Research funding successes
09 April 2009
Public Health and Built Environment granted EU funding for research projects.
Prevention Standards
Dr Harry Sumnall, Centre for Public Health
The prevalence of substance use in people in the EU shows no signs of decline. Whilst most young people do not suffer adversely from their use, a significant minority find that drugs negatively impact upon life, education, career, and relationships. Identifying the best means of supporting these young people, and providing help through difficult times in their lives is the objective of contemporary drug prevention. However, there is little guidance for practitioners on what are the most effective methods to adopt, and policy makers struggle with how to judge the success of funded initiatives.
In response to this, Dr Harry Sumnall, Reader in Substance Use, and Lisa Jones, Senior Researcher, both of the Centre for Public Health, are leading a new EU funded research project to generate European Standards in Evidence for Drug Prevention. It proceeds in collaboration with partner organisations in Italy, Spain, Romania, Hungary, and Poland, and builds upon academic and applied research conducted by the applicants at national and EU level over the previous five years.
This research will provide commonly agreed evidence standards, generated from robust methodologies, to support policy makers and professionals in the selection, promotion and/or development of best practice in all relevant areas of drug prevention. This will allow users to bridge the gaps between science, policy, and practice, and allow them to demonstrate success in reaching specific objectives of National, and EU Drugs Action Plans. Adoption of these will improve drug prevention practice and efficiency of funding, and reduce the likelihood of implementation of ineffective and iatrogenic interventions. Developing a common methodology and locally relevant guidance will provide an impetus for partners to review and update standards as necessary. The research will continue until 2010 whereupon it is hoped that future funding will support the research partnership to develop materials, education, and training to allow policy makers and practitioners to put the findings into practice.
Shrink Smart - Governance of Shrinkage Within a European Context
Professor Chris Couch, School of the Built Environment
Working with a number of European partners, researchers in the School of the Built Environment, led by Professor Chris Couch, are about to start a new project funded under the European Union's Framework VII. The project starts on 1 May 2009 and will run for three years.
The focus of the 'shrink-smart' project is on 'shrinkage' (urban decline) as a pathway of urban and regional development, examining the phenomenon's causes, challenges, and solutions. The research will be based upon comparative case studies from seven urban regions throughout Europe with a particular concern for disadvantaged urban regions in Eastern and Southern Europe.
The project is coordinated by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig (Germany), with seven partners: LJMU, Ostrava University, Silesian University Katowice, University La Sapienze, Rome, Nottingham University, West University of Timisoara, and the Industrial Economics Institute Donetsk, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences.
