Dr. Will J Brownlie

Dr Brownlie is an internationally recognised researcher and science–policy leader in nutrient sustainability, specialising in phosphorus and nitrogen management across agricultural, freshwater, and circular-economy systems. He is Principal Investigator of the Innovate UK CLEAR-FARM project (£2M), developing nutrient-rich, low-carbon biobased-fertiliser from poultry litter, and Co-Principal Investigator and Senior Project Manager on the GEF–UNEP uPcycle project ($2M), leading multiple work packages, coordinating international partners, and shaping national phosphorus action planning frameworks across Chile and beyond. He was the lead editor of Our Phosphorus Future (2022), downloaded over 16,000 times and cited in UNEP’s 2025 Priorities for a Resilient Planet, and is managing co-editor of the International Nitrogen Assessment (Cambridge University Press).

His research directly informs UN-Biodiversity, UNEP, and national policy processes, including the development of the Freshwater Eutrophication Index under the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. He delivers lectures on sustainable nutrient management to undergraduate and honours-level courses internationally. He regularly translates research into high-impact peer-reviewed publications and policy guidance and presents at international conferences and workshops (e.g. UNFCCC COPs, World Water Quality Week), bridging science and policy to advance sustainable nutrient management worldwide.