Private water supplies (PWS) are used by a significant proportion of households in some British regions. Chemical and physical factors both have the potential to impact upon the well-being of PWS users. The chemical quality of PWS can vary greatly, dependent on the composition of the surface or groundwater from which they are drawn, and the infrastructure and treatment of the water supply. Recent Public Health England/NERC-BGS research has shown that PWS users often do not treat to improve chemical quality, or do not maintain their treatment systems. PWS tap water quality cannot be assumed to be improved from its natural state, and may be significantly worse than drinking water standards. It is important stakeholders across all scales (household, local and national) better understand the distribution of factors which influence water quality. We have established that current efforts to assess national and regional water quality priorities in Wales are hindered by a two-way knowledge barrier. Stakeholders are unaware of the large NERC data resource which could be used in their assessments, whilst NERC data holders do not have sufficient understanding of stakeholders' needs, and how the data can be most usefully presented and disseminated. Barriers to direct uptake of this NERC data include: the current format (hard-copy or digital documents); chemical element mapping formats (which may divide the concentration range into arbitrary intervals and not show thresholds of relevance to users); bespoke indices using more than one variable are needed (e.g. plumbosolvency); and, resource pressures on public body officers (e.g. time, expertise, computing, GIS). A further problem exists which NERC data can contribute to resolving. Assembling the evidence base to determine what, if any, action should be undertaken at national or regional scales is compromised by the lack of systematic registration, in any database, of the most prevalent type of PWS, i.e. "Single Domestic Dwellings" (SDDW). SDDW users are not compelled to register their supply with the Local Authority, and in Wales, 85% of registered PWS are SDDWs. There is widespread awareness, at all levels of governance, that there are considerably more than the officially recorded 12,242 SDDWs. Improved estimates of the locations of these properties, can help national and local government assess, and prioritise, risks arising from geospatially controlled factors (e.g. high metal concentration and vulnerability to drought). Recent NERC-funded research has built a spatially resolved, predictive model of the likely occurrence of PWS in Wales. In order to fulfil its potential impact, this work now needs to be shared with the key stakeholders at regional and national level. Specific examples will be developed that indicate regions where large numbers of PWS users coincide with expected high risks of events (e.g. flooding, drought) under future weather scenarios, and allow an improved understanding of pressures on marginal aquifers. Sustained inter-organisational and inter-personal communication will ensure the successful progress of this project. At an overarching level this will be achieved through active participation in an existing national forum, the Water Health Partnership, and by undertaking short-term secondments into key Local Authority and public body offices (Public Health Wales, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, Natural Resources Wales, Powys County Council). Outward facing communication, of agreed key messages, is embedded into later activities. Web, mobile and selected more traditional mechanisms will be used to ensure that outreach is as equitable and widespread across private water supply users as possible. Project reports will be available in both English and Welsh. KEYWORDS: private water supply; lead; drought; flooding; manganese; public health.

To use user centric design to create market segmented self-build garden products.

This research will explore how design research conducted in UK universities is contributing to the UK Government's Clean Growth ambitions and the goal of 'net zero' emissions by 2050, and develop recommendations for how this contribution can generate greater impact in the future. The output of the research will be a report that describes: the current landscape of 'design for net zero' research; strengths and weaknesses of the associated skills pipeline; the emerging research themes that are likely to attract investment from funding bodies and attract co-investment from other partners; case studies of existing best practice; and derives recommendations for how UK university-led design research can maximise its contribution to the twin goals of a 'net zero' future and increased private sector research and development spend. Since the topic of 'clean growth' is very broad, the first stage of the project will be to set boundaries, identifying where the greatest current and future potential is for design research. A review of the literature, and of research projects that fall within the establish boundaries of 'design for net zero' research will establish the current landscape and identify best practice examples that demonstrate both excellent design research and co-investment from partners outside the Higher Education environment. Case studies will be developed that highlight how partnerships were developed, the perceived value of design research and associated skills both within and beyond the research community, and the factors that influenced co-investment. The case studies will be used to formulate initial recommendations on how the research and development environment for 'design for net zero' can be improved. The initial recommendations and case studies will also form the basis for two stakeholder workshops in which academics, government actors, funding managers and potential co-investors will contribute to their further development. Participants for the stakeholder workshop will be identified through the contextual review, and through the recommendation of case study interviewees. The outputs of the various activities will be synthesised into a final report, which will be disseminated to the AHRC to inform future delivery plans and related strategies, to broader UKRI funders to highlight the contribution of design research to their portfolios, to design researchers to guide their future research planning and to the broader 'clean growth' community to raise the profile of design research as a means to achieving and maintaining net zero emissions beyond 2050.

Doctoral Training Partnerships: a range of postgraduate training is funded by the Research Councils. For information on current funding routes, see the common terminology at https://www.ukri.org/apply-for-funding/how-we-fund-studentships/. Training grants may be to one organisation or to a consortia of research organisations. This portal will show the lead organisation only.