Future Generation Thinking stories

Our mission is to create knowledge that future generations can depend on.

We have always believed in the power of knowledge to shape a better world. That’s why we bring together researchers and partners across disciplines to tackle problems no single field can solve alone.

Dive into stories of Future Generation Thinking.

Protecting Borneo’s wildlife for the future

We are transforming how endangered species are protected across one of the world’s most biodiverse landscapes.

Rethinking cancer vaccines for colorectal cancer

Our researchers are developing next-generation colorectal cancer vaccines designed to work for more people.

Strengthening Indonesia’s emergency care with maths

We are working alongside Indonesian partners to transform how emergency services are designed, deployed and delivered using our world-leading mathematical modelling expertise.

A female rugby player wearing a red jersey holds a white ball after catching it at a lineout.

Tackling the gender gap in sport research

Our researchers and rugby athletes are generating the first insights on the effects of head impacts in women’s contact sports.

Extending the frontiers of brain research worldwide

Our researchers are using their expertise to democratise research-grade neuroimaging, enabling scientists in low-income settings to investigate the brain with unprecedented detail.

Preventing violence and making our communities safer

Our researchers are transforming how we prevent serious violence by shaping safety in the night-time economy, improving hospital-based interventions, and tackling hidden inequalities that affect who is harmed, and who gets help.

Treating neurodegenerative diseases at their source

Our Advanced Neurotherapies Centre is pioneering gene, RNA and cell therapies for Huntington’s and Parkinson’s – delivering precision treatment into the brain and offering real hope to patients and families.

Strengthening impartial political journalism

We are reshaping political journalism, working with major broadcasters, regulators, and audiences to challenge misinformation and build trusted, accountable news.

Improving river health and resilience

Our researchers are transforming how we manage rivers, from nature-based flood defences and ‘invisible’ plastic detection to physics-guided AI that supports climate-resilient water management, worldwide.

Shaping the Living Wage movement

Our long-term research programme on the Living Wage is shaping national strategy, informing public policy, and improving wages and working conditions for hundreds of thousands across the UK.

Reimagining homes for future living

Researchers at Cardiff University are redefining how homes are designed, transformed and lived in – advancing low-carbon technologies, bio-based materials and co-designed spaces that improve wellbeing and create healthier homes for future generations.

A man in a red, long-sleeve top, light-blue jeans, and a navy baseball cap, is leaning over to pick yellow peppers from their plants with his right arm outstretched. The man is surrounded by tall, green pepper plants and is carrying three yellow peppers in his left arm.

Revealing the hidden links between climate and diet

Through advanced data analysis and global food-system modelling, we’re informing the choices that will shape health for generations.

Unlocking the secrets of the universe

Scientists at Cardiff University are leading breakthroughs in gravitational-wave research, from frontier tests of black-hole physics to advances in quantum technologies.