Our research
Other ways to view our research
We have over 200 researchers working across many fields within the whole of the School of Geography and the Environment. Many are based in our three research centres: the ECI, SSEE and TSU
On this website you can search through our people or see our research in broad thematic areas to find out about the research activities of the academic and research staff based within the academic department.
You can find out more about our research highlights through our latest news, the Spotlight on Research feature, and recent publications.
You may also be interested in our long form research stories in Geography & Environment Matters.
We craft robust, imaginative and forward-looking answers to pressing questions about the environment, technology, geopolitics and socio-economic change.
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. See our impact, innovation and engagement webpages for more information.
Research within the School of Geography and the Environment is carried out by over 200 academics and research staff in the academic department and our three research centres, in collaboration with our large graduate research student community and our research affiliates and visiting researchers.
Our research vision is to be a world-leading innovator in geographical and environmental research, nurturing the freedom to pursue research that is both curiosity-led and contributes to solving critical societal and environmental problems. We aim to set research agendas, respond to external agendas, and conduct research of the highest possible calibre responding to the unique position of our discipline at the interface of natural and social worlds.
Our approach is guided and framed by a research strategy that places the utmost value on academic freedom and intellectual curiosity, generating an environment that encourages adventurous approaches to research.
Our research clusters, programmes and groups
Cross-cutting the School, and embracing geographers in other departments, are seven research clusters: Biodiversity, Ecosystems and Conservation; Climate Systems; Economy and Society; Environmental Interactions; Landscape Dynamics; Political Worlds; and Technological Life.
These provide thematic coherence for our research and impact activities, and engagement between researchers at all career stages from students to established academics, alongside academic visitors. Within each research cluster you can find more information on our research programmes and groups.
Geographers participate in, and often lead, research networks across the University, with the School acting as the centre of interdisciplinary environmental research at Oxford.
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.
Environmental Change Institute
ECI is Oxford University’s 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 partnerships and education. The ECI has over 30 years of experience in helping governments, business and communities anticipate and respond to the risks and opportunities of environmental change.
Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment
SSEE is a leading interdisciplinary academic hub focused upon teaching, research, and engagement with enterprise on climate change and long-term environmental sustainability. It seeks to encourage innovative solutions to challenges facing humanity; its strengths lie in environmental economics and policy, enterprise management, and financial markets and investment.
Transport Studies Unit
TSU advances interdisciplinary approaches to the study of transport, with particular emphasis on mobility within and between cities and on transport’s social, economic and environmental implications. Founded in 1973, the TSU has acquired a strong international reputation in the fields of transport policy analysis, the development of new methodologies and studies of transport behaviour and urban mobility.
Research Networks
Our research networks maximise cross-disciplinary capabilities for responding to calls for outward- facing impactful research. The Oxford Networks for the Environment (ONE) initiative was set up in 2012 to mobilise expertise in science, technology, business and society. Three of five ONE networks are Geography-led.
You can find out more about the wide range of networks we lead and participate in under our research clusters.
Reinforcing research excellence
We reinforced our position as one of the UK's top departments of Geography and Environmental Studies in the results of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021. We were the largest unit of assessment submitted to Unit of Assessment 14, at 103 people / 95.4 FTE (including colleagues from Continuing Education, Oxford Internet Institute, Oxford Martin School, COMPAS, New College and Nuffield College as well as SoGE), and we are very pleased that a panel of our peers rated our research, its impact and our working culture so highly. In Unit of Assessment 14, 57% of our overall submission (which includes our research outputs, the impact of that research and our research environment) was assessed as 4*, the highest grade available.
Other ways to view our research
We have over 200 researchers working across many fields within the whole of the School of Geography and the Environment. Many are based in our three research centres: the ECI, SSEE and TSU
On this website you can search through our people or see our research in broad thematic areas to find out about the research activities of the academic and research staff based within the academic department.
You can find out more about our research highlights through our latest news, the Spotlight on Research feature, and recent publications.
You may also be interested in our long form research stories in Geography & Environment Matters.
