The Agile Initiativeat the Oxford Martin School

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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

• 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.

• 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?