Scientists Unite for Ambitious New Science Initiative
Cambridge, 28 April 2025: The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is hosting a two-day kick-off meeting this week to launch the ambitious new £8.4 million PRESCIENT programme. This major initiative, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), marks a significant investment in the UK’s polar science capabilities.
Jointly delivered by BAS and the UK Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling (CPOM) led from at Northumbria University, PRESCIENT will provide critical infrastructure and data to support research into the polar regions’ response to environmental change, their role in global sea-level rise and space weather impacts measured from Antarctica.
The funding, awarded through NERC’s National Capability Single Centre Science and National Public Good initiatives, supports long-term strategic science that underpins the UK’s role in global environmental monitoring and decision-making.
Professor Dominic Hodgson is the interim Director of Science at BAS. He says:
Professor Andrew Shepherd is the CPOM Director. He says:
PRESCIENT focuses on four interconnected research themes:
Supporting national and global priorities
PRESCIENT will also accelerate BAS’s transition to low-carbon science delivery, advancing the use of autonomous airborne systems such as those developed in the WINDRACERS project. It will also ensure the delivery of independent, high-quality science advice to government, industry, and society to address pressing global challenges like pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss.
This programme represents a cornerstone of the UK’s environmental science strategy, reinforcing the country’s leadership in understanding and responding to rapid changes in the Earth’s polar systems.
https://www.bas.ac.uk/media-post/scientists-come-together-for-new-ambitious-science-programme/