Brunel, SOAS and the Open University, join ten universities launching new research collaborative
Ten research-focused universities have launched a new collaborative, called ResearchPlus, which aims to provide a voice and engage with government, industry and civil society.
Vice-chancellors from the participating universities at the event in Westminster, including the OU’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Dave Phoenix (centre).
ResearchPlus aims to give a collective voice to the universities and advance their social and economic contribution.
The collaborative’s 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.
The universities say they combine world-class research with a strong commitment to civic engagement, innovation and social mobility.
“The Open University is proud to be a founding member of Research Plus. The recent Skills White Paper rightly highlights the need for greater collaboration across the sector. Through Research Plus we’re committing to that spirit,” comments Professor Dave Phoenix, Vice-Chancellor of The Open University.
“We’re working together as a group of research-focused universities because we know this will strengthen our voice and our impact. Our aim is to support policymakers, create opportunities, and drive economic growth. By sharing expertise and aligning our efforts, we can make a more powerful collective contribution to the challenges facing UK research and innovation.”
Professor Andrew Jones, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Brunel and Co-Chair of ResearchPlus, adds: “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 says it is open to similarly research-focused universities as it aims to expand the collaborative.
