The School undertakes world-class interdisciplinary research, addresses societal and environmental problems, and advances knowledge within an intellectually vibrant, interdisciplinary research environment that combines natural and social sciences and has geography at its core.
We are also developing better public policy, supporting enterprise and innovation, and facilitating knowledge exchange through wider public engagement.
You can find out more about our research highlights through our latest news, 'Spotlight on Research' series, and recent publications.
Research Highlights



Our Research Centres
In addition to world leading education and research in the School, we host three internationally recognised research centres and lead cross-university initiatives and collaborative networks.
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Environmental Change Institute
The ECI is an interdisciplinary institute for research on the complex processes of global environmental change, the exploration of sustainable solutions, and the promotion of change for the better through partnership and education.
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Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment
The SSEE is a leading interdisciplinary, international academic hub focused upon teaching, research, and engagement with businesses and enterprise on climate change and long-term environmental sustainability.
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Transport Studies Unit
The Transport Studies Unit seeks to advance innovative approaches to the study of 'transport futures' over time and space.
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Our Research Networks
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Oxford Networks for the Environment
The Oxford Networks for the Environment mobilise the University's expertise to find solutions to the complex, converging challenges of energy, water, food security, climate change, and threats to biodiversity.
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Latest Publications
- Plyushteva, A. (2023) Affording mobility: Attending to the socio-material affordances of transport un/affordability. Journal of Transport Geography.
- Kowal, K., Slater, L., López, A.G. and Van Loon, A.F. (2023) A comparison of seasonal rainfall forecasts over Central America using dynamic and hybrid approaches from C3S and NMME. International Journal of Climatology.
- Yin, J. and Slater, L. (2023) Increase in drought-heatwave events worsens socioeconomic productivity and carbon uptake. Nature Sustainability. Research Briefing.
- Yin, J., Gentine, P., Slater, L., Gu, L., Pokhrel, Y., Hanasaki, N., Guo, S., Xiong, L. and Schlenker, W. (2023) Future socio-ecosystem productivity threatened by compound drought-heatwave events. Nature Sustainability.
- Moulds, S., Slater, L., Dunstone, N. and Smith, D. (2023) Skillful decadal flood prediction. Geophysical Research Letters, 50(3). e2022GL100650.
- Wang, L., Gu, X., Slater, L., Li, J., Kong, D., Zhang, X. and Liu, J. (2023) Phase Shifts of the PDO and AMO Alter the Translation Distance of Global Tropical Cyclones. Earth's Future, 11(3). e2022EF003079.
- Berghuijs, W. and Slater, L. (2023) Groundwater shapes North American river floods. Environmental Research Letters.