energy and environment

ethics and governance

technology and society

health and medicine

Tackling the challenges of the 21st century

TheOxfordMartinSchoolwasestablishedastheJamesMartin21stCenturySchoolattheUniversityofOxfordin2005.TheSchoolisaunique,interdisciplinaryresearchinitiativeaddressingkeyglobalfuturechallenges.

Developing new research to bring fresh insights on global future challenges

Thechallengesofthe21stcenturyarecomplex

andinterconnected.TheOxfordMartinSchool’s

interdisciplinaryresearchbringsfreshperspectives

andvitalinsightsthataimtorealisetheopportunities

andmitigatetherisksthatconfrontusnowand

inthefuture.Ourresearchagendaisdynamicand

innovative,enablingustodevelopnewlinesof

researchandaddresscriticalquestionsasproblems

andopportunitiesemerge.

Weareworkingonthefrontiersofresearchinfour

broadclusters:HealthandMedicine,Energyand

Environment,TechnologyandSociety,andEthicsand

Governance.

Research

Advancingpublicunderstanding,influencing

policyandeffectingchangearekeyaimsforthe

OxfordMartinSchool.Wefacilitatelinksbetween

academiaandpolicytoensurethatourresearch

hasasignificantpositiveimpactingovernment,

businessandsocietyontopicsofglobalsignificance.

Throughourspecialevents,meetingsofexperts,

disseminationofresearchfindings,andpartnerships

withavarietyoforganisations,theSchoolreaches

keyaudiencesanddecisionmakersinternationally.

Itisattheinterfacebetweenacademiaandthe

widercommunitythatwebelieveourideascan

makethegreatestdifference.

Informing policy and public opinion for more effective decision-making

Impact

We are supporting advances in medicine and

innovations in healthcare that will bring major new

opportunities for humanity. We are also working

to understand how we can better address critical

challenges, such as those posed by the emergence

and spread of infectious diseases, and the problems

arising from increasing burdens of chronic illnesses

– both of which are becoming more urgent and

widespread as global populations urbanise and age.

Research includes:

• Developingvaccinestoeliminatemalaria,

tuberculosisandmeningitis–someoftheworld's

mostdeadlydiseases

• Generatingeconomicallypracticalandethically

soundstrategiestodealwithpandemicsand

emerginghealthcareneeds

• Advancingstemcellsciencetodiscovernewways

totreatdiseaseanddisability

health

and

med

icine

Ensuring a sustainable future is one of the most

urgent issues of our time. We are working to

understand how our climate is changing and what

the potential impacts could be. Interdisciplinary

collaboration at the roots of our scientific research

ensures that our ideas are advanced with a

clear understanding of the social contexts and

geopolitical implications involved. Our goal is to

provide the means to navigate safely to a globally

sustainable future.

Research includes:

• Understandingthethreatsthatmajorecosystems

faceunderclimatechange,andseekingnewways

toaddressthem

• Creatingnetworksofexpertiseandinfluenceto

betterunderstandandprotecttheworld’s

tropicalforests

• Developingmoreeffectiveandcost-efficientlow

carbontechnologiesfortransportandenergyuse

energy an

d en

viron

men

t

Scientific innovation and technological advances

play a major role in shaping human societies. We

are working to further developments in science

and technology, and also to recognise the social

and economic dynamics that both drive and

benefit from them. Our aim is to understand

the interface between technology and social

change, and to enhance our ability to seize the

opportunities ahead.

Research includes:

• Investigatingglobaldemographicsandexploring

howbesttomanageageingsocietiesand

increasingmigration

• Developingbettersystemsofpredictionand

modellingtechniquesthatwillhelpavoidfuture

financialcrisesorothersystemicrisks

• Advancingcomputerscienceand

communicationstechnologiesforgreater

positiveimpact

techn

olo

gy and

society

We are living in a more tightly interconnected,

interdependent and complex world than ever

experienced before. How we navigate the

complex challenges of the 21st century - and

develop the appropriate responses to mitigate,

adapt or avoid them - is vital for humanity’s

future. Our aim is to interrogate current ethical

assumptions and governance frameworks to help

make more effective decisions that will lead us to

a better future.

Research includes:

• Envisagingfairandethicalwaysofgoverning

newdevelopmentsinmedicineandtechnology

• Researchingnewkindsofbrainmanipulation

andunderstandingitsethicalimplications

• Developingnewinstitutionalframeworksfor

internationalcooperationthateffectively

fosterpeaceandsecurity

ethics an

d go

vernan

ce

Teams of researchers across Oxford University are members of the Oxford Martin School, constituting a unique, interdisciplinary community of scholars tackling the challenges of the 21st century. The Oxford Martin School comprises thirty Institutes and Programmes which develop forward-looking research in the following areas:

Oxford Martin SchoolUniversity of Oxford34 Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BDTel: +44 (0)1865 287430Fax: +44 (0)1865 287435info@oxfordmartin.ox.ac.ukwww.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk

Ageing

Biodiversity

Carbon and Energy Reduction in Transport

Computational Cosmology

Economic Modelling

Emerging Infections

Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict

Ethics of the New Biosciences

Future of Cities

Future of Computing

Future of Humanity

Future of the Mind

Future Technologies

Geoengineering

Global Economic Development

Healthcare Innovation

International Migration

Mind and Machine

Modelling and Predicting Climate Change

Nanoscience

Nuclear and Energy Materials

Oceans

Particle Therapy Cancer Research

Plants for the 21st Century

Science, Innovation and Society

Solar Energy

Stem Cells

Tidal Power Generation

Tropical Forests

Vaccine Design