Research England funded 13 bids in the first £76.3 million round of E3 funding.
Following the series of COVID-19 lockdowns, each unit was offered a further year’s bridging grant to support their long-term sustainability.
A further £6.5 million has therefore been made available, allocated proportionally, with payment to commence the month after each unit’s final E3 allocation payment.
Aston University
Unit name
Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics
Investment
£5,434,597
Summary
The current Centre for Forensic Linguistics will radically expand into an institute with capacity to exploit strengths in investigative text analysis, linguistics in legal contexts, and forensic speech science. It will also establish capability in language and law and create an open databank for research and practice in forensic linguistics.
Loughborough University
Unit name
Centre for Mathematical Cognition
Investment
£6,594,814
Summary
Loughborough University’s new Centre for Mathematical Cognition represents a substantial expansion of Loughborough’s internationally recognised mathematical cognition research. The Centre will study mathematical learning processes and use the resulting insights to design and evaluate educational interventions. A collaborative network of schools and colleges will ensure the Centre’s work addresses classroom priorities.
Newcastle University (with Northumbria University)
Unit name
Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment
Investment
£8,000,000
Summary
The Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment is a collaboration between Newcastle and Northumbria Universities that will develop biotechnologies to create a new generation of buildings which are responsive to their environment, grown using engineered living materials, metabolise their own waste, and modulate their microbiome to benefit human health.
Open University
Unit name
Astrobiology Research Unit
Investment
£6,737,350
Summary
The Open University Astrobiology Research Group is a multidisciplinary research community focusing on fundamental questions about life beyond the Earth. The E3 funding will enable its expansion to address scientific and governance challenges within astrobiology, particularly in relation to space exploration, societal benefits and sustainability.
Royal Northern College of Music
Unit name
Practice and Research in Science and Music
Investment
£914,000
Summary
E3 funding will enable the RNCM’s Centre for Practice & Research in Science & Music (PRiSM) to bring together researchers and practitioners in composition, performance, mathematics, artificial intelligence, music perception and big data to engage in creative research collaborations between the sciences and music. A unique approach within UK HEPs and distinct worldwide, it will address fundamental questions about what it means to be human and creative today.
Sheffield Hallam University
Unit name
Lab4Living
Investment
£4,027,482
Summary
This award expands Lab4Living’s capacity to advance its groundbreaking research in the development of innovative products and environments that promote quality of life. The Design4Ageing Academy, an international host hub, and resource to build future leaders in this space will form part of a systematic program of research activity centring on the ‘100 Year Life’.
University of Exeter
Unit name
Diabetes Research Unit/ Aetiological Insights
Investment
£5,984,000
Summary
Exeter Diabetes Research has an international reputation for delivering excellent and clinically-relevant patient-based research. We will expand by recruiting individuals with interdisciplinary skills and innovative ideas, who are seeking to apply their expertise to the underlying mechanisms in diabetes. State of the art imaging and sequencing equipment will be provided.
University of Greenwich
Unit name
Natural Resources Institute
Investment
£7,495,984
Summary
The Natural Resources Institute (NRI) of the University of Greenwich will expand its existing interdisciplinary research excellence addressing food and nutrition security, especially in Africa. Using a food systems approach, NRI and partners will focus on climate change, sustainable agricultural intensification, food loss and waste, and improved nutrition.
University of Lancaster
Unit name
ImaginationLancaster
Investment
£7,636,606
Summary
Beyond Imagination provides fresh perspectives on real world issues and facilitates innovation by addressing complex challenges faced by cities, communities, factories, workplaces and homes. Our design research creates a uniquely powerful socio-technical bridge between academic disciplines, industry, society and policy, transforming future products, places and services.
University of Lincoln
Unit name
Lincoln Agri Robotics
Investment
£6,344,000
Summary
This project creates Lincoln Agri-Robotics, the first global centre of excellence in Agri-Robotics in the UK. This will include research into autonomous agri-robots that can efficiently tend, harvest and quality-control high-value crops with reduced human intervention, improving agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability, and addressing the demands of a growing population.
University of Portsmouth
Unit name
Centre for Enzyme Innovation
Investment
£5,828,000
Summary
The Centre for Enzyme Innovation (CEI) at the University of Portsmouth is helping to solve the global challenge of plastic pollution through the discovery and engineering of enzymes to breakdown common single-use plastics. This pioneering research will enable the circular recycling of plastic waste.
University of Surrey
Unit name
Centre for Translation Studies
Investment
£3,564,000
Summary
Automation is rapidly transforming the language services landscape, shifting industry practice and the research agenda in the direction of technological innovation. To harness the full potential of the AI revolution in this area, we will focus on the convergence of human and automated approaches to different modalities of translation and interpreting, combining them to create an ambitious and far-reaching research programme.
UWE
Unit name
Centre for Fine Print Research
Investment
£7,718,713
Summary
The Centre for Fine Print Research will build on its unique knowledge of 19th century photomechanical, traditional printing and fabrication to develop novel methods and artefacts, exploring crossovers between art, science, and engineering. The vision is to solve real world problems, transforming ideas into physical artefacts that meet the needs of a changing society.
Last updated: 12 September 2023