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Horizons Institute

Four people presenting notes written on a large sheet of paper, stood in front of a large screen with a presentation slide on it about the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals.

Discover how we can work together to expand knowledge, broaden research perspectives and create thriving interdisciplinary connections.

Developing interdisciplinarity

Horizons Institute

Horizons Institute

The Horizons Institute fosters early-stage interdisciplinary research to address complex challenges, with programmes and interventions designed to ignite creative approaches and new ideas.

We equip researchers with the skills and means to build thriving collaborations, helping them explore their work from different perspectives and find new opportunities for collaborative interdisciplinary working.  

We work with researchers, higher education institutions and sector-wide initiatives across the UK and globally to support the development of a better connected and more equitable interdisciplinary research community. 

The Horizons Institute exists to bring people together from across all disciplines, to collaborate on high-risk, high-reward research addressing complex challenges. This can only be done by investing in the people we work with, developing skills and connecting across areas of expertise.  

Stuart Taberner, Director of the Horizons Institute

You can read more on our work in our Horizons Institute Annual Report 2024/25 [PDF download].

News and blogs

Read the latest news and blogs from the Horizons Institute and our research community.

  • Introducing Signals: Our new Headline Theme

    This September we will be launching our new Headline Theme portfolio, Signals: Detecting, predicting and responding to uncertainty.

    Headline theme promotional panel, featuring the name of the Headline Theme 'Signals: Detecting, predicting and responding to uncertainty' surrounded by multiple images of life on Earth

  • Great idea, bad decisions

    Following the closure of the Cross Research Council Responsive Mode scheme, Samantha shares reflections of working in this dynamic and boundary-breaking team for the past three years.

    Two plumes of brightly-coloured pink and blue smoke blend across the middle.

  • Research and evidence for the Leeds Ambitions

    Abi Rowson (Research Manager, Horizons Institute) and Mike Eakins (Head of Policy, Leeds City Council) introduce the newly-refreshed Leeds City Council Areas of Research Interest for 2025–2026.

    Mike Eakins and Abi Rowson

  • Insight Series: an art-science dialogue

    Kelly Cumberland, Dr Heiko Wurdak and Dr Sabrina Samuel share how they collaborated to create an exhibition of art works reflecting on some of the often-overlooked elements of lab processes.

    A close-up of an art exhibit: abstract shapes in black and grey.

  • Working together for cleaner air and better health

    Data is often gathered with little consideration around access for source communities. Here SYNERGIA shares how they’re making data available and accessible for communities in South Africa and the UK.

    Aerial views of Leeds and Johannesburg

  • Evaluating interdisciplinary research

    Kristin Oxley of the Research Council of Norway and Dr Alex Amey of UKRI shared their perspectives on how funders are changing their approach to better support creative and interdisciplinary research.

    People sitting around a table having a discussion in a business setting.

  • Designing harmony into interdisciplinary teams

    Read a blog post based on Prof Paul Vickers’ experiences of leading an interdisciplinary team in his UKRI-funded Sonic Intangibles project.

    An orchestra plays together

Case studies