Major Projects and Partners

CONSTRAIN is an EU funded project involving a consortium of 14 European partners working to deliver improved information about our future climate and directly inform key policy decisions. Researchers at the University of Leeds are leading this 4-year programme of research to to reduce uncertainties in, and create improved climate projections for, the next 20-50 years on regional as well as global scales.

The GCRF African Science for Weather Information and Forecasting Techniques (GCRF African-SWIFT) programme develops sustainable African weather forecasting capability to enhance the livelihood of African populations and improve the economies of their countries. The GCRF African-SWIFT consortium builds upon existing partnerships between forecasting centres and universities in four African partner countries, bringing together five UK partners, ten African Partners and the WMO as an advisory partner.

GCRF-AFRICAP is a major programme to make agriculture and food production in Sub-Saharan Africa more productive, sustainable and resilient to climate change. Working with local organisations and governments in Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia, we are creating an evidence base to underpin new country-specific policies in agriculture and food production.

The Amazon Forest Inventory Network is a long-term, international collaboration to understand the dynamics of Amazon ecosystems. Since the turn of the millennium it has jointly developed a framework for systematic monitoring of the forests. RAINFOR works with partners across the nations of Amazonia, taking account of the modulating role of environmental variables like soil nutrition, and the need to help develop a new generation of Amazon ecologists.

The 6th Climate Model Intercomparison Project is an important initiative by the World Climate Research Program to improve the latest generation of climate models used to predict the consequences of climate change. Leeds leads on several components of this work including the Radiative Forcing Model Intercomparison Project.

This project builds on the largest multidisciplinary research effort ever undertaken in the area of African climate and environment, the African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis (AMMA), to address the challenges of understanding how the monsoon will change in future decades, and how this information can be most effectively used to support climate-compatible development in the region.

The Priestley Centre hosts a learning platform for the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). CCAFS seeks to address the increasing challenge of global warming and declining food security on agricultural practices, policies and measures through strategic, broad-based global partnerships. Led by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), CCAFS is a collaboration among all 15 CGIAR Research Centers and coordinates with the other CGIAR research programs.

The Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling (CPOM) is a NERC Centre of Excellence that studies processes in the Earth’s polar latitudes that can affect the Earth’s albedo, polar atmosphere and ocean circulation, and global sea level. The CPOM Directorate is based at the University of Leeds and works closely with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), National Oceanography Centre (NOC), National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) and European Space Agency (ESA).

The National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS) is a world leading research centre dedicated to the advancement of atmospheric science, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). NCAS carries out research in air pollution, high-impact weather, and long-term global changes in atmospheric composition and climate, and provides the UK community with state-of-the-art technologies for observing and modelling the atmosphere. Leeds hosts the headquarters of NCAS.

The University of Leeds is a member of the Met Office Academic Partnership. The partnership aims to combine the strengths of its four partner organisations, to secure the UK’s position as the world leader in weather forecasting and climate prediction, and to provide an outstanding environment to develop the atmospheric science leaders of the future. At Leeds, the partnership formalises a strong and productive working relationship with the Met Office, going back a number of years.

The ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy (CCCEP) brings together some of the world’s leading researchers on climate change economics and policy, from many different disciplines. It was established in 2008 and its first phase ended on 30 September 2013. Its second phase commenced on 1 October 2013. The Centre is hosted jointly by the University of Leeds and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and is chaired by Professor Lord Stern of Brentford.

CICERO (Center for International Climate and Environmental Research – Oslo) is Norway’s foremost institute for interdisciplinary climate research and has garnered particular attention for its research on the effects of man-made emissions on climate, society’s response to climate change, and the formulation of international agreements. Leeds and CICERO signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 14 June 2016. Read more about the partnership

The UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) carries out world-class research into sustainable future energy systems. UKERC acts a focal point for UK energy research and a gateway between the UK and the international energy research communities. Our interdisciplinary, whole systems research informs UK policy development and strategies of public, private and third sector organisations.