Brighton rides high in Research England's new measures of success

The data, available on the KEF’s interactive new website, shows the rich contributions English Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) make, both economically and socially, on both local and national levels.

In 2020–21, Research England will oversee funding decisions in excess of £2.2bn, with knowledge exchange funding in the region of £250m. The aim of the KEF is to evaluate effectiveness in the use of public funding for universities.

Chief Executive Officer of UK Research and Innovation, Dame Ottoline Leyser said: “UKRI values the diverse and varied contributions that our higher education institutions make to society. The Knowledge Exchange Framework, published today by Research England, reflects and celebrates this diversity. The KEF also brings together rich accounts of how our universities engage in their local areas, contributing in varied and often innovative ways to their local communities and economies.”

Through CUPP’s Ignite programme, research into microplastics pollution examined impact on marine life

OSET Bikes KTP project team working on electric bike at the University’s Advanced Engineering Centre

Over 100 institutions provided detailed accounts of the work they do to build public and community engagement and to stimulate economic growth in their local area. This is the first time that qualitative information of this kind has been collected together in a structured and systematic way. The metrics that underpin the KEF cover ‘perspectives’, with the University of Brighton performing highly across several categories. These include:

• top 10% of universities for Public and Community Engagement
• top 20% for Skills, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
• top 30% for Research Partnerships and
• top 40% for Work with the Public and Third Sector.

The high performance in the Public and Community Engagement perspective is influenced by the University of Brighton’s pioneering Community University Partnership Programme (CUPP). The recent Ignite initiative provided funding and expertise, enabling diverse local partnerships to co-produce community-led solutions to issues including Brighton’s housing crisis and microplastics pollution in Chichester Harbour. Other groundbreaking work includes the Young Men Matter project established by the university's Centre of Resilience for Social Justice.

Brighton's strategic partnerships with 22 NHS trusts and 14 Clinical Commissioning Groups show Skills, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship in action, helping develop curricula, and providing placement opportunities and new apprenticeship routes to qualification. The university's world-class research partnerships include longstanding collaboration between its Advanced Engineering Centre and technology consultancy Ricardo is producing a raft of game-changing engineering innovations in the field of low emission 'green technology', such as the revolutionary split-cycle engine.

Professor Tara Dean, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) said: “At the University of Brighton, partnership is one of our core values and engaging through Knowledge Exchange is vital to our mission. We are committed to contributing to the social and economic health of the region and beyond, ensuring our research addresses the most pressing issues, and that our work directly improves people’s lives and their environment.”

Brighton was also recognised among the top 50% for Working with Business, with examples including the successful Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) programme. One recent KTP with OSET Bikes ensured Brighton research played a vital role in bringing an innovatively-designed new adult e-bike to market.

In terms of Local Growth and Regeneration, new initiatives include the BRITE (Brighton Research and Innovation Technology Exchange) programme which provides SMEs with access to the latest innovation research and expertise, research and development support, specialist facilities, and access to a modern innovation hub to support business growth.

The ambitious Big Build project, meanwhile, is transforming the Moulsecoomb campus as part of a larger masterplan that will create a new gateway into the city, upgrading both the look and prospects of the local area.

To find out more about opportunities to collaborate with the University of Brighton, contact Dr Shona Campbell, Associate Director (Enterprise) at s.e.campbell@brighton.ac.uk.