1. Core team About Cranfield University
Professor Simon Pollard – Centre Director Cranfield University is a wholly postgraduate university with an
Professor of Environmental Risk Management and Head international community and a truly global reputation. Ranked
of the Sustainable Systems Department. Simon is a highly first in the UK for staff to student ratios and with a top five ranking
respected risk scientist, who has deep experience of strategic for student employment on graduation, an excellent rating for
risk management within Government. Substantive career teaching, and exceptional facilities, Cranfield makes an ideal
contributions include the development of strategic and policy- destination for advancing careers. All courses are designed to
level risk appraisal tools; providing oversight to the Drigg meet the training needs of industry and have a strong input from
post-closure safety case review (radioactive waste); and risk experts in their sector. Our focus is on applied research and
governance for chemicals and pathogens in the environment. developing industry’s future engineers, managers, consultants
and entrepreneurs.
Dr Sophie Rocks – Centre Manager
A Toxicologist with a background in materials science, Sophie
has a wide research portfolio including risk assessment, materials
characterisation, and free radical toxicology. Sophie’s particular
interest is in the manufacture, use and risk of engineered
nanomaterials. Sophie is a member of the Advisory Committee on
Hazardous Substances (ACHS).
Dr Gill Drew – Lecturer
A Lecturer in Environmental Management, Gill’s expertise is in
climate change, amenity impacts of waste management and OO
dispersion modelling. Gill is Theme Leader for the Risk and OO OO
Evidence Theme. OO OO
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Dr George Prpich – Research Fellow OO OO O
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A Chemical Engineer with experience in remediation strategies OO OO OO OO
for contaminated soil and water. George is Theme Leader for the OO OO OO
Strategic Risk Appraisal Theme. OO OO
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Dr Frank Schiller – Research Fellow OO
A Political Scientist focusing on the interface between science
and policy with particular reference to sustainability, Frank is
Theme Leader for the Organisational Maturity Theme.
Knowledge Exchange Manager
The Knowledge Exchange Manager is dedicated to
communicating the work of the Risk Centre to stakeholders.
Edna Holliday – Administrator
The Risk Centre
Edna provides administration support to the Centre through a Contact
team of administrative staff and course facilitators.
For further information please contact: at Cranfield
Dr Sophie Rocks
Edgar Black – Defra’s Risk Co-ordinator
Centre Manager
As Defra’s Risk Co-ordinator, Edgar Black is the Risk Centre’s The Risk Centre
main point of contact into Defra. He co-ordinates Defra’s Building 40
risk improvement activities and the monitoring of progress Cranfield University
against two departmental strategic objectives (i) dealing with Cranfield
environmental risk and (ii) dealing with Defra as a respected Bedfordshire MK43 0AL
department. Telephone: +44 (0) 1234 750111 ext 2370
Email: riskcentre@cranfield.ac.uk
www.cranfield.ac.uk/sas/risk
www.cranfield.ac.uk/sas/risk
Cranfield University The Risk Centre

2. The Risk Centre
The Centre Research and consultancy
The Collaborative Centre of Excellence for Managing The Centre conducts novel and targeted research focusing on
and Understanding Natural and Environmental Risks (the supporting Defra and its network of agencies in the key areas of
strategic risk assessment, risk and evidence, and organisational
Risk Centre) is the focus for research, training, education
maturity. We have a specific interest in tools for comparative risk
and consultancy in environmental risk management at assessment and the governance of environmental risks.
Cranfield University.
The Risk Centre has a unique infrastructure designed to enable a
Strategic risk appraisal
This theme concentrates on the presentation of strategic risks,
multidisciplinary approach. The core team (with expertise in risk
analysis and presentation of the strategic added value of risk
assessment, modelling, knowledge transfer and organisational
management, and aggregation of difficult-to-compare risks using
maturity) draws upon the wider expertise of colleagues from
novel approaches to natural, social and management capital.
across School of Applied Sciences, Cranfield Health, School of
Research in this theme will enable the advances in risk-benefit
Engineering, School of Management and Cranfield Defence and
analysis. Comparative risk appraisal, alongside environmental risk
Security within Cranfield University. The Centre will also develop
assessment, will be used to inform better risk decisions focusing
and communicate best practice across organisations involved in
on: (i) research as to how risk comparisons can be presented
environmental risk management.
utilising novel formats and visualisation techniques that assist
in communicating risks; and (ii) transfer improved, simple tools
Jointly funded by the Department for Environment, Food and
into organisations (including Defra) with targeted assistance as
Rural Affairs (Defra), the Engineering and Physical Sciences
required.
Research Council (EPSRC), the Economic and Social Research
Council (ESRC), and the Natural Environment Research Council
(NERC), the Risk Centre’s activities cover four main themes; Risk and evidence
Research in this theme focuses on building capacity in weight-
• Strategic risk appraisal of-evidence assessments for natural and environmental risks.
• Risk and evidence The aim of the research is to provide clarity by characterising
• Organisational maturity decision uncertainty as it relates to environmental risks and
• Knowlege exchange generate new insights into risk-based asset management and “Scientific information plays a vital role in
thus targeted investment. Under this theme, research will enable finding solutions to the challenges of climate
The Risk Centre is also accredited under the Living With the promotion of a sound understanding of the precautionary
principle (and precaution in general), participatory approaches to change, natural disasters, and animal diseases.
Environmental Change (LWEC) programme (www.lwec.org.uk).
risk management and the psychology of risk. This new centre will be at the forefront of
Figure 1 – Risk Centre structure and communication pathways finding ways to assess the risks of issues like
Organisational maturity
The focus for this theme is capacity-building. The theme
flooding and animal and plant diseases and
advances our research into the institutional features of risk will improve Defra’s ability to compare different
management, coordinate expertise in resilience, disaster types of risk and their impacts.”
management and security for organisations including Defra,
as they relate to environmental accidents, and disseminate
experience of risk management activity. A central need in this Professor Robert Watson
area is better organisational infrastructure for improved ‘risk Chief Scientific Adviser, Defra
knowledge’ management. As institutions have become proficient
in capturing business risks, many have been overwhelmed by
the volumes of risk information which, left unprocessed, fail to
stimulate organisational learning.
Knowledge exchange
An essential part of the Risk Centre’s remit is to ensure that the
work carried out within the Centre can be spread throughout the
government, agencies and research community. The knowledge
exchange theme underpins each of the research areas.
Cranfield University The Risk Centre www.cranfield.ac.uk/sas/risk