The Co-Production of Knowledge Initiative grew out of the conviction that there is a fundamental need for climate-related research to be conducted in partnership with and under guidance from the communities most affected by climate change. The Network is working to develop guidelines and good practices for the ethical co-production of climate knowledge. It originally began as a three-year Earth Network working group funded by the Columbia Climate School and administered by the Center for Science and Society. The Initiative has since received additional support to expand its efforts from the Luce Foundation and Mellon Foundation and is no longer restricted to climate-focused efforts.
Knowledge-based solutions in research require co-production: deep collaboration between those with the scientific, social, and policy expertise and resources and the communities that have “lived experience” within the environment and understand its intricacies and challenges, as well as the priorities of their members. While researchers often cite benefits to local communities in their grant proposals, the communities are seldom involved in the design of the project and their participation is often in the form of data gathering. Even those researchers with the best intentions often bring in community members after the research plan is already in place. Co-production replaces the exclusionary or extractive relationships by seeking to redistribute power and resources in research dynamics that have historically been unequal.
Members come from the humanities, and social and natural sciences, and include graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and research scientists and faculty in history, anthropology, political science, climate science, physics, religious studies, and other fields who have expertise and experience in—or curiosity about—co-produced research, programming, and curriculum collaborations.
Led by Pamela Smith (Seth Low Professor of History and the Center for Science and Society Founding Director at Columbia University), Rhiannon Stephens (Professor of History and Co-Director of the Center for Science and Society), and Ajit Subramaniam (Lamont Research Professor at Columbia University).
The first round of Community-Driven Co-Production of Climate Knowledge Small Grant was awarded in 2023. Please visit the grant overview page for information about the supported projects.
The first round of Co-Production of Knowledge Grants was awarded in 2024. Please visit the grant overview page for information about the supported project.
The Good Practices in the Co-Production of Knowledge: Working Well Together in Environmental Change Research report was published in October 2024. Please view our announcement for more information or visit Academic Commons to read the report.
Initiative Goals
- Build an interdisciplinary community of Columbia faculty, students, and staff and community members or groups doing community-driven outreach, advocacy, research, and curriculum development.
- Foster co-production research, curriculum development, and other projects through grant funding programs open to Columbia University affiliates, university partners, and community groups.
- Develop and share a set of guidelines for good practices of co-production of knowledge
- Host interactive knowledge- and community-building seminars and support residencies for Indigenous knowledge holders.
Columbia University students, faculty, staff, and other affiliates are invited to join the Co-Production Initiative. Monthly meetings are held throughout the academic year.