Research Runway: accessible opportunities for new facility users
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What is Research Runway?
To help early career researchers (ECR’s) and new users to access the FAAM Airborne Laboratory’s equipment and expertise, we provide flying hours and support for small-scale, stand-alone projects through the Research Runway scheme. Projects should use the existing instrument fit, and consist of up to 10 hours flying on board the FAAM Airborne Laboratory, based out of FAAM’s home base at Cranfield, Bedfordshire, between specified dates. A limited number of hours are available in total.
About the FAAM Airborne Laboratory
The FAAM research aircraft is a versatile and manoeuvrable platform for atmospheric science. FAAM maintains a diverse suite of core instrumentation to measure a range of atmospheric variables including fundamental meteorology, chemistry (e.g. carbon dioxide and methane), aerosol properties, cloud physics and remote sensing. The facility’s team of experts is available to support users from project design through to data collection and analysis.
Your project might involve:
- Generating preliminary data
- Proof-of-concept in advance of applying for a full research grant
- Demonstrating the applicability or feasibility of new techniques
Who can apply?
Funding is available to researchers within NERC’s remit, based at organisations eligible to apply for NERC funding. Applications from early career researchers and/or new FAAM users will be prioritised.
We define an ECR as a non-independent Postdoctoral Researcher (e.g. a PDRA), an independent Postdoctoral Researcher (e.g. a research fellow) or an individual with a technician background, such as research or instrument technicians currently employed in a research capacity within the UK in an environmental science discipline relevant to NERC’s remit. We define new FAAM users as researchers of any career stage who have previously not been named on a successful grant application to use the FAAM aircraft.
Applicants do not need to be employed on a NERC grant or fellowship. Non-independent researchers and those with a technician background should confirm that their line manager has understood the time commitment required for the project and is willing to make this available.
Contact research-runway@ncas.ac.uk if you have specific questions about the scheme.