The Challenge
Effective policy and world-class science are both needed to prevent catastrophic environmental degradation on a global scale, yet science and policy often operate in different worlds and to different timelines.
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Environment
We need to act now to address biodiversity loss, climate change and poverty, interlinked challenges that are undermining human health and wellbeing around the globe.
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Policy
The social and environmental challenges we face are solvable, but rapid responses are needed. Policymakers and scientists need to work together to develop effective, solution-focused policies to get results.
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Research
To encourage researchers to work across disciplines and engage in policy work and outreach, we need to ensure that this essential work is valued and rewarded in academic career paths.
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Collaboration
Policymakers and researchers often work at different speeds and can be driven by different incentives. Effective policy needs these communities to be aligned and work together.
The Solution
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Fast-paced research ‘Sprints’
These mobilise the best interdisciplinary research teams from across the University of Oxford and beyond to deliver solutions-focused science that provides the information decision makers need, when they need it. Sprints are undertaken in close collaboration with government at all levels, industry partners, NGOs and local communities. They build a new model for academia to work with stakeholders and catalyse a culture change around how interdisciplinary research and policy engagement is funded and delivered.
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Delivering solutions-focused science through co-production with policymakers and feeding into the policy cycle in real-time.How does it work? Can I get involved?
Explore sprints
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Can we solve the “spin-up” problem in Earth System Modelling?
This sprint will be further developing an Earth System Model algorithm to improve work within Climate Model Intercomparison Project simulations, in partnership with the UK Met Office.
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How can we manage uncertainties in habitat greenhouse gas emissions?
This sprint will address the uncertainty in how confident we can be of any climatic benefits resulting from changing land-management.
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What do we need to know to safely store CO2 beneath our shelf seas?
This Sprint will build a decision-making framework for the environmental impact assessment of proposed sites for sub-sea CO2 storage in offshore reservoirs.
News
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New algorithm could lead to better predictions of future climate change
A new algorithm devised by Professor Samar Khatiwala could significantly decrease the time-sink in the spin-up process in Earth System Models.
2 May 2024 -
Sprint team on safe CO2 shelf sea storage publish initial findings
Research conducted by a Sprint team on how to safely store CO2 beneath our shelf seas has been published in a stakeholder report.
30 April 2024 -
Presenting at the Agricultural Economics Society Annual Conference: John Lynch
John Lynch recently presented ongoing work as part of the sprint "How can we manage uncertainties in habitat greenhouse gas emissions?" at the Agricultural Economics Society (AES) Annual Conference 2024.
24 April 2024
Events
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Wednesday 24 Apr 2024 - 1:00pm echo 'Till';?> Wednesday 22 May 2024 - 2:00pm
The Agile Initiative Research Planning workshop series
An interactive online series of workshops for designing and planning successful Agile Initiative Sprints.
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Wednesday 15 May 2024 - 1:00pm- 2:00pm
Session 4: What does interdisciplinarity look like in Agile Sprints?
Discover how interdisciplinarity is conceptualised in the Agile Initiative and how to manage it effectively in an Agile Sprint.
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Wednesday 22 May 2024 - 1:00pm- 2:00pm
Session 5: What is involved in leading and managing an Agile Sprint?
Gain best practice insights on leading and managing a rapid, policy-relevant interdisciplinary Sprint while supporting researcher career development.
Get Involved with the Agile Initiative
We are building our network of interested researchers from Oxford and beyond, as well as potential policy partners. Register your interest and we will get in touch when we have more relevant information or opportunities for you.
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