Claudia Obando Rodriguez

Claudia Obando Rodriguez is a Research Fellow in Transformative Innovation Policy at the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) within the University of Sussex Business School. Her work focuses on designing, implementing, and evaluating Transformative Innovation Policy (TIP), particularly in developing countries. She specializes in sustainability transitions, formative evaluation of innovation experiments, and building coalitions between social movements, communities, and policymakers.

• Educations:
  • PhD in Science and Technology Policy Studies (University of Sussex, 2016-2022)
  • MSc in Technology and Innovation Management (University of Sussex, 2008-2010)
• Professional Experience:
  • Former policymaker at Colombia's Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (COLCIENCIAS)
  • Senior consultant evaluating science and innovation policies

Her research emphasizes experimentation for sustainability transitions in waste management, agriculture, and health sectors. Current projects include designing TIP interventions with Panama's SENACYT, such as funding calls for climate change and health experiments. She also leads formative evaluations to foster systemic learning.

Awards: 2025 Global Engagement Award (University of Sussex) for contributions through the Transformative Innovation Policy Consortium (TIPC).

Teaching: Delivered lectures in 'Transformative Innovation for Inclusion' modules, focusing on regional innovation policy and formative evaluation. Completed the Fundamentals of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (2021).

Impact: Collaborates with policymakers, civil society, and international organizations to align innovation with sustainability goals. Recent work includes evaluating public R&D investments for Colombia's DSIT department.