Applying the concept of resilience to an integrated research programme

The aim of this report was to provide transparency for improved strategy, co-ordination and integration of the Collaborative Capacity (now called Pathways to Transition) theme within the Our Land and Water National Science Challenge using a resilience framework.

We found the funded and aligned programmes all cover the Institutional dimension, and some specifically aim at building Economic and Environmental resilience, directly supporting the Challenge mission. Additionally, the programmes are engaged with the other dimensions: Social and Cultural. The wide spread provides evidence that these are interdisciplinary research programmes.

The focus on Institutional resilience is based on an assumption that it will produce the Economic and Environmental gains targeted by the Challenge. This assumption could be converted into a testable hypothesis by theme and programme leaders.

The report recommends evaluating how learnings from case studies could apply to the National context, and developing indicators for the programmes so that progress towards achieving theme and Challenge outcomes can be tracked and described.