“Anglian Water has hugely benefited from UEA’s world-leading expertise in climate research.” Dr Geoff Darch, Anglian Water
By supporting postgraduate students, companies not only contribute to the development of future leaders in their respective fields but also gain access to cutting-edge research that can inform their decision-making and bring significant benefits. We spoke to Dr Geoff Darch, Head of Supply Demand Strategy at Anglian Water, about how the water company has benefited from supporting UEA postgraduate students.
Can you tell us about Anglian Water’s involvement in UEA’s postgraduate research?
We've supported postgraduate students to carry out their Master of Science (MSc) studies at UEA, providing the opportunity to conduct research and dissertations with Anglian Water. And our main area of involvement has been by sponsoring and supporting PhD students, which has been especially beneficial. One UEA student has recently finished their PhD with us, and another two have recently started their PhDs – looking at subjects related to water management and climate change.
What does supporting a PhD entail, and how does it come about?
The starting point has been having an idea about a complex issue or question that we want to explore in more depth, rather than just relying on existing research. The first PhD at UEA that I was involved with came about because, a few years ago, I was keen to examine in more detail how climate change may affect the frequency and intensity of future droughts – to help Anglian Water’s planning in this area. So, I spoke to UEA’s climate change research team, and we agreed the scope for a PhD placement to research this issue – ensuring that the studentship takes onboard the theoretical academic criteria, as well as looking at the practical elements of the issue. We then advertised for the PhD student and carried out interviews to get the right person. I was one of the PhD student’s supervisors while they carried out their work and they also received supervision from UEA’s academic experts.
How does the funding work?
It depends – we have provided part-funding for two PhDs at UEA and have been what’s known as a “CASE” partner in another – where much of the funding is provided by UK Research and Innovation, and the researcher spends three to 18 months with us, as the CASE partner. There are a range of different ways of getting involved in UEA’s postgraduate research – and huge benefits of doing so.
What are the benefits of supporting a PhD for Anglian Water?
The PhD studies provide a wealth of useful information to help to inform our planning and strategy to cope with climate change and droughts. A PhD really stands up academically, using multiple research methods and local data. This is important for us, as we want to rely on the best science available. UEA is practically unparalleled in terms of its work into climate change – so, as well as benefitting from the students’ work, we are tapping into the expertise of the other PhD supervisors. They have a deep understanding of the climate and hydrology of eastern England, as UEA is carrying out cutting-edge local research. Access to this sort of knowledge and insight is invaluable.
What about the benefits to the PhD students?
At Anglian Water, we are committed to supporting the next generation of leaders in water management, and we’re doing that by supporting PhD students. Doing a PhD gives you something unique and enormously valuable, as you learn a lot about yourself and how you work. Many of the PhD students will go onto work in hydrology agencies or consultancies, and so by supporting them we are helping to build a network or experts.