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City St George’s, University of London is one of ten founding members of ResearchPlus

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A new national collaborative comprising ten leading research-focused universities - ResearchPlus - was formally launched on Tuesday 28 October at a special Parliamentary event in Westminster.

ResearchPlus seeks to give a collective voice and advance the social and economic contribution of research-focused universities that constitute a critical element of the UK’s research and innovation system and that deliver vital research-informed education and advanced skills.

Through shared purpose and strategic coordination, the collaborative will engage with government, industry, and civil society to support economic growth, prosperity, and societal wellbeing across the whole of the UK. The collaboration denotes an expansion and re-imagining of universities’ contribution to the public good.

Attendees at yesterday’s official launch, at the Cholmondeley Room, in the House of Lords, included Presidents and Vice Chancellors from all ten ResearchPlus partners, The Rt Hon. Lord Hain, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, the Rt Hon. Dr Peter Kyle, Jordan Cummins, UK competitiveness director at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and CEO of Universities UK, Vivienne Stern MBE.

Professor Sir Anthony Finkelstein, President of City St George’s, University of London said:

“The UK has achieved its position in research and innovation because it has a diverse higher education system, but it needs to hear the voices of all parts of that system if it is to maintain that position."

Like our ResearchPlus partners, we have outstanding research teams and specialist areas that are recognised as world-leading. This collaborative amplifies our collective voice and provides the opportunity to work together as research-focused universities to drive change in the higher education sector.

The Right Honourable Peter Kyle MP, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, said:

“Innovation is crucial to the UK’s future and so much of our potential will come from higher education. Whether it’s through university labs or collaborations with investors, entrepreneurs, businesses, pharma, science, aerospace, or even fashion, every sector is connected to our universities. As a country, we can only move forward with a strong pipeline of innovation ready to be commercialised. That’s why the work of ResearchPlus is so important, it brings these partnerships together and helps turn world-leading research into real-world impact.”

The Rt Hon. Lord Hain said:

“Our research-focused universities are priceless partners to the UK industry and technology sectors producing ground-breaking solutions, developing top-end skills and making significant contribution to our economy. These universities are also central to our local communities as educators, employers and neighbours. ResearchPlus is the collaboration of universities that we have been missing. Now there is a vehicle for government to hear the collective voice of university research that is truly diverse and will bring solutions to the challenges of our time.”

ResearchPlus partner institutions span the UK’s cities and regions, combining world-class research with a strong commitment to civic engagement, innovation, and social mobility.

The founding partners are:

- Brunel University of London

- City St George’s, University of London

- Keele University

- Royal Holloway, University of London

- SOAS, University of London

- University of Essex

- University of Hull

- The Open University

- University of Sussex

- Ulster University.

Together, these universities represent a distinctive and essential part of the UK’s research base, bringing agility, interdisciplinary strength, and a deep connection to public and private sector partners.

Professor Sasha Roseneil, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Sussex and Co-Chair of ResearchPlus, said:

“ResearchPlus is an exciting new partnership that brings together universities renowned for excellence in research and innovation, and for our positive societal impact, with the primary aim of enhancing the strength of the UK’s research and innovation base to serve the common good.

In a speech at the event - Professor Andrew Jones, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Brunel and Co-Chair of ResearchPlus said:

“ResearchPlus universities were founded through successive government and industry initiatives aimed at driving growth, expanding opportunity, and advancing technology and public services. Each of us, uniquely recognised for our excellence in research, plays a vital role in developing the advanced skills and specialist education that underpin the UK’s economic, social, and technological progress.

“We are committed to supporting the ambitions of the UK’s Industrial Strategy which plays to the strength of our collective expertise. ResearchPlus fills a gap creating a powerful collective voice in the UK’s research and innovation system which will enable greater strategic coherence in supporting the government’s priorities for growth.”

ResearchPlus is open to other similarly research-focused universities that share its aims. One of ResearchPlus’s early goals is to expand the collaborative, building a broader platform to amplify the contributions and capabilities of institutions under-represented in national policy and public discourse.

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