Record-breaking year for Uni of Leicester as its research funding doubles

The University of Leicester is celebrating having doubled the amount received compared to the previous year. For the most recent fiscal year, it secured a total of £103 million in research awards.

This marks a significant milestone as it’s the first time Leicester has exceeded the £100 million threshold for award funding and coincides with the University’s launch of five new research institutes in the autumn of 2022.

A substantial portion of the funding, £26 million, was obtained in October 2022 and it is earmarked to support pioneering research aimed at enhancing and preserving lives after being channelled into the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, which focuses on investigating diseases related to respiratory conditions, cardiovascular ailments, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle.

In addition to its substantial contributions to health research, the £103 million in research awards covers a diverse array of projects with far-reaching impacts on society, culture, and the environment.

Professor Philip Baker, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research and Enterprise, commented: “To have doubled our research awards is an outstanding achievement in these challenging times. This has absolutely been a team effort involving, colleges, institutes, centres and key funder groups and is an incredible start to the University of Leicester’s second century. To be a researcher is to make a difference. To be a researcher is to change the world. Every day, world-changing research happens right here. As Citizens of Change, our researchers are dedicated to researching some of today’s most critical issues, from viruses and diseases to air quality, preserving our natural world, and ensuring social justice for all. Just as we are diverse in our makeup, we are equally diverse in our research.”