The seven established disciplines
The Global Risks Forum (GRF) publishes seven established specialist platforms: Research, Innovation, Policy, Foresight, Capital, Diplomacy and Governance Nexus. Each is a community of researchers and practitioners who apply named methods from science, technology, engineering and mathematics to one governance question, and publish what they find with its limits. Together they give GRF's councils and dialogues a standing body of specialist knowledge. Each platform is established at its own address on globalriskforum.com and operates at the current service level, R0, information and enquiries.
- 01In briefThe short answer
- 02The seven platformsSeven communities, one governance purpose
- 03Division of labourWhich platform takes which kind of question
- 04How a platform worksShared structure, specific content
- 05BoundariesWhat the platforms are and are not
- 06Counterparts and growthWhere the network continues
- 07Key termsTerms used on this page
GRF · Institution · service level R0
The short answer.
The seven established disciplines are GRF's specialist platforms: Research, Innovation, Policy, Foresight, Capital, Diplomacy and Governance Nexus. Each is a community of researchers and practitioners who apply named STEM methods to one governance question and publish what they find with its limits, giving councils and dialogues a standing body of knowledge.
Jurisdictions in the Mediterranean.
The jurisdictions that hold authority over this question: countries, their first-level divisions and capitals, shown for the Mediterranean as an example geography for this subject.
Seven communities, one governance purpose.
- Research NexusWhat it works onInstitutional research dialogue, comparative learning and evidence interpretation, without taking over the scientific publication role of The Global Centre for Risk and Innovation (GCRI)Methods it rests onDecision science, statistics, causal inference
- Innovation NexusWhat it works onGoverned public-interest innovation and cross-sector technology cooperationMethods it rests onDecision science, AI and machine learning, systems engineering
- Policy NexusWhat it works onPolicy analysis, institutional capacity and cross-border learning on shared risksMethods it rests onGame theory, causal inference, decision analysis
- Foresight NexusWhat it works onStrategic foresight, multiple futures and institutional anticipationMethods it rests onScenario design, forecasting, complex systems
- Capital NexusWhat it works onInstitutional dialogue on risk-informed investment policy and public-good readiness, not finance executionMethods it rests onMacro-finance, development economics, decision science
- Diplomacy NexusWhat it works onScientific, policy and institutional dialogue across jurisdictions, including water and the commonsMethods it rests onGame theory, hydrology, ocean science
- Governance NexusWhat it works onComparative governance of institutions exposed to compounding risk and technology changeMethods it rests onDecision analysis, systems engineering, decision science
Which platform takes which kind of question.
- Research NexusKind of questionWhat do we know, and how do research and policy meet?Typical formatExpert panel, evidence review
- Innovation NexusKind of questionHow can institutions adopt new tools under control?Typical formatPolicy lab, sandbox dialogue
- Policy NexusKind of questionWhich policy options exist and what do they trade off?Typical formatOptions dialogue
- Foresight NexusKind of questionWhat futures should institutions prepare for?Typical formatScenario workshop
- Capital NexusKind of questionHow should risk-related finance be governed?Typical formatFinance governance dialogue
- Diplomacy NexusKind of questionHow do states and institutions cooperate across borders?Typical formatTrack 2 dialogue
- Governance NexusKind of questionWho decides, and how is that accountable?Typical formatDecision-rights mapping
Shared structure, specific content.
Mapped to methods
Each platform is mapped to the methods its claims rest on, so a reader can trace a claim to a method, a source and its limits.
Chapters and working groups
Communities organise as working groups and chapters, routed sub-communities inside a platform with their own focus.
The Nexus cycle
Platform work follows the programme's cycle, from a governance question to evidence, testing in Nexus Universe and published, corrected findings.
What the platforms are and are not.
- A platform is a specialist community. It is not a council, a national programme or the Nexus Universe website.
- Capital Nexus does not lend, invest or arrange finance; finance-readiness questions are led by The Global Risks Alliance (GRA).
- Research Nexus does not take over GCRI's scientific publication authority.
- Diplomacy Nexus convenes dialogue; it is not a diplomatic channel and holds no diplomatic status.
- GRF is the publisher of its platforms and is responsible for what they publish. Corrections follow corrections and concerns.
Where the network continues.
Fields studied at GRF as governance are studied at GCRI as science and at GRA as finance readiness; GCRI's specialist network and GRA's specialist financial network list their platforms. Five further communities are in development, described on specialist governance communities. The network overview is on GRF specialist sites.
Terms used on this page.
Each term as this page uses it. Where a standard-setting body defines the term, the wording follows that body.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Counterpart platform | A platform at another Consortium institution that works in a shared field under a different mandate: science at GCRI, governance at GRF or financial understanding at GRA. |
| Community of practice | A group of people who share a concern or a craft and learn to do it better by interacting regularly; the term comes from Lave and Wenger's work on situated learning. |
| Science-policy interface | The arrangements through which scientific evidence reaches public decisions, including advisory committees, chief scientific advisers, academies and intergovernmental assessments. |
Where this page's references lead.
The bodies and documents this page is read against. Status and editions change; each link goes to the issuing body.
Questions and answers.
Who publishes the platforms?
Is Capital Nexus a source of finance?
How can I contribute to a platform?
Is Nexus Universe one of the platforms?
Around GRF.
Start with an enquiry.
The current service level is R0: information and enquiries. An enquiry receives a reference and names the next step; applications, payments, compute allocations and registrations open only when their team, terms and review capacity exist.