Day: 5 March 2025

World Wildlife Fund Visits Hampton University on Jan. 29 to Award their first $10K Journalism Scholarship to Scripps Howard School Student

Stuart Mitchell

World Wildlife Fund (WWF), one of the leading conservation nonprofit organizations, will visit Hampton University today to award $10K and a yearlong mentorship award to a journalism student in the Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications. HoneyRose Smith, a second-year journalism major from Oakland, Calif., was selected by WWF as the winner of an essay writing competition discussing their interest in environmental reporting. The new scholarship initiative seeks to amplify diverse, emerging voices to cover environmental and climate stories. The award presentation will be made by representatives from WWF’s…

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UKRI is increasing PhD stipends and improving student support

Stuart Mitchell

UKRI is increasing the minimum stipend we pay PhD students by 8% to £20,780 from 1 October 2025 and updating our doctoral training grant terms and conditions. This is the largest real terms increase in the stipend for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funded students since 2003. The changes we are making to the terms and conditions that govern our funding for doctoral training will take effect from the start of the 2025 to 2026 academic year. These changes include: allowing students to take up to 28 weeks medical leave…

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Constructing Excellence unveils Value Toolkit for better decision making

Stuart Mitchell

The leading government and industry-backed initiative driving a ‘value first’ approach in construction. The Value Toolkit was previously distributed by the Construction Innovation Hub, following collaboration between industry and government on its development.  The Building Research Establishment (BRE) – which runs Constructing Excellence nationally – has been responsible for facilitating the transition of the Value Toolkit to Constructing Excellence to ensure its continued uptake across industry, and continues to play a crucial role in the roll-out of the Toolkit, alongside several other leading organisations in the built environment. The transition…

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New paper highlights urgent need to address “Zombie Energy Systems” in Africa’s energy transition

Stuart Mitchell

A new paper published in Environmental Research: Energy identifies “Zombie Energy Systems” (ZES) as a critical barrier to Africa’s energy transition. ZES are outdated, inefficient, and environmentally harmful energy systems, including aging coal and natural gas power plants, obsolete hydro-electric dams, and poorly maintained transmission grids, as well as second-hand appliances and vehicles. These systems persist despite their detrimental impact on progress, draining resources and stalling economic and climate goals.   “Zombie Energy Systems are a hidden bottleneck on Africa’s energy progress, wasting financial and energy resources, contributing to energy poverty,…

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Global Investment in the Energy Transition Exceeded $2 Trillion for the First Time in 2024, According to BloombergNEF Report

Stuart Mitchell

Investment in the low-carbon energy transition worldwide grew 11% to hit a record $2.1 trillion in 2024, according to Energy Transition Investment Trends 2025, an annual report released today by research provider BloombergNEF (BNEF). Growth was driven by electrified transport, renewable energy, and power grids, which all reached new highs last year, along with energy storage investment. While overall investment in energy transition technologies set a new record, the pace of growth was slower than the previous three years, when investment jumped by 24-29% annually. Electrified transport remained the largest…

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