Our research framework
Our curiosity-driven research is increasingly sought after by society, where there is a keen interest in learning from our findings. Meanwhile, we continue to contribute to the development of the research frontier
THERE WAS NOTHING ORDINARY about 2021. However, from a scientific point of view, the year perhaps represented the start of a new normal.
As time went on, it became increasingly evident that science plays a fundamental role in the world’s ability to deal with deep and often abrupt change.
Similarly, the UN Food Systems Summit, the COP26 meeting in Glasgow and the Nobel Prize Summit, the latter of which we organised together with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the US National Academy of Science (hosted by the Nobel Foundation), demonstrated how science is at the very core of knowledge, learning, action and future vision.
Look up
The general public are becoming increasingly aware of the scientific field as it continues to make its way into mainstream media, particularly when it comes to global sustainability challenges.
In fact, we broke new ground when Netflix launched its own Breaking Boundaries documentary on the planetary boundaries framework.
Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio encouraged us to “look up”, in Don’t Look Up, showing us why peer review is so important.
If you haven’t already done so, we recommend watching these films, which have a lot to say about science and its role in society.
Our core focus
We advance research at the forefront of biosphere-based sustainability science. We see humans as part of the biosphere and employ a diverse range of theories, methods and data to understand the intertwined reality that is the Anthropocene.
List of all our publications 2021 (PDF)
Using both inductive and deductive research techniques, in addition to combining theory with practice, we are able to develop new theories, methods and approaches with which to tackle the world’s most pressing and complex problems.
We are proud and privileged to be a focal point in sustainability science
Research themes
Our work is very much centred around resolving complex problems. In order to do this, we divide our research into different themes.
The Anthropocene theme focuses on the connections between society and the earth, while our stewardship and transformation research is concerned with human activity and behaviour. It is important to observe the latter in order to determine how individuals, networks and organisations are using their agency to drive change.
Currently focusing on the ocean, food and development, our thematic work is also based on this research structure.
However, there is always room for additional research themes as new interests and funding creation opportunities arise. None of these themes means starting from scratch; rather, we are building and expanding on previous work.
For instance, the theme of healthy and sustainable food systems is a consolidation of the work that we carried out for the EAT-Lancet Commission and the Blue Foods Assessment.
Our Resilience and development theme builds on a long history of scientific research and engagement in both policy and practice in the Global South, combining knowledge and experience that we have gained from the GRAID programme, SwedBio and the Global Resilience Partnership.
Generational shift
All of these themes are places where individuals working on different projects can combine their thoughts, insights and questions, to create interesting syntheses or conditions for learning.
Theme leaders guide this process. In fact, this new, thematic organisation of our research accompanies a generational shift at the SRC, where a new cohort of theme leaders, still in their early to mid-careers, are stepping up to take on this important role.
New questions are thus being asked, different networks are becoming engaged and our established approaches are being revisited.
In addition to biosphere-based sustainability science, which is ultimately the focus of all our themes, another key emerging focus is the role of equity in relation to sustainability and systemic change.
All of this makes it extremely exciting to be part of the work that is taking place at the SRC.
As we slowly step out of the shadow of the pandemic, there is one thing that we can be sure of – that science will continue to play a critical role.
We remain committed to producing insights that could help us to transition into a more sustainable “normal”.