Center for Risk, Crisis & Resilience

An interdisciplinary research center

The CRCR is an interdisciplinary research center at the University of Oklahoma that studies risk, risk perception and crisis management in several substantive domains. The areas of research interest and expertise include energy and the environment, weather and climate, national security and terrorism, and the social dynamics surrounding complex controversial technologies.

Studying scientific and technical controversies involving risk

The CRCR research faculty consists primarily of social scientists and research assistants who specialize in the study of scientific and technical controversies involving risk, including the measurement of risk perception and individual-level risk behaviors, group and organizational responses to risk, and public policies designed to manage risk. The CRCR uses a strong theoretical grounding in belief systems, individual and social cognition, risk perceptions and related behaviors; group dynamics, organizational and cultural norms, and patterns of social relationships that shape experience, risk, and the mobilization of expertise in our research projects. CRCR scholars have accumulated many years of successful experience participating in long-term collaborative research projects with interdisciplinary boundaries spanning the social sciences (public policy, geography, economics, political science, anthropology, communication), engineering, chemistry, physics, meteorology and emergency management.

Developing new pathways for understanding and
managing technological and environmental risks

The CRCR seeks to develop new pathways for understanding and managing technological and environmental risks. The CRCR maintains an expanding network of affiliated researchers from other universities, national laboratories, and federal agencies to assist in both defining and utilizing new and unexpected opportunities for research and public policy analysis.

Primary research and analytical themes

The CRCR is organized around three primary research and analytical themes:

1. 

   Risk and Risk Perception in scientifically
   controversial or complex domains.
   This focus area undertakes analysis of societal problems and associated technologies that pose significant controversial implementation challenges.

2. 

   Weather, Climate and Public Policy.
   The CRCR continues to develop and expand research on the technical communities, publics, and policies bearing on weather and climate.

3. 

   Disaster and Crisis Management.
   The CRCR studies the ways in which households, communities and government agencies understand and manage potential and actual crises.