Jon Cox
Science communications, editing, and fundraising
Subject: Earth Sciences
Occupation: Resource mobilisation for climate research, UN system and academia; science communications, writing, and editing
I read Earth Sciences at Hertford between 1993 and 1996, and then stayed on for a DPhil, which I completed in summer 2000.
After my DPhil, I did some pretty standard Oxford graduate jobs: management consultancy and private equity/start-up fundraising. I learnt enough from those experiences to understand what I didn’t enjoy doing.
Instead, I wanted to work in and around cutting edge science – but without actually doing it myself. I ended up back at the University, spending 12 years leading Oxford’s (research grant) fund raising efforts for physical climate and earth sciences.
In recent years – based in Copenhagen – I have worked more independently as a climate science fund raiser, writer, and editor, across academia and the UN system. In January 2022, I joined the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation in Geneva as a scientific officer specialising in resource mobilisation (basically, getting projects funded and making them happen).
I’m very happy to talk with students or recent graduates wishing to make a career in climate science, research management, or the UN system (whether permanent, or as a consultant).