Aims and objectives
As a Marie Curie Innovative Training Network, INSPIRATION will provide advanced training to early-stage researchers (ESRs) in scientific, technical, practical and management skills related to the research of sustainable intensification of agriculture.
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Our goal is to ensure food safety for population growth while minimising future impacts on soil and groundwater.
The specific objectives of INSPIRATION are to:
- Train a group of highly qualified professionals in state-of-the-art approaches managing soil and groundwater impacts from agriculture for sustainable intensification.
- Develop "smart" monitoring techniques and new multi-suite stable isotope methods needed to investigate and quantitatively assess soil and water quality impacts from agricultural practices for sustainable intensification.
- Using the above methods, determine C, N and organic pollutant flux dynamics between atmosphere-soil-water systems at farm and catchment-scale to devise measures supporting the sustainable intensification of agriculture.
- Develop sustainable low-technology management practices and pollution mitigation concepts at laboratory- scale through to on-farm-scale application, supported by process understanding for design and implementation.
- Develop biosensor biotechnology to design organic amendments to restore degraded soil for agricultural use.
- Develop new quantitative approaches and modelling tools for the performance assessment and engineering design of sustainable management processes, practices and technology concepts at farm and catchment-scale.
- Develop a decision-making framework and assessment tools that integrate agricultural intensification within the sustainable development of soil and water resources, across different scales and considering relevant actors.