Enterprise and impact

We have a long track record of co-producing knowledge with a diverse range of users, beneficiaries and communities, delivering impact in multiple ways.

We have an inclusive approach to working with non-academic stakeholders to design and conduct research that matters. A distinctive feature of our research is our longstanding commitment to conducting work to improve the situation for the most vulnerable people and places.

Impact case studies

Adapting water and energy infrastructure to climate change

Co-development of tools and procedures for incorporating climate change in water and energy investments has since been adopted within individual projects worth $60-500m and shaped procedures behind $80 billion planned investment (2019-2030).

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Modern Energy For All

The FCDO have invested £39.8m in a ground-breaking 5-year programme to transform the sustainable cooking sector from biomass to cleaner modern energy cooking systems.

MECS website
Flood forecasting research underpins world-first solution

Surface water flood nowcasting for emergency responders

World leading flood nowcasting technology and statistical downscaling techniques are creating real-time and projected surface water flood maps for the UK Government’s Resilience Direct platform.

Previsico website

Examples of wider impact

Improving the NCS to benefit young people nationwide

Enabling youth citizenship

The first in-depth and geographical analysis of the UK Government’s £297m flagship National Citizen Service youth programme, impacting half a million 15 to 17-year olds, has led directly to policy improvements in programme quality and delivery.

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1st in the UK and 15th globally for delivery on SDG7

Led by Geography & Environments ‘Centre for Sustainable Transitions: Energy, Environment, Reslience, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ ranks 1st in the UK and 15th globally in the THES Impact Rankings for delivering on SDG 7: Affordable & Clean Energy.

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Smithsonian Institution – Homo sapiens in Arabia

Working with the Smithsonian Institution our latest research likely represents the oldest securely dated evidence for Homo sapiens in Arabia.

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A person operating a camera through blue and purple smoke

Growing the Creative Industries

Allan Watson is working with The Royal Anniversary Trust and Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to stimulate growth in the Creative Industries sector, specifically focusing on how the higher and further education sector can support CreaTech - the area where the creative industries meet technology.

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Weddell Sea Expedition

We co-led the coring team on the multi-stakeholder supported Weddell Sea Expedition, an unprecedented 45-day scientific expedition to one of the most remote areas on the globe that included a search for Sir Ernest Shackleton’s lost ship, Endurance.

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Stepping Up Efforts to Expand Access to Modern Energy Cooking Services

World Bank – State of Access to Modern Energy Cooking Services

We co-authored a major report with The World Bank which finds that four billion people around the world still lack access to clean, efficient, convenient, safe, reliable, and affordable cooking energy.

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UN Solar Energy Classification

We were part of the international expert group who produced the ‘UN Framework Classification for Resources to Solar Energy’ that is delivering improved consistency in the interpretation of solar resource estimates.

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