Environmental Science researchers awarded funding for inclusion project with migrant communities in Yorkshire

York St John University research group awarded funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to work with migrant communities on a new participatory research collaboration looking at climate change.

The Dynamic Landscape Research Group has been awarded £62,500 in funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) for a pioneering new initiative titled 'EMBRACE Enviro'. The Dynamic Landscapes Research Groupfocuses on enhancing the detection and interpretation of physical and chemical processes at the Earth's surface.

Launched in July 2025, EMBRACE Enviro is a 9-month project that will use water management as an entry point to connect people from ethnically diverse communities across Yorkshire with environmental science. The project aims to nurture future talent in the environmental sector by breaking down barriers and building inclusive pathways into science-based careers.

NERC is the UK's leading public funder of environmental science. Its funding supports research that informs critical challenges including climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable development.

Dr Olalekan Adekola, Associate Professor in Geography at York St John University is leading the project group. He said:

"Environmental science must reflect the diversity of our society. EMBRACE Enviro is about making space for people who have often been excluded from these conversations. We are creating something that can truly change lives and shift the field toward greater equity."

Dr Arved Schwendel, Senior Lecturer in Geography and Dynamic Landscape Research Group lead said:

"The migrant and refugee communities have a great potential to contribute with their knowledge and lived experience to environmental research. The EMBRACE Enviro project will provide a pathway to connecting them to employers and environmental science stakeholders and break down barriers to their inclusion in scientific discourse."

Key events in the EMBRACE Enviro programme include:

Stakeholder workshop - Thursday 30 October 2025 (York St John University)
A full-day event bringing together environmental science employers, community organisations, and individuals from refugee, asylum seeker, and migrant backgrounds. This workshop will focus on identifying challenges, sharing opportunities, and co-creating strategies to expand access to environmental careers.

Training sessions - February 2026 (York St John University)
Practical, hands-on training focused on water management, aimed at 20 participants from ethnically diverse and migrant backgrounds. The training is designed to build skills, confidence, and pathways into further engagement or employment.

Online discussion platform - April 2026
An interactive digital forum for participants to reflect on their experiences, share learning, and identify ongoing support or development needs in their environmental journey.

More details about EMBRACE Enviro can be found on the project blog. The project team is inviting individuals and organisations who work with refugee, asylum seeker, and migrant communities, or who are interested in promoting diversity within environmental science, to get involved. For more information or to express interest in the project, please email Dr Olalekan Adekola.

The project team include Dr Abby Mycroft, Dr Arved Schwendel, Dr Chris Skinner, Professor Divine Charura, Professor Gang Pan, Dr Ikechi Agbugba, Dr Lucy Jones, Dr Olalekan Adekola, Dr Pauline Couper, Professor Robert Mortimer, and Dr Tokunbo Olorundami,

If you are interested in participating in the EMBRACE Enviro project either as a partner organisation or a participant, please complete the Expression of Interest form.

Image shows York St John geography students