The project Learning from Earthquakes is divided into five work packages that include missions, return missions, data collection protocols, the design and development of a 3D SDI and a mobile app for rapid visual surveying.  The project team is made up of nine people, which include two Professors, two Associate Professors, two Senior Lecturers, one Research Associate and two Research Assistants belonging to University of Cambridge,  the University College of London (UCL) and Newcastle University.

In the UK, earthquake field investigations have been conducted by the Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT) since 1982, reporting on the damage observed and inspiring research into building standards for earthquake resistant design and assessment. Moreover, EEFIT pioneered the practice of conducting "return missions" to disaster sites. In particular, missions in 2012 and 2013 returned to the sites of the 2009 L'Aquila (Italy) earthquake and the 2011 Japan earthquake. These return missions are crucial to 1) understand better earthquake effects on the built environment, community and economy; 2)highlight the effectiveness of decisions made for emergency and transitional shelter; 3)provide an understanding of how to implement effective policies for more resilient construction, and enforcement strategies for good construction; 4) allow observation of strengthening strategy implementation in practice. They also provide an opportunity to train engineers in conducting reconnaissance missions.