Research expertise

About the project

• Challenge the World. Change the Future. Our research has real-world impact. We don’t just generate knowledge: we apply it to solve critical issues in the economy, policy, and society. As a researcher at Birmingham, you’ll have the opportunity to work alongside leading academics, engage with policymakers and industry leaders, and contribute to public discourse, ensuring your work makes a tangible difference. You'll have the freedom to pursue independent research, gaining the skills and confidence to make a lasting difference on a global scale.

Challenge the World. Change the Future.

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) assesses both the quality and broader impact of research in all universities in the UK. In the most recent 2021 results, we were ranked 13th overall in the UK for Research Power.

More than 50 per cent of research at Birmingham was recognised as 4 star: the highest score. This reflects the transformative impact of our research community on today’s major social and environmental issues.

We're changing how the world works.

Our postgraduate researchers are changing how the world works. We are unveiling the hidden with quantum technology; understanding how future atmospheres affect biodiversity; removing barriers to create more inclusive education; promoting cultural understanding; and preventing maternal deaths.

Our Research Challenge Themes showcase our pioneering breakthroughs, multidisciplinary collaborations and significant global impact.

• Research Challenge Theme: Thriving Planet Our research is improving air quality and access to clean water, and advancing the clean technologies needed to ensure a sustainable future.

Research Challenge Theme: Thriving Planet

• Research Challenge Theme: Fairer World Our research is driving meaningful change to tackle inequalities that permeate society.

Research Challenge Theme: Fairer World

• Research Challenge Theme: Global Health We are improving the health of people across the world through new discoveries, treatments, and patient pathways.

Research Challenge Theme: Global Health

• Research Challenge Theme: Connecting Cultures Our research promotes and connects diverse cultures, fosters social inclusion, shared ownership, and a sense of belonging.

Research Challenge Theme: Connecting Cultures

• Research Challenge Theme: Life-Changing Technologies We are driving innovation with industrial and manufacturing partners, advancing technology and accelerating impact on human progress.

Research Challenge Theme: Life-Changing Technologies

Birmingham is a place where groundbreaking research is nurtured, supported, and turned into real-world impact - helping students not only discover new knowledge but change the world with it.

• Research centres and institutes Collaboration is at the heart of what we do. Our globally-recognised research centres and institutes work across disciplines to drive innovation and discovery. They play a pivotal role in securing funding, forming industry partnerships, and promoting ground-breaking research. We thrive on collaboration across disciplines, partnering with institutions in the UK and around the world. Our Institutes and Centres of Excellence are key to our success, securing funding, building cross-sector partnerships, and promoting innovation across teaching, learning, and research.

Research centres and institutes

• History of our research From revealing the structure of DNA to developing new treatments for heart disease and cancer, raising awareness of climate change to pioneering molecular machines, at Birmingham we have been conducting research that matters for over one hundred years. In the company of our ten Nobel Prize winners, our researchers continue to make a lasting impact on peoples, cultures, industry and society.

History of our research

• This is where it begins. Apply now. If you’d like to study a research degree with us, you can apply in a few simple steps.

Research resources

From our campus to the city, and across the wider region, we have an evolving wealth of resources for researchers across all disciplines, contributing to the delivery of innovative work.

• Cadbury Research Library The Cadbury Research Library holds rare books, manuscripts, archives & artefacts, including the Mingana Collection with 3,000+ Middle Eastern manuscripts & the Birmingham Qur’an, dated 568–645AD.

Cadbury Research Library

• The Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR) BIFoR studies forest responses to rising CO2 levels, featuring a unique FACE experiment in temperate woodland—the only one in the Northern Hemisphere & second of its kind worldwide.

The Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR)

• Birmingham Health Innovation Campus Birmingham Health Innovation Campus in Selly Oak is a top healthcare tech hub, advancing drug development, real-world studies & treatments for cancer, dementia, rare diseases & antibiotic resistance.

Birmingham Health Innovation Campus

• The Lapworth Museum of Geology The Lapworth Museum of Geology holds 250,000+ fossils, minerals & rocks dating back 4.5 billion years, plus geological maps, equipment, zoological specimens & ancient stone axes.

The Lapworth Museum of Geology

• Barber Institute of Fine Arts The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, an Art Deco gem, features a concert hall, exhibitions & a top-tier British art collection, including Monet & Van Gogh, plus rare Roman, Byzantine & Medieval coins.

Barber Institute of Fine Arts

• Winterbourne House and Garden Winterbourne House & Garden, built in 1903, showcases Arts & Crafts design, 6,000+ plant species, buzzing wildlife & interactive exhibits, making it a rich learning space for all ages.

Winterbourne House and Garden

• Institute of Translational Medicine The Institute of Translational Medicine speeds up clinical trials, connecting scientists, clinicians & experts to turn medical research into innovative drugs, devices & healthcare applications.

Institute of Translational Medicine

• Tyseley Energy Park - Birmingham Energy Institute Tyseley Energy Park drives innovation in energy, waste & low-carbon transport, fostering industry collaboration & training to build a sustainable future for Birmingham.

Research areas