Research Themes

Internationally recognised for our original, high quality research, we’re committed to finding inspiring, sustainable solutions to the 21st century’s most fundamental global challenges. Our research centres on 6 key themes:

Food

Securing a sustainable food supply for the Earth’s expanding population is a huge challenge, demanding a careful balance of environmental, health and societal impacts. Our interdisciplinary research applies science, technology, social and cultural investigation to food consumption and production, helping industry, policymakers and the public tackle it head on.

Global Economy

Our research addresses major issues in the global economy, including innovation, development, energy and economic growth. By using inclusive, sustainable processes and taking a historical approach to understanding the economy, our interdisciplinary work is informing policy at local, national, regional and international levels.

Health and Wellbeing

Poor health impacts not only patients and their families, but health systems and societies. Our research focuses on improving mental and physical health and wellbeing across the human lifespan. Drawing on health science, biomedicine, biomedical engineering and medical humanities, we’re informing healthcare policy and practice and making a difference to people’s lives.

Heritage, Cultures and Communities

Within this theme, our work explores our cultural history and heritage and the ways that contemporary, interconnected communities create identity and social cohesion. It encompasses a variety of human endeavour, from faith and ethics to transportation and innovation, drawing on past and present influences to help shape the future.

Information and Security

In our rapidly changing world, information is vital to innovation. Advanced information technologies create an ever-increasing volume of data which can be used to address societal challenges, but which also needs to be secure. Our research spans robotics, artificial intelligence, algorithms, biocomputation, cyber security, biodefence and civil protection.

Space

Our researchers work in the diverse areas of astrophysics, atmospheric physics and mathematics, expanding human knowledge on scales ranging from microscopic quantum physics to the structure of the Universe. Their work is helping to drive innovation in climate modelling, airborne pollution monitoring, bio-particle detection, computer science, visual representation and informatics.