ACCESS - Advancing Capacity for Climate  and Environment Social Science
ACCESS - Advancing Capacity for Climate  and Environment Social Science

ACCESS Summer School 2025


Fostering Collaborative Research

CIFAL Surrey was delighted to partner with the 2025 Access Summer School, and in conjunction with UNITAR, to provide participants with a UNITAR / CIFAL Surrey certificate upon completion of the course.

What did the 2025 programme cover?

Sessions focused on different aspects of working collaboratively across disciplines and sectors. The programme is outlined below.

Monday 22 September

  • Registration, welcome and lunch
  • Identifying shared interests
  • Collaborative social research in a government agency
  • Knowledge co-production in practice: Working across boundaries
  • Reflection and summary
  • Guided tour of Cumberland Lodge
  • Free time, networking and dinner

Tuesday 23 September

  • Breakfast, welcome to day 2
  • Environmental social science in consultancy: Strengths and limitations
  • Power dynamics in cross-sector collaboration
  • Safety and risk for researchers of colour
  • Lunch, walk and talk
  • Influencing the policy making process
  • Who owns your river?
  • Summary & reflection
  • Free time, networking and dinner

Wednesday 24 September

  • Breakfast and welcome to day 3
  • Principles for inclusive, collaborative and sustainable research
  • Working at the interface with policy: Environmental Social Science in an independent research organisation
  • Enhancing collaborative working
  • Summary and final reflections
  • Networking and lunch

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Summer School involve?

The summer school ran over three days, focusing on topics of concern for environmental social scientists, with contributions from experts working in these areas. This year, we took advantage of the attractive outdoor opportunities in the beautiful grounds of Cumberland Lodge. Peer-to-peer learning and networking were an important part of summer school.

What was the cost of participating?

There was a registration fee of £125, ACCESS covered the full costs of two nights’ accommodation and all meals.

Participants covered their own travel costs and travel insurance.   

The cost of attendance was subsidised by ACCESS, to enable cross-sector networking and professional development, with the goal of increasing the visibility and impact of Environmental Social Science.

What was not covered in the registration fee?

Travel costs (including any insurance) to and from the summer school were not included in the attendance fee. Participants were required to be responsible for their own travel insurance in conjunction with the event.

Accessibility

We welcomed applicants from a diverse range of backgrounds and those who may require additional support to enable participation. At ACCESS, we work to ensure that Equity, Diversity and Inclusion underpin all of our activities (see our Guiding Principles), and we strive to implement EDI best practice wherever we can.