SPRING Award winners

We are delighted to announce the winners of the 18th SPRING competition.

The SPRING award provides additional funds to research postgraduates to extend the scale and scope of their projects.  Up to £500 is awarded and winners also receive an invitation to present at water@leeds annual Confluence. The competition is open to PGRs working on water-related research from any school or faculty of the University of Leeds. Look out for news of our next competition!

Read more about our winners below, and how they will use their funds.

Claudia Alvarado, School of Geography, Faculty of Environment

PhD project: Investigating Himalayan glacier retreat and its impacts on river ecosystems

the improvements to monitoring and engagement provided by this project will ultimately benefit communities reliant on the ecosystem services provided by river ecosystems, such as clean water quality.

'Water@Leeds SPRING funding will be used towards the initial field work for my PhD, during which I will collect and process macroinvertebrate samples from streams and rivers across Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park. This is with the aim of building on existing macroinvertebrate archives, identifying trends in macroinvertebrate distribution, community composition and diversity, and determining the relationship of any trends to regional glacier retreat.

The expedition will take place in early-May 2025, working in collaboration with Dr. Ram Devi Tachamo-Shah of Kathmandu University and Dr. Deep Narayan Shah of Tribhuvan University.

This field project is expected to benefit research users outside of academia by contributing new monitoring data and methods in aid of statutory bioassessment programs such as river ecosystem quality assessments, enabling prioritisation of catchments for national protection and resource expenditure (Feio et al. 2023). The improvements to monitoring and engagement provided by this project will ultimately benefit communities reliant on the ecosystem services provided by river ecosystems, such as clean water quality.'

Isna Rasdianah Aziz, School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences

Phd Project: eDNA metabarcoding to detect ecological interaction

Furthermore, the research findings will contribute to evidence-based sustainable water resource management practices, particularly in water-stressed regions inhabited by this endemic plant, thereby benefiting local and broader communities.

'The water@Leeds SPRING funding will be instrumental in furthering research investigating the ecological interactions of Dillenia sp. within the Indonesian ecosystem, with a specific focus on water utilization. These funds will primarily support the acquisition of essential, high-cost laboratory consumables, including kits, reagents, and primers necessary for DNA extraction, purification, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), electrophoresis, and sequencing.

The anticipated outcomes of this research extend beyond purely academic contributions. By elucidating the intricate ecological relationships between Dillenia sp. and associated biodiversity, particularly concerning water use, this study will inform the development of targeted and measurable conservation strategies for this endemic species and its habitat. This will be achieved through collaboration with the Natural Resources Conservation Agency in South Sulawesi Province, potentially influencing biodiversity conservation policy formulation both nationally and internationally. Furthermore, the research findings will contribute to evidence-based sustainable water resource management practices, particularly in water-stressed regions inhabited by this endemic plant, thereby benefiting local and broader communities.'

Mawaddah Ghazali, Leeds University Business School (LUBS)

PhD project: From Past Floods to Future Resilience: Learning and Adapting Interdependencies in Healthcare Systems

This project ensures that the perspectives of underserved communities are represented in shaping policies for disaster preparedness and healthcare system improvements.

'This funding to will support my fieldwork in Bau, Sarawak, a rural district with significant geographical and infrastructural challenges. The area is characterised by its valley location, surrounded by limestone hills and dense forests, contributing to its isolation. Bau is home to a number of healthcare facilities which serve as critical lifelines for the local population, particularly during flood events, frequently disrupting transportation and communication networks.

The field visit will enable me to engage directly with these facilities, which are often located in remote, flood-prone areas with limited road access. For example, Klinik Kesihatan Krokong is situated in an isolated village that becomes difficult to reach during heavy rains due to unpaved roads and frequent landslides. Communication infrastructure is underdeveloped, with unreliable internet and mobile network coverage in these areas, further complicating virtual engagement with stakeholders.

This funding will allow her to collect first-hand insights through in-person interviews and focus groups with healthcare workers and local stakeholders. The findings will directly benefit local disaster management practitioners by informing strategies to improve healthcare responses during floods. Insights will also be shared with regional and national policymakers, contributing to broader efforts to enhance disaster resilience in rural and isolated areas like Bau. This project ensures that the perspectives of underserved communities are represented in shaping policies for disaster preparedness and healthcare system improvements.'