International Development and Inclusive Innovation in Astrobiology OU

A £6.7m investment from Research England in OU’s Astrobiology research group has enabled transdisciplinary collaborations at the OU and FASS academics from the School of Social Sciences and Global Studies are participating in the International Development and Inclusive Innovation workstream.

Dr Shonil Bhagwat, Head of Geography and Lead Academic working on this strand, said:

"Astrobiology doesn’t immediately strike as a subject that Arts and Social Sciences engage with, but it is in fact at the heart of solving some of the pressing global challenges. Nations around the world have invested large sums of money in space programmes, but many space technologies also have non-space applications. The International Development and Inclusive Innovation workstream within Astrobiology OU is interested in how these technologies can be used in tackling global challenges such as food insecurity, disaster relief or infectious diseases. This work is right at the heart of SRA in International Development and Inclusive Innovation and the School of Social Sciences and Global Studies in FASS. Working with me on this strand of research are Alessandra Marino (Research Fellow) and Devyani Gajjar (Postgraduate research student). We are developing a research area that is at the cutting edge of academic disciplines, as well as being intellectually innovative and socially relevant."