Area of investment and support

Expanding Excellence in England (E3) fund

The Expanding Excellence in England (E3) fund supports small and excellent research units and departments in higher education providers across England to expand and increase their activity where they have potential to grow.

• Budget: Up to £180 million
• Partners involved: Research England

The scope and what we're doing

Aims

The aims of the E3 fund are to:

• support the contribution of English universities to our society by pushing the frontiers of human knowledge and delivering transformative economic, environmental, and societal impact
• fund the strategic and sustainable expansion of research capacity across England’s regions. E3 will focus on where distinctive research excellence with the potential for expansion already exists and where those existing disciplinary or interdisciplinary foci can benefit their local or regional setting at an increased scale
• contribute towards the delivery of government priorities while maintaining the principles of funding excellence wherever it is found and delivering a research environment that reflects the rich diversity of the UK and cultivates future talent

Past projects, outcomes and impact

See details of Expanding Excellence in England (E3) funded projects.

Who to contact

Geoff Hill

Email: expandingexcellence@re.ukri.org

Governance, management and panels

Panel members

• Professor Mary Stuart (Chair), Director of Leadership Development, Minerva UK
• Professor Bashir M. Al-Hashimi, ARM Professor of Computing Engineering and Vice Principal (Research and Innovation), King’s College London
• Professor Siladitya Bhattacharya, Professor and Head of School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen and Sir Dugald Baird Chair in Women’s Health
• Professor Sara de Freitas, Director of the Digital Futures Institute, University of Suffolk
• Professor Lin Foxhall, Rathbone Chair of Ancient History and Classical Archaeology and Dean, School of Histories, Languages and Cultures, University of Liverpool
• Professor Tony McEnery, Professor of Linguistics and English Language, Lancaster University
• Professor Karen Olsson-Francis, Professor of Geomicrobiology, School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Open University
• Professor Leon Terry, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Cranfield University
• Professor Carol Wagstaff, Professor of Crop Quality for Health and Research Dean for Agriculture, Food and Health, University of Reading
• Professor Roger Whitaker, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Enterprise, Cardiff University
• Professor Philip Whyman, Professor of Economics and Co-Director of the Lancashire Centre for Business, Management and Enterprise Research, University of Central Lancashire

Last updated: 27 July 2023