Scott Janzwood’s research examines the ways that scientists and policymakers collaborate to address global catastrophic risks (GCRs) such as climate change, infectious disease outbreaks and near-Earth object (NEO) impacts. His research explores the intervening role of deep uncertainty and the approaches used by experts and decision makers to manage it. His dissertation focuses on the issues of research prioritization and uncertainty communication in climate change and planetary defense governance. He has also contributed to projects on improving foresight programs in the public sector.

Scott’s approach to understanding the interactions between science and policy is grounded in complex systems theory and has been shaped by his work with the Complexity Working Group (CWG) at the University of Waterloo and the Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation (WICI). He has also designed and co-taught an introductory undergraduate course on complex systems and is an Affiliated Researcher with the Ideological Conflict Project.

Previously, Scott was a Visiting Researcher at the Future of Humanity Institute (FHI) at the University of Oxford and received an MA in Global Governance from the Balsillie School of International Affairs, where his research investigated the management of risk and uncertainty by econometric climate change models.