Our approach

Our researchers are making life-changing discoveries and solving problems that have a global impact.

From developing treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and making our energy sources sustainable, to addressing the challenges of food security and an ageing population, we're finding ways to improve our world.

By working collaboratively with partners locally and globally, we can influence policy makers, translate research into practice, discover novel therapies and solutions, and ensure we meet the needs of individuals and society.

Our values

• Innovative thinking, ethical and responsible research, underpinned by creativity and imagination in setting research directions
• Recognising that global challenges are effectively addressed through interdisciplinary and translational research
• Privileging action over rhetoric
• Focusing on beneficiaries working in partnership with, for example, industry, the third sector, patients, and communities

Our strategy

• Concentrate our focus on key research strengths, where we are acknowledged global leaders
• Align capital investment with priorities, including around the development of a new research-led Innovation District
• Increase high quality international research partnerships
• Promote new initiatives for early career researchers

Our research has a positive impact on people's lives worldwide: on our health and wellbeing, our climate and economy, on fairness in society and our understanding of the world.

Growing food without soil – we're finding radically different solutions to the problem of feeding a growing population.

Saving lives one word at a time – we're making potentially life-saving changes to UK dental policy.

Millicent Fawcett: A statue to suffrage – our research is carving a place in the public consciousness for women who fought for the right to vote.

Labour exploitation in global tea and cocoa industries – our extensive international research project is helping us understand why organisations exploit workers with forced labour, why they so frequently get away with it and how it makes them money – in order to learn how we can mitigate against it.

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The most recent Research Excellence Framework in 2014 confirmed our place as a world-leading university. The results demonstrated our research excellence across a range of disciplines, putting us in the top 10 per cent of all UK universities.

Research Excellence Framework 2014