Research Partnership Investment Fund

26 March 2015

The Higher Education Funding Council for England has allocated £85 million of public funding from the Research Partnership Investment Fund to Russell Group universities. This funding will be matched by universities and matched again by businesses to provide more than £250 million for medical, materials and engineering research.

Commenting on the allocation, Dr Wendy Piatt, Director General of the Russell Group, said:

“It’s great news that further funding has been provided to bolster the world-class research going on in our universities. Working with businesses, these new research centres will help scientists to make medical breakthroughs and improve technologies. The first-rate infrastructure needed to facilitate the very best research and teaching cannot be bought on the cheap, so we are glad that the Government has already set out plans for further investment on this scale over the next five years.”

The six projects funded are:

Chemistry of Health – University of Cambridge

The Chemistry of Health Centre will enable fundamental discoveries in the molecular processes underlying human disease, particularly neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Find out more on the University of Cambridge website.

Research Foundation in Compound Semiconductor Technology – Cardiff University

The Research Foundation in Compound Semiconductor Technology will develop research into key advanced materials technology of compound semiconductors. Compound semiconductor technology is an essential field which underpins major technologies, including TV broadcasting, high capacity communications networks and healthcare.

Find out more on the Cardiff University website.

Building a New Biology – University of Edinburgh

The project will focus on infection and global health research; the design and construction of biological devices and systems, known as synthetic biology; and epigenetics – the study of genetic changes that are not caused by differences in DNA sequence.

Find out more on the University of Edinburgh website.

Centre for Tissue Repair – University of Edinburgh

The Centre for Tissue Repair will discover and deliver new therapies to repair tissue damage caused by disease and injury. It will also develop advanced imaging and sensor technologies that will enable scientists to view and measure tissue regeneration in real-time, giving vital new understanding and early read-outs of the success of these exciting new treatments.

Find out more on the University of Edinburgh website.

Neurological and Psychiatric Imaging Research and Therapeutics Hub - King’s College London

King’s will build a world-class research hub to transform the therapeutic options for patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders. In partnership with business, the project will develop a range of imaging equipment to generate a continuous pipeline of research that will advance our knowledge of disease mechanisms, reveal new avenues for therapy, and test innovative therapeutics.

Find out more on the King's College London website.

Advanced Steel Research Hub – University of Warwick

The Advanced Steel Research Hub will enable an internationally leading integrated approach to bridging the gap between concepts and manufacture of steel-based projects. Warwick, working with Tata Steel, will provide a national focus helping to transform UK steel production, including research into emerging and breakthrough technologies.

Find out more on the University of Warwick website.

The full announcement from HEFCE is available here.

Related case studies

Universities of Cardiff, Manchester York – CAST

Read more >

Durham University - turning student ideas into new North East businesses

Student entrepreneurs at Durham University are able to access wraparound support to help develop ideas in a state-of-the-art new facility that will help build a network of new businesses in the North East.

Read more >