industrial production cycles, LCA, MFA, food-feed-fuel interactions)

Co-ordinators: Dr. Gjalt Huppes (LU-CML); Prof.Dr. Henk Moll (RUG-IVEM); Dr. W.G.J.H.M. (Wilfried) van Sark (UU-COP-STS)