Impact case studies

The Oxford Impacts series celebrates the range of impacts the University has on the world of policy, health, business and culture. All of this is enabled by the world-leading research of Oxford academics. This set of case studies showcases academic research, across a range of subjects, that has had an impact on the world.

If you know of some impact from Oxford research which we should showcase please contact the Innovation and Engagement Team.

Professor Paul Newman

Creating vehicles that drive themselves

From 2005 to 2017 Paul Newman led the Oxford Mobile Robotics Group (MRG) within the Dept. of Engineering Science. In 2017 MRG become the Oxford Robotics Institute. During this time he led the development of a suite of technology that enabled autonomous vehicles to navigate with zero dependence on infrastructure at scale. It is a foundation technology.

Dr Phil Grunewald

Interdisciplinary Study of Energy use and Activities

Understanding the timing of energy demand is becoming ever more important. The uptake of renewable sources of energy, such as wind and solar, is accelerating and systems have to accommodate their sometimes volatile outputs.

medical equipment

LAB282

There is currently a lack of funding and industrial expertise available to help translate innovative, world class, biomedical discoveries at Oxford University into next generation drug discovery programmes that can be commercialised for patient benefit.

Women Speak Out

Women Speak Out: An Academic-Community Collaboration to Explore the Links Between HIV, Gender-Based Violence and Human Rights Among Women with Drug Dependence

Women Speak Out is an academic-community collaboration between Oxford University and the Indonesian Drug Users Network aimed at addressing HIV and gender-based violence among drug-using women in Indonesia.

Solar observatory

Global Jet Watch for Social Change

The creation of the Global Jet Watch observatories has led to real impact on communities spanning four continents, which work together to track Galactic black holes and exploding stars in the night sky.

Sourav Mondal

Mitigation of arsenic mass poisoning: a unified experimental and theoretical approach

The Ganges–Brahmaputra Delta is a global hotspot for arsenic groundwater contamination. Naturally occurring arsenic concentrates in water drawn from deep wells, creating a major public health issue in West Bengal and Bangladesh, which has been described as the largest mass poisoning of a population in history.

Scientists looking at Nanoimager

Cheaper, smaller, super-resolution

A desktop microscope manufactured by Oxford Nanoimaging, a spin-out from Oxford’s Department of Physics, can view individual molecules performing chemical reactions in real-time – even inside living cells.

Tom Hart

To the Zooniverse and beyond

Harnessing the time and skills of millions of volunteers worldwide is proving to be an extremely powerful way of driving research in fields as diverse as history, zoology, physics and even the response to humanitarian disasters.

Statistical expertise in drug discovery

Statistical expertise in drug discovery

A freely-available suite of statistical tools developed at the University of Oxford is providing major companies with valuable tools for drug discovery.

mobile learning technology

Using mobile learning technology to improve access to healthcare in East Africa

The University of Oxford has led a project developing mobile applications designed to advance the training and supervision of community health workers in Kenya

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