Professor Neil Crout, Interim Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange, is retiring after 30-plus years at the university.

In addition to his regular update, Professor Crout, has reflected on his time at Nottingham:

“My early days as an academic varied from exciting to terrifying via confusing, with a complete lack of what we now call ‘training’.

Our systems for staff development and support have changed utterly and for the better. Another big change is the emphasis on collaboration and recognition of team working as an essential skill.”

A Professor of Environmental Modelling, Neil Crout joined the university as a post-doctoral researcher in 1989 studying radionuclides in the food chain in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster.

His research area focuses on models of environmental and agricultural systems, examining trace elements in the environment to shed light on environmental change and crop yield forecasting.

He is a former Head of the School of Biosciences and co-ordinated the university’s submission to the 2021 Research Excellence Framework,.

Professor Crout says: “I worked somewhere with a purpose of education and discovering stuff, which is full of clever, conscientious and wonderful people. Quite a privilege.”

He adds: “I acknowledge that there’s much to do, but once again I am delighted to share news of (more recent!) progress in helping us deliver excellent research.”

This includes expanded resources for research staff development, as outlined by Niall O’Loughlin, new Director of RKE Excellence and Strategy and news of funding to support research collaborations between the universities of Nottingham and Adelaide, as part of our new global strategic alliance.

Read Professor Crout’s research update