ECI researcher awarded fellowship to support collaboration on UK energy planning

Thursday 26 Feb 2026
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Dr Jake Barnes

Dr Jake Barnes, a researcher at the Environmental Change Institute, has been awarded a prestigious Social Science Engagement Fellowship to support collaborative research on energy systems transformation, working in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council and the National Energy System Operator (NESO).

The fellowship, supported by the University of Oxford’s Social Sciences Division and funded by the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF), will see Jake embedded within Oxfordshire County Council’s Energy Systems team from January to June 2026. The project will focus on how national strategy, regional planning and local delivery can be better aligned to accelerate the decarbonisation of heat.

Read more on the ECI website