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

Learn more about our ambitions and measures of success, and read our Inclusion Strategy to find out more about the values that drive our work.

News and blogs

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

Horizons Institute Annual Report

Download and read our Annual Report, 2023 - 2024 (3.82MB PDF)
Supporting the Right to Grow in Hull

As more people recognise the multitude of personal and social benefits that come with growing their own food, how do local authorities respond to the rise in demand?
Reflections on the Social Justice Jam 2024

In June, a team of researchers created a platform for conversations between Seacroft in Leeds, and Mamelodi in Pretoria, to share social justice challenges experienced by those communities.
Unlocking the power of data science to improve wellbeing in later life

Find out more about a growing area of the Reimagine Ageing network's focus: looking to data science to help unlock insights and solutions to the challenges of well-being in later life.
Developing collaborative perspectives in a global context

Read Dr May Newisar's reflections on her experiences of travelling to the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, as part of the Horizons Academy's Global Crucible.
New challenge theme networks announced for 2024/25

The Horizons Institute has announced that the Healthy Buildings Network, Magnetism in Biomaterials, and the Polycrisis Network have been selected as its new networks for 2024/25.

Case studies

Timely collaboration opens the door to global health partnership

Helping University of Leeds researchers work in partnership with the World Health Organisation to create better global preparedness in health.
Physical activity research finds strength in numbers

The InterActive research network promotes interdisciplinary collaboration across the University of Leeds for those working on movement and physical activity.
Improving health information for families through African collaboration

A new collaborative project with researchers from Africa and the University of Leeds explores ways to improve how health information is communicated to families.
Helping to deliver a cultural showcase

LEEDS 2023 will host a major cultural programme that promises to be a spectacular celebration of a vibrant city region. Find out how Horizons is helping them embed principles of co-creation.
Leeds research network to tackle major global health threat

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the top ten global health threats facing humanity. AMR@Leeds aims to address this pressing issue through an interdisciplinary approach to research.
Looking beyond medicine – a new network for mental health research

The Leeds Interdisciplinary Mental Health Research Network (LIMHRN) launched in January 2022 to bring together different disciplinary perspectives on mental health.