For 3 years, Horizons Institute’s Head of Interdisciplinary Research Development Samantha Aspinall has been working with a team in UKRI to develop the CRCRM scheme. In this blog post, published late in 2025, Samantha shares reflections of working in this dynamic and boundary-breaking team 👇

This seminar is 2 weeks today 👇 Book your place if you're interested in how robotic technologies can improve our experience of older age. These seminars are open to anyone with an interest in healthy ageing - you do not have to be a University of Leeds colleague or a researcher to attend.

Many funding panels are now including the role of observers as part of their assessment processes. In this blog, @samaspinall.bsky.social reflects on what she has learnt through her experiences as an observer across a number of @ukri.org funding rounds 👇

Please help spread the word on this, especially to those who may be feeling cold winds towards their research. We’ve opened the call for our International Fellowships, enabling early career researchers to work for two years at a UK research institution www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/sche...

A reminder that, if you're an academic at @universityofleeds.bsky.social, @sheffielduni.bsky.social or @york.ac.uk, you have just *ten days* to apply for this programme! More information and details to apply below 👇

How can robotics use inspiration from healthcare professionals to bring automation to assistive dressing? Join Dr Jihong Zhu for a hybrid @reimagineageing.bsky.social seminar exploring robotics and assistive technology. 📅 Tues 3 Feb 🕜1.30 - 3pm (GMT) Book your place via Eventbrite 👇

Following two years of working as a research manager in the Horizons Institute, Dave Riley has resumed his role in developing pedagogical research with LITE. In this new blog, Dave shares what he’s learned on the commonalities in approach that make both institutes successful in their own fields.

Happy New Year to our interdisciplinary community! We're an institute (based at @universityofleeds.bsky.social) working across the Higher Education sector to help develop interdisciplinary skills, connections and institutional capacities. Find out more about us here 👇

Is attending a world-leading biology conference on your new year to-do list? This April, the Astbury Conversation brings together expert researchers to explore 'Designing Biology' in its widest sense Full programme: lnkd.in/ebpG5Nfz #AstburyConvo26 #DesigningBiology @astburycentre.bsky.social

As part of the Polycrisis Network seed funding, Anne Luke collected data for a small project that would explore how children and young people in Eastern Cuba understand and experience crisis.

Join @reimagineageing.bsky.social for their lunchtime webinar, where Andrea Cereceres and Dr Sophia Amenyah will explore nutrition, diet and health in older adults. 📅 Weds 21 Jan 🕛 12 - 1pm (GMT) 🌐 Online 👇 Booking via Eventbrite

Do you want to start the year with a new opportunity? Are you a @universityofleeds.bsky.social colleague working in movement and physical activity research? Are you interested in co-leading an interdisciplinary network of researchers to help make connections across the field? Details here 👇

With news that UKRI's Cross Research Council Responsive Mode scheme being closed, @samaspinall.bsky.social shares her insights from working with the CRCRM team for the past three years in our latest blog post 👇

No newsletter from us in January, but ICYMI here's the last one of 2025 👇 Take a look for: * Crucible and Platform in South Africa * More about the re-launch of Leeds' Areas of Research Interest * The conclusion of our work with Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture * New blogs and events

Reliable global data is essential in tackling some of the world's most pressing social and environmental issues, but too often this data is gathered with little consideration around access for communities local to its source. Here, SYNERGIA shares how they’re making data available and accessible:

We’re at our Interdisciplinary Leadership Programme residential with researchers from @uniofbradford.bsky.social and @universityofleeds.bsky.social today. Lots of great discussion about ideal projects already.

Our final newsletter of the year is now out! Take a look for: * Our activities in South Africa * An opportunity to learn more about the re-launch of Leeds' Areas of Research Interest * The conclusion of our work with Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture * New blogs and events Find out more here 👇

Calling all researchers working in #InfectiousDiseases #EmergingInfections or #NTDs? You can use our free tools, resources to support your work www.iddo.org/tools-and-re... #BeatNTDs

The Magnetism in Biomaterials (MagInBio) Network have recently funded four pump prime projects: 🔹 Oriented Bio-Inspired Templates - ORBIT 🔹 Next-generation magnetic immunoassays for ice-nucleating plant pathogens (MagINP) (1/4)

If you enjoyed this Insight Series, or missed the opportunity to join, you can find out more about the project at tonight's exhibition launch, 4 - 7pm, Space@Design, @universityofleeds.bsky.social campus

Most of our team and participants should be home after last week's Global Crucible and Horizons Platform activities in Johannesburg. It was a (very) busy week, and all our participants were brilliant throughout.

In their new blog, Dr Abi Rowson (Horizons Institute, University of Leeds) and Mike Eakins (Head of Policy, Leeds City Council) introduce the newly-refreshed Leeds City Council Areas of Research Interest for 2025/6, which align with the Leeds Ambitions. 👉 Find out more tinyurl.com/y5s34cdp

Today we’re starting our in-person Global Crucible lab, bringing researchers together from the Universities of Ghana, Leeds and Wits for a day of interdisciplinary collaboration. Thrilled to be able to do so in this stunning location in Muldersdrift, SA

Next week we're hosting our final in-person Global Crucible lab, in Johannesburg, South Africa. The in-person part of the programme is always an exciting opportunity to spark ideas and make connections. Last year, we captured this for participants to share their thoughts - take a look 👇

Did you miss last week's Insight Series on Art Science Dialogue? In this, Kelly Cumberland, Heiko Wurdak and Sabrina Samuel shared how they collaborated to create an exhibition of works reflecting on some of the often-overlooked elements of lab processes. You can watch this in full via our blog 👇

Do you work in the areas of magnetism and biomaterials? The Magnetism in Biomaterials (MagInBio) Network offer awards of up to £1,000 to fund travel to conferences or seminars, with the purpose of communicating work related to their research interests.

When you've got your interdisciplinary research project funded, how do you go about keeping everyone in the team on board? Read some excellent advice from Prof Paul Vickers in this blog post from earlier this year 👇

Trying to keep up with everything going on at #COP30? Follow @priestleycentre.bsky.social for daily updates on how @universityofleeds.bsky.social researchers are contributing, as well as lots of insights from the latest in climate research 👇

LSSI has evolved into Leeds Institute for Societal Futures! At the end of this year, the LSSI website will go offline. Please bookmark our new home: societal.leeds.ac.uk for updates on research, education, and impact. @universityofleeds.bsky.social #Leeds #SocietalFutures #society

We're honoured that @leverhulme.ac.uk chose to feature @extinctionleeds.bsky.social as part of their centenary. It's testament to our fantastic PGRs, including @sicilyfiennes.bsky.social and @kate-elspeth.bsky.social whose work is highlighted. Full video link in the post. #extinction #culture

Professor Piers Forster, Director of the Priestley Centre, spoke in the plenary session at Earth Information Day at #COP30 yesterday - if you missed it, you can watch it here! unfccc.int/event/earth-...

Reliable global data is essential in tackling some of the most pressing issues we face today, but too often this is gathered with little consideration around fair access. Here the SYNERGIA research team shares how they’re making data available & accessible for communities in South Africa & the UK 👇

Congratulations to Horizons Platform and Global Crucible participant Prof Philippe Gradidge ahead of his inaugural professorial lecture tomorrow! For more information on how to attend or watch, please visit the Wits website: www.wits.ac.za/events-archi...

Are you an early career researcher working in healthy buildings? The Healthy Buildings Network at @universityofleeds.bsky.social have launched a small-grant call for ECRs, looking to support small-scale impact activities, such as seminars, workshops or hackathons. Take a look for more information 👇

How do you build successful partnerships for thriving interdisciplinary collaborations? In our next Insight Series session, QUB's Dr Gemma Carney will share insights from her work in developing cross-disciplinary collaborations in #HealthyAgeing research. 📅 Tues 2 Dec 🕙 11am - 12pm 🌐online

Want a quick look at what our Challenge Theme Networks have been up to over the past month? Or to find some opportunities for interdisciplinary conversations before the end of the year? Take a look at our November newsletter: sway.cloud.microsoft/MAQ4YwGMYAkK...

As part of their activities to better understand the interconnections of the crises that are all around us, the Polycrisis Network have awarded funding to five small projects that either examine an aspect of polycrisis, or its broader theme — including work that challenges the polycrisis framing 👇

#COP30 in Belém, Brazil is one week away. But what does the conference mean for the global south? ➡️ Simon Manda explores this in his blog written for the Priestley Centre: climate.leeds.ac.uk/a-global-sou... #GlobalSouth #ClimateJustice #UniOfLeeds

We still have a few places left for this Insight Series session this Wednesday! These sessions are always informal, open to all, and a great way of finding new perspectives 👇

Researchers are increasingly looking to interdisciplinarity to find new perspectives on their own work, but how can this work in practice? Join us for our next Insight Series session to explore how this works in an art-science dialogue 👇 📅 Weds 5 Nov 🕙 10 - 11am 🌐 Online

This hybrid seminar is tomorrow at 4pm 👇 Join the Polycrisis Network for a look into the future, exploring how we mitigate and adapt in the face of climate change, and the impacts this may have on the more-than-human world. All Polycrisis Network seminars are hybrid and open to all.

Today is our first Global Crucible lab of the 2025/26 cohort! We'll be online for most of today, making introductions, exploring the different opportunities for participants, and starting the interdisciplinary conversations.

This Wednesday and Thursday @lightnightleeds.bsky.social will see immersive art installations across the city. This year, one of the exhibits have been developed with the support of the Polycrisis Network, one of our challenge networks for 2025/6: openup.leeds.ac.uk/events/light...

🚨 Children in the North face a health crisis due to inactivity & inequality🚨 Leeds Institute for Societal Futures backs the #ChildrenFirst campaign calling for urgent change. Read the report and find out more👉 bit.ly/3KVmiTN #ChildOfTheNorth #HealthInequalities #N8 @universityofleeds.bsky.social

One week until the next #Polycrisis Network seminar, exploring the concepts of non-disciplinarity, multi-elementalism, and more-than-human livingness for the future. Thursday 23 Oct 4 - 5pm Baines Wing @universityofleeds.bsky.social/Online Find out more and register via our Eventbrite listing 👇

Today is #WorldFoodDay - a great opportunity for you to find out more about the diverse food systems research being conducted across @universityofleeds.bsky.social Take a look at @globalfoodleeds.bsky.social's thread 👇

Great opportunity to learn more about social research methods - whatever your discipline 👇 #SocialScience #AcademicSky #Research

"How do local authorities respond to the rise in demand for allotments and growing spaces, and how can this be coordinated to reflect local requirements?" Ahead of this Thursday's #WorldFoodDay, read more on research exploring the #RightToGrow in Hull: medium.com/horizons-ins...

Join the Polycrisis Network for their seminar tomorrow: Aflatoxin’s Cartographies: The politics of uncertainty, extraction, and carcinogenic exposure in Senegal 🕛 12 - 1pm 🌐 @universityofleeds.bsky.social campus or online For more information and to book your place 👇 🧪 #SocialScience #Polycrisis

Thank you to everyone who came to yesterday's Insight Series Session. If you'd like to attend the next one, Kelly Cumberland, Heiko Wurdak and Sabrina Samuel will be discussing the science-art dialogue at the heart of their collaboration. 📅 Weds 5 November 🕙 10 - 11am 🌐 Online Register 👇