By Professor Colette Fagan, Vice-President for Research 

We have a world-class record of research excellent and impact. Across our university community, our colleagues, students and partners are creating new knowledge, asking bold questions and working with partners to deliver outstanding research with purpose; namely to improve lives and address some of society’s greatest challenges. 

Our strategy, From Manchester, For the World, sets an ambition for us to build on these strengths and define what a great university looks like for the 21st century. By 2035, we want to be known not only for outstanding research, but as the university that turns great research into public good, faster, more boldly and at greater scale. 

Today, I am pleased to share our new Research Delivery Plan, which sets out how we will begin turning that ambition into action. 

What the plan is 

The Research Delivery Plan is a roadmap for the first phase of our ten-year strategy, covering the next three years. 

It focuses our collective effort and investment on seven priorities:  

• catalysing outstanding research and impact;  

• transforming our research platforms;  

• supporting a successful and inclusive postgraduate researcher community;  

• building the conditions to support and scale our Fellowship community;  

• attracting, retaining and developing great research teams;  

• enhancing the quality of our research culture and environment;  

• and strengthening our global influence and reputation.  

These priorities are closely connected. Together, they are about creating the best possible conditions for great ideas and talented people to thrive; enabling them to build teams across disciplines and in partnership with other organisations, with the shared commitment to producing excellent research and ensuring that discoveries translate into impact which improves lives for our communities locally, nationally and internationally. 

What we’ve heard 

We start from a position of real strength. Manchester has a world-class record of research excellence and impact, supported by exceptional academic, professional and technical colleagues, outstanding facilities and powerful partnerships. Our Research Institutes, centres, groups and Platforms connect expertise across disciplines and help us respond to opportunities and challenges at scale.  

This plan has been shaped by colleagues across the University, including the ideas generated in the widespread consultation which informed the design of the M2035 strategy. The detail of the roadmap has been created by our Research Committee engaging with Faculty leadership teams, Research Institutes and Platforms, the Manchester Doctoral College and the teams leading our work on research culture, researcher development, infrastructure and facilities, innovation, teaching and student experience and international collaboration. 

The thread which runs through both the M2035 Strategy and the Research Delivery Plan is that succeeding in our ambition depends on connection. We must and need to make it easier for our people and ideas to come together, provide the right support at every career stage and work as one university while building on the distinctive strengths found across our disciplines and community. 

This is also why the Research Delivery Plan connects closely with our plans for International, Innovation, and Teaching and Learning. Excellence in research does not happen in isolation. It enriches our students’ education, fuels innovation, strengthens our partnerships and helps us make a greater contribution to society. 

Three things to remember 

The plan contains seven priorities linked by three key messages. 

1. We will accelerate outstanding research into impact. As one of the five leaps set out in Manchester 2035, we will continue to champion curiosity-driven research while bringing disciplines together around some of the world’s most pressing challenges. New investment and support is underway to help colleagues develop ideas, form collaborations, secure external research funding and turn excellent research into lasting impact. 

1. Our success depends on our people. We want the University of Manchester to be a place where exceptional academics, professional and technical teams can develop, lead and thrive at all career stages. This means being able to work with world-class facilities and in a research culture and environment which fosters inclusive teams, rewarding careers and produces open, responsible and trusted research. 

1. Our success will require connection and collaboration. The transformation of our Research Platforms is already making a pivotal contribution strengthening connections between our research institutes and centres, between research and innovation, and in enhancing our students’ learning. We will deepen collaboration and partnership with civic, community, industry, policy and cultural institutions so that our research is excellent, purposeful and produces benefit for both our local place and globally. 

What you’ll see happening next 

Work is already underway. The Delivery Plan highlights the initiatives that have already launched and signals the practical steps and pipeline developments that we will carry forward over the coming months as we bring more of the Research Delivery Plan to life across our community. 

This will include new and refreshed research funding schemes to help colleagues develop ambitious ideas and accelerate impact, build collaborations, and respond to emerging opportunities. Our Research Platforms will deepen their working with our Institutes to strengthen connections and collaborations to support excellent research, partnerships, accelerated impact and innovation and an enhanced student experience. 

You will also see further investment in our postgraduate researcher and Fellowship communities, with a focus on improving support, development and opportunities at key stages of research careers. 

An important area of work to enhance the quality of our research culture and environment will be the development of One Research Facility, so that colleagues and their industry partners can make better use of the world-class specialist equipment, expertise and infrastructure available across the University. 

Together, these changes are about making it easier for our researchers, teams and partners to do their best work — and to turn great ideas into meaningful impact. 

Ways to get involved 

Whether you conduct research, support researchers, teach our students, manage our facilities, build partnerships or enable the systems behind our work, you have a role to play. 

Please: 

• Read the Research Delivery Plan and consider how it connects with your work. 

• Explore the opportunities available, including funding, development programmes and interdisciplinary activity. 

• Find out more about our Platforms —  Creative Manchester, Digital Futures, Healthier Futures, and Sustainable Futures — by reading their new webpages and joining their mailing lists for announcements of events and funding opportunities for those which connect with your research. 

• Connect with colleagues and partners and identify where working together could strengthen an idea or accelerate its impact. 

• Share your experience and ideas about how we might enable a more joined-up ‘One University’ ways of working and collaborating.  

Delivery must be a two-way conversation. The plan will continue to evolve as we learn, assess progress and respond to changes around us. Please share your questions, reflections and ideas in the comments below or email us directly at vp-research@manchester.ac.uk.  

More to come 

Research is the second of our Delivery Plans to be published, following International. In the coming weeks, you will also see plans for Innovation and Teaching and Learning. Together, they will show how we will deliver From Manchester, For the World in a connected, practical and ambitious way.  

This is an exciting moment for our research community. It is our opportunity to build on our outstanding foundations and shape what comes next. I am pleased to continue working with you to make it happen. 

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