The ACU will support four innovative climate research projects, as part of the Commonwealth Futures Climate Research Cohort, demonstrating its commitment to nurturing the next generation of academic research leaders.
Research teams from across the Commonwealth will receive up to GBP 40,000 to deliver pilot research projects on topics including water security, urban planning and climate change litigation. The Climate Research Cohort is funded by the British Council's Going Global Partnerships.
The funding awards are the final stage in a 12-month training programme which aims to prepare 18 early-career researchers to lead climate action research projects, working together with their peers and communities affected by their projects.
During the training programme, Climate Cohort fellows developed essential skills, experience, and networks for their future careers. These were developed through workshops, activities and guided exercises, leading up to the competitive in-programme funding call.
The pilot research studies, of up to 6-months, will enable fellows to apply their learning and will also provide a platform to help fellows to pursue additional grant funding.
The Climate Research Cohort and the funded research projects demonstrate three important aspects of the ACU’s mission:
- Three of the four funded projects involve facilitating international collaboration through international research teams – a central tenet of the ACU’s mission.
- Each team used the ACU’s Equitable Research Partnerships Toolkit to navigate and address issues of fairness, creating a more inclusive and just environment to deliver their project.
- All four projects have prioritised involving non-academic community stakeholders in project design and implementation to ensure the relevance and impact of research.
George Lakey, Climate Cohort Programme Manager, said: “The ACU is committed to supporting projects that exemplify our values of international collaboration, equity, and impactful research.
“These four projects not only advance knowledge and address critical global challenges, but also set a benchmark for how research should be conducted – with inclusivity, equity, and practical impact at its core. We look forward to the positive outcomes and innovations that will emerge from these initiatives.”
The 2023/24 programme is funded by the British Council's Going Global Partnerships and delivered in partnership with the University of Cape Town Researcher Development Academy, PlanAdapt, University of Warwick, Queen Mary University of London, SOAS, Durham University and University of York.
The funded projects are below, and you can read further detail about the projects here.
Identification of water security solutions and climate change adaptation through citizen science and co-creating in low and middle-income countries: case studies from Nigeria, India and South Africa
- Dr Temitope Sogbanmu, the University of Lagos, Nigeria
- Dr Kinglsey Orievulu, Africa Health Research Institute
- Dr Parimala Sundaram, Vellore Institute of Technology, India
- Dr Feng Mao, Warwick University, UK
Strengthening community-led innovations for climate resilience through formal planning systems
- Dr Jimoh Haruna, the University of Lagos, Nigeria
- Ms Aidatu Abubakari, Wiconsin International University College, Ghana
- Dr Chinwe Ogunji, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Nigeria
- Professor Thomas Tanner, SOAS University of London
Aligning informal community-led innovation with formal planning for urban climate resilience in the informal settlements of Mumbai.
- Dr Praveen Kumar, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India
- Dr Mohammad Bhuiyan, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Dr Aslam Saja Majeed, South-Eastern University of Sri Lanka
- Professor Thomas Tanner, SOAS University of London
Climate change litigation in India
- Saumya Kumar, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India