Research England

Another funding opportunity from OPEN! Supported by Research England, the Public Policy Challenge Fund enables researchers at the University of Oxford and partners in the policymaking community to collaborate in tackling public policy challenges. Previous Challenge Fund awards have involved policy partners in and outside the UK and have addressed a range of challenges, including those related to climate change, the economy, international development, migration, and peace and security (read about some of them here - https://lnkd.in/eBeN6kNW ). Applicants can apply for awards of up to £20,000.  For help identifying a relevant policy or research partner, please contact the Policy Engagement Team (details in the link below). Deadline: 12:00 GMT, 10 November 2025 Read more about the fund and how to apply:  https://lnkd.in/gEBthavC

We’re excited to share the fifth iteration of the Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF), a landmark tool showing how higher education is helping drive economic growth and delivering benefits to society across England.    Since 2022, KEF has used a stable and robust methodology to help universities understand and track their progress. It now enables universities to compare four years of results, understand long-term patterns and benchmark performance against peers – providing a clearer picture of how their knowledge exchange efforts are evolving. This year’s results show real progress across the sector.   KEF also reveals broader sector trends across different types of universities. For example, in KEF5, large, research-intensive institutions with a broad academic focus have, on average, improved their performance in working with the public and third sector.    With KEF now in a phase of stability, its continued success will rely on better data and smarter metrics. That’s why we’re investing in innovative data design, with the recent UK Spinout Register bringing greater visibility to university spinout activity and the potential to further improve the data currently used in KEF.    Read more on our website - link in comments. #KEF5

It's Postdoc Appreciation Week (#LovePostdocs) and we continue to celebrate the invaluable contributions postdocs and early career researchers make to innovation and academic life ❤️ We're proud to sponsor PAW and highlight the brilliant work happening across our community. Next up: Sub-H2, a compact system designed to produce, store, and release green hydrogen - developed by three researchers from Loughborough University and University of Birmingham: ⭐ Dr Elizabeth Ashton ⭐ Dr Humera Ansari ⭐ Dr Fatima Abi-Ghaida, PhD With £30k funding from the C-DICE Sandpit Programme, and support from Research England, HyDEX, and the Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI), the team turned a bold idea into a working lab prototype, with economic modelling and real-world potential. Sub-H2 builds on major projects focused on decentralised energy systems, including: 🌍 LoCEL-H2 Project and MESCH (Africa) East Midlands Freeport via the East Midlands Zero Carbon Innovation Centre This is a fantastic example of how interdisciplinary collaboration and strategic partnerships empower early-career researchers to drive clean energy innovation. 🔗Read the Lizzie's blog about Sub-H2 at: https://bit.ly/3YVG4CO

We are delighted to announce Aston University and the University of Leeds have secured £3.4m from the Research England Development Fund to set up a network to assess publicly available artificial intelligence (AI) tools for PhD research. Professor Phil Mizen will be part of the leadership team helping to create The Artificial Intelligence Researcher Development Network Plus (AI.RDN+) Through collaboration, consultation, and co-creation, AI.RDN+ will: ✅ Build a resource hub with guidance and best practice ✅ Develop training to support responsible AI use ✅ Equip doctoral researchers with future-ready skills This network has the potential to shape how AI is understood and applied across the UK higher education sector and beyond. https://lnkd.in/e_XjDHa5

OPPORTUNITY | Apply now for #HerschelLeaders programme✨ The 2026 Herschel Programme for Women in Technical Leadership is now open for applications. 📅 Delivered Jan - June 2026 💻 Online (In-person event July '26) 💫 Course content: ✨ You as a leader ✨ Context and culture ✨ Influencing and negotiating ✨ Confidence and empowerment ✅ FREE - Funded by Research England ➡ Apply here https://buff.ly/H17Yteb More than 1000 technicians from 100+ UK institutions have completed the programme. 📸 Photo: Herschel Leaders 2025 cohort

Being able to showcase the incredible value of public funding for research and innovation (R&I) is becoming more and more important. Within the R&I system, Research England distributes nearly £2.2 billion per year of strategic, flexible funding to universities for research that provides them with both the stability and agility to fulfil their research strategies. We are now launching a new activity to bolster the evidence we collect about how that funding is used on the ground. Our aim is to provide greater transparency about how our funding is used and the outcomes it achieves. Today we're inviting all higher education (HE) providers in England to take part in our Transparency Programme pilot exercise. The pilot offers HE providers an opportunity to co-shape this new annual monitoring process with us and to test methods for collecting this evidence. By working with our universities on this new evidence-gathering process, we can increase the transparency of our funding and therefore continue to make a strong case for the importance of Research England support for English HE providers. To find out more and get involved see further details on our website: https://lnkd.in/e_gjUgwe

Yesterday, Science Minister Lord Vallance announced a pause to REF 2029. We welcome this opportunity to take stock and align with the government’s priorities and vision for higher education. In the coming months, we’ll be working closely with the devolved funding bodies and engaging further with the sector to finalise the approach to REF 2029. We’ll also be drawing on the outcomes of the recently concluded pilot assessment on ‘People, culture and environment’ and taking every opportunity to simplify, streamline and reduce burden on the sector.   During the pause, we’ll also begin a programme of work to:   🔸 Explore the option of baseline performance in research culture being a condition of funding 🔸 Explore options for a twin or multi-track lighter touch approach to assessment for less research-intensive institutions and smaller specialist institutions 🔸 Consider how our funding allocation mechanisms in England could be modified to reward collaboration and specialisation, as part of our ongoing review of Strategic Institutional Research Funding 🔸 Accelerate current work and thinking about the future of research assessment.   We’ll share further details on these work areas in the autumn, alongside continued engagement with the sector and its representative bodies.   Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Executive Chair of Research England, said: “We all strive for a research and innovation system that is dynamic, globally competitive and rooted in excellence. The brief pause in developing REF 2029 will allow us to take stock and really deliver this ambition. I would like to thank those who have invested their time and have contributed to the creation of REF 2029 so far. "Today, we have set out our programme of work that we will be focusing on during the pause, and we look forward to engaging with colleagues in the devolved funding bodies and those from across the sector in the coming months." Read this on our website - link in comments.

Today NCUB welcomes renewed four-year support from Research England https://lnkd.in/eaBajyFx. With this funding, we'll expand our work convening universities and businesses, providing evidence, insight and practical tools that help translate research, innovation and talent development into benefits for the economy and society. This investment sits alongside the committed support of NCUB’s university and business members, whose active participation ensures that policy, evidence and practice are grounded in the realities of both sectors. Over the next four years, we will deliver an ambitious programme of work under our new Forward Plan. Backed by Research England’s investment and the active support of its members, NCUB will pursue our strategic aims that set out a vision for a UK that is more competitive, more collaborative, and better prepared for the future. NCUB Chair Sam Laidlaw has written about our new strategy, which will be published later this year: https://lnkd.in/e-AhK6kB

Today, we’re proud to announce our continued support for the The National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB). We’re investing £9.7 million to support NCUB to lead an ambitious programme of work over the next four years, which will further strengthen innovation and growth across the UK.   Stronger collaboration between universities and businesses is central to realising the government’s mission to kickstart economic growth across the country. As a trusted convener of university, industry and policy leaders, NCUB plays a vital role in supporting this collaboration. With our support, NCUB has delivered a series of high-impact initiatives over the last few years, such as: 🔸 Mobilising the business voice to help secure investment in research and innovation. 🔸 Expanding NCUB’s digital collaboration platform, konfer, which now connects over 6,000 businesses and universities through nearly 2,000 live collaboration opportunities. 🔸 Showcasing more than 350 case studies of successful partnerships, inspiring new collaborations and helping demonstrate the vital contribution universities make as engines of innovation, talent and growth.   Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Executive Chair of Research England, said: “This funding recognises the vital role of the National Centre for Universities and Business in strengthening the links between research and industry. By supporting collaboration at a national level, we can help turn research into practical innovation that boosts economic growth and addresses the UK’s long-term challenges underpinned by our great university system.”    Read more on our website: link in the comments.

Today the UK Science Minister announced a pause to REF 2029. This is a moment for the four UK funding bodies to take stock, align with government priorities, and reflect on sector feedback. That doesn’t mean we’re downing tools! We have appointed a diverse, expert group of panel members across all 34 UoAs and all four Main Panels, ready to begin criteria setting as soon as the framework is finalised, after the pause. Their insight and commitment will be key to shaping a fair and effective REF. https://lnkd.in/eDjzQkPa https://lnkd.in/eQ3Dkdhe