> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.therisk.global/organization/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.therisk.global/organization/use-by/researchers-and-universities.md).

# Researchers and universities

How universities, research institutes, laboratories and independent reviewers can use the Nexus programme: open methods, testbeds, Universe missions, review roles, publication with versioned evidence,

**Where this fits.** Audience: universities, research institutes, laboratories, research networks and independent reviewers. Sectors: all six, and the couplings between them. Pillars: Labs (experiments and prototypes), Reports (publication and review), Standards (methods into standards), Academy (courses authored in a domain). Offerings: O04, O08, O09, O10. Kind: audience guide.

## In brief

The programme rests on research: the couplings between sectors, the methods that measure them and the evidence behind every finding. Researchers can propose experiments and testbeds, take bounded roles in the annual missions, review work as independent evaluators, publish through [Nexus Reports](/organization/programme/reports.md) with versioned evidence and stated limits, and author courses hosted on [Risk Academy](/organization/programme/academy.md). Contribution and rights terms are agreed before the work. Negative findings and independent scrutiny always remain possible, and a reviewer with a declared conflict never signs the relevant acceptance.

## What researchers are working on

| Field                                       | Where the research stands                                                                                                                                                                                                   | What the programme adds                                                                   |
| ------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Interdependent infrastructure               | Rinaldi, Peerenboom and Kelly ([2001](https://doi.org/10.1109/37.969131)) on types of interdependency; Buldyrev et al. ([2010](https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08932)) on cascades between coupled networks                   | A teaching model of six coupled sectors, and exercises in which assumptions can be tested |
| Compound and cascading risk                 | Pescaroli and Alexander ([2016](https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-016-2186-3); [2018](https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.13128)); Zscheischler et al. ([2018](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-018-0156-3))                            | Scenarios that start from the hazard and follow the cascade across sectors                |
| Systemic and networked risk                 | Helbing ([2013](https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12047)); Centeno et al. ([2015](https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-soc-073014-112317)); UNDRR ([2022](https://www.undrr.org/gar2022-our-world-risk))                             | Records and standards that let evidence from different sectors interoperate               |
| The water, energy, food and ecosystem nexus | FAO ([2014](https://www.fao.org/4/bl496e/bl496e.pdf)); IRENA ([2015](https://www.irena.org/publications/2015/Jan/Renewable-Energy-in-the-Water-Energy--Food-Nexus)); IPBES ([2024](https://www.ipbes.net/nexus-assessment)) | The same nexus taught, modelled and exercised as one field                                |
| Methods for coupled systems                 | System dynamics, design structure matrices, cross-scale analysis and swimlane mapping, as the programme model names them                                                                                                    | Programme handoffs and feedback loops that can be studied as a system                     |

## What the programme offers

| Need                             | What the programme provides                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Where in the programme                                                             |
| -------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Test an idea in the open         | Experiments and prototypes in the [Labs pillar](/organization/programme/labs.md), with their limits on record, before the Foundry builds them; an experiment's results become evidence only after the Foundry rebuilds and the Universe tests them | Labs; O04 testbeds                                                                 |
| A controlled proving environment | Bounded roles in Universe missions, and independent evaluator roles                                                                                                                                                                                | O09                                                                                |
| Publish with the evidence        | Methods papers, data, model and software cards, country and regional series, technology streams; domain and editorial review; corrections recorded as new versions                                                                                 | O10; [Nexus Reports programme](https://therisk.global/publications/nexus-reports/) |
| Teach                            | Courses authored in a domain and hosted on Risk Academy                                                                                                                                                                                            | [Risk Academy](/organization/institutions/risk-academy.md)                         |
| Turn a method into a standard    | Change proposals through the open process of the Nexus Standards                                                                                                                                                                                   | [Nexus Standards](/organization/institutions/nexus-standards.md)                   |
| Supervised student work          | A safe task, a mentor, a learning plan and contribution evidence; no fee for ordinary participation                                                                                                                                                | O08                                                                                |

The first outcome of a research or review proposal is "a research protocol, resource decision, contribution and rights terms and a publication route".

## Routes that apply

The Nexus Consortium model sets a route for each kind of participant: the action that opens it, the first outcome, the offerings that apply, and a boundary, quoted here as published ([How Nexus Consortium works](https://therisk.global/consortium/)).

| Participant                                              | Action                                       | First outcome                                                                                  | Offerings                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Boundary                                                                             |
| -------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Universities, research institutes and laboratories       | Propose research or independent review       | A research protocol, resource decision, contribution and rights terms and a publication route. | O04 Responsible Innovation and Interoperability Testbeds; O08 Leadership, Academy and Workforce Formation; O09 Annual Universe Missions and Contributed Infrastructure; O10 Research, Publications and Evidence Services | "Negative findings and independent scrutiny always remain possible."                 |
| Senior experts, reviewers and technical contributors     | Find a bounded assignment or review role     | A scoped assignment, review criteria and a contribution record.                                | O04 Responsible Innovation and Interoperability Testbeds; O08 Leadership, Academy and Workforce Formation; O09 Annual Universe Missions and Contributed Infrastructure; O10 Research, Publications and Evidence Services | "A reviewer with a declared conflict never signs the relevant acceptance."           |
| Students, early-career researchers, youth and volunteers | Explore supervised learning and contribution | A safe task, a mentor, a learning plan and contribution evidence.                              | O08 Leadership, Academy and Workforce Formation; O09 Annual Universe Missions and Contributed Infrastructure                                                                                                             | "No fee for ordinary participation and no unsupervised high-consequence assignment." |

## Entry route

* [Institutional research](https://therisk.global/programmes/research/) and [Labs gateway](https://therisk.global/ecosystem/labs/) on the GCRI site
* [Develop a standard](https://nexustandards.com/develop-a-standard/) on the standards site
* [Open learning](https://risksacademy.com/open-learning/) on Risk Academy

## What the programme does not do

There is no paid favourable editorial position and no guaranteed publication outcome. Sponsorship never influences a result. Testbed participation is not a regulatory sandbox, a certification or a procurement status. Institutional influence cannot decide a scientific conclusion: acceptance belongs to qualified, conflict-managed reviewers and the publisher.

## Status today

The programme is in formation, at service level R0: information and enquiries. No edition of Nexus Reports has been released ([Nexus Reports programme](https://therisk.global/publications/nexus-reports/)).

## Sources

* Buldyrev, S. V. et al. (2010). Catastrophic cascade of failures in interdependent networks. *Nature* 464: 1025–1028.
* Centeno, M. A., Nag, M., Patterson, T. S., Shaver, A. and Windawi, A. J. (2015). The emergence of global systemic risk. *Annual Review of Sociology* 41: 65–85.
* FAO (2014). *The Water-Energy-Food Nexus*. Rome: FAO.
* Helbing, D. (2013). Globally networked risks and how to respond. *Nature* 497: 51–59.
* IPBES (2024). *Nexus Assessment, Summary for Policymakers*. Bonn: IPBES.
* IRENA (2015). *Renewable Energy in the Water, Energy and GCRI Food*. Abu Dhabi: IRENA.
* Pescaroli, G. and Alexander, D. (2016). Critical infrastructure, panarchies and the vulnerability paths of cascading disasters. *Natural Hazards* 82: 175–192.
* Pescaroli, G. and Alexander, D. (2018). Understanding compound, interconnected, interacting, and cascading risks. *Risk Analysis* 38(11): 2245–2257.
* Rinaldi, S. M., Peerenboom, J. P. and Kelly, T. K. (2001). Identifying, understanding, and analyzing critical infrastructure interdependencies. *IEEE Control Systems Magazine* 21(6): 11–25.
* UNDRR (2022). *Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2022*. Geneva: UNDRR.
* Zscheischler, J. et al. (2018). Future climate risk from compound events. *Nature Climate Change* 8: 469–477.
* The [Sources library](/organization/reference/sources.md) holds the full entries.


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