Imperial tops research grant league

Imperial researchers secured £91.5 million from UK research councils in 2017-18, a 25.8% increase on the previous year

Imperial academics won more research grant income than those from any other UK university last year.

In a new ranking released by Times Higher Education, Imperial researchers secured £91,454,386 in income from 102 UK research council grants in 2017-18, moving the College up from fourth to first place, overtaking last year’s top three of Oxford (now 6th), UCL (now 2nd) and Cambridge (now 3rd).

According to Times Higher Education’s analysis of data from six UK research councils, Imperial’s £91.5 million in grants is a 25.8% increase on last year’s £72.7 million. It bucks a sector-wide trend, where overall funding distributed fell by 8.6%.

Culture of discovery and application

Professor Nick Jennings, Vice Provost (Research and Enterprise), said: "Grant applications are an indicator and enabler of what we really want to do: push the boundaries of discovery. Nevertheless, we are delighted to be recognised in this way.

"We support a culture where both fundamental discoveries and practical applications enjoy the highest esteem. Moreover, Imperial provides strong institutional support for multidisciplinary research. Cross-faculty reforms over a number of years have introduced new processes for joint research bids, while we have established multidisciplinary networks in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Vaccines and Air Quality.

“We also bring diverse talent together to tackle grand challenges, within the College's global challenge institutes, such as the Data Science Institute and the Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering.

"World-class research is critical to a first-rate education. Our students participate in research while being taught by pioneers in their fields."

The full rankings can be viewed in Times Higher Education.