EU Fuel Poverty Network

21st - 22nd May 2013, Manchester

We are pleased to announce this call for papers for an early career researcher symposium on the spatial and temporal dynamics of energy vulnerability. The event is a joint initiative of the Energy Geographies Working Group (EGWG) of the Royal Geographical Society-Institute of British Geographers (RGS-IBG), and the International Energy Vulnerability Network (IEVN). It is supported by the Meeting Place of the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC).

The symposium, which will take place on midday on 21st May to midday on 22nd May, will be followed by a researchers’ workshop featuring presentations and discussion among established researchers and members of the policy community on 22-23 May. Both events aim to bring together academic researchers, non-governmental organisations and the third sector to consider the ‘pathways to vulnerability’ through which individuals and communities become exposed to fuel/energy poverty. It is hoped that this will enable different groups of researchers to come together with interests and expertise in understanding the spatial and temporal aspects of vulnerability and the role of energy-related rights, needs and entitlements.

The overarching themes for the event will be:

1. Interpreting fuel poverty via a vulnerability/resilience lens (how does this challenge conventional approaches?);
2. Social justice and energy vulnerability (thinking of fuel poverty in terms of recognition, procedure and distribution);
3. Energy vulnerability and decarbonisation (what is the relationship between policy measures promoting the low-carbon economy, and rates of fuel poverty?);
4. Fuel poverty and local, area-based interventions (do they provide a viable way forward?).

Papers on the above four themes are invited from postgraduate and early career researchers from a variety of disciplines. Paper abstracts should be no longer than 300 words and sent to Komalirani Yenneti ([email protected]) Robert Marchand ([email protected]), Rose Chard ([email protected]) and Prof. Stefan Bouzarovski (stefan.bouzarovski@manchester.ac.uk) by Monday 1st of April. You will receive confirmation of the outcome of your submission by Friday, 19 April. Upon the acceptance of the abstracts, full length papers of 3000 words will be expected to be submitted for circulation at least a week before the symposium.

Those attending the postgraduate symposium will have the option of participating in an international seminar on energy vulnerability on 22nd and 23rd May. This will offer postgraduate and early career researchers the opportunity to interact within both a dedicated symposium as well as engaging in a high profile research seminar featuring leading experts, advocates and policy–makers. There will also be a dedicated session on career development to discuss relevant issues for early researchers and postgraduates.

Once your paper has been accepted we will send you a link to a registration site where you can indicate your attendance and preferences regarding catering, accommodation, etc. There is no registration fee. For all selected participants, we will provide catering and accommodation at the workshop. For UK academic and third sector participants based outside Manchester we will reimburse standard travel expenses.

25-27th March 2013, University of Birmingham

Special Session: Energy Security Challenges and Transitions
Sponsored by the Midlands Energy Graduate School (MEGS)

Session organisers: Rachel Mulhall and Komali Yenneti (University of Birmingham)

The Energy, Society and Place Research Unit (ESPRU) at the University of Birmingham is hosting a series of energy based sessions at the RGS-IBG mid-term conference to bring together postgraduate researchers from across the energy field and encourage networking, collaboration and discussion early in academic careers. The aim of the conference is to provide a welcoming, relaxed and supportive environment for postgraduates to present a paper or a poster to their peers.

Papers and posters are centred on the theme of “Energy Security Challenges and Transitions”. We welcome any topic within this theme and presentation topics will be drawn upon in the World Café workshop.

Delegate fees cost £40 – includes the cost of attending and presenting at the conference, including an evening wine reception on Monday 25th, lunch and coffee breaks on Tuesday 26th, and a three-course conference dinner including wine.

Delegate fees + 2 night’s accommodation - £100

Delegate Grants - Grants for delegate fees will be available for 16 participants presenting a paper or a poster. These will be awarded on a first come first serve basis and reimbursed on submitting the original bills. Poster printing costs also will be undertaken by the session organisers.

To register and view submission guidelines please visit the conference website: www.birmingham.ac.uk/rgs13
Please send an abstract (max 200 words) to [email protected] (Komali) by 4th January 2013.

Important note: Please include ‘Energy Session’ in the title of the registration email in addition to the specifications in the guidelines on the website.

All delegates must pay by 1st February 2013 in order to attend