In my June newsletter: the new Research Academy, a European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant for international research, two new Deans appointed, a new strategic partnership signed with Army Sport, and a new Government scheme to support safer partnerships and research. 

New venture to drive forward research and innovation

I am delighted to announce that, thanks to the generosity of Loughborough alumnus Chris Gill, we are now in a position to establish the Loughborough University Research Academy. Chris’s donation, which is the largest ever philanthropic gift to Loughborough University, will enable us to drive the transformative culture change required for the University to become a global research powerhouse. 

The Academy will allow us to create a more connected and supported research community, where those at all stages and in a variety of roles can be creative, curious and collaborative to push boundaries and deliver work with global impact. Dr Kathryn North has been appointed as the Research Academy’s inaugural Director.  

The development of the Academy is an exciting proposition and will help to position Loughborough as a vibrant and ambitious place in which to undertake research and innovation that make a real difference to the world. My thanks go to all those at the University who helped to make this a reality, including Professor Dan Parsons, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, colleagues in the Research and Innovation Office and the Philanthropy, Alumni and Supporter Engagement team within Marketing and Advancement. I look forward to seeing the Research Academy take shape. 

The creation of the Research Academy is one of this year’s priorities in the Research and Innovation Core Plan, which is an ambitious vision for our research and innovation endeavours. To support the delivery of the plan we have recently appointed two Associate Pro Vice-Chancellors – Professor Karen Coopman, from the School of Aeronautical, Automotive, Chemical and Materials Engineering, and Professor Ksenia Chmutina, from the School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering. Professor Chmutina will lead the areas of impact and internationalisation, and Professor Coopman will have responsibility for excellence and focus. 

I am sure you will join me in congratulating Dr North, Professor Chmutina and Professor Coopman on their appointments. 

Prestigious grant awarded for international research project

This month it was announced that Professor Thomas Tufte, Associate Dean for Research and Innovation at Loughborough University London, had been awarded €2.4m in European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant funding to launch a major international research project to explore how young people across the Global South navigate uncertainty and push for change. 

The ERC Advanced Grant is part of the EU’s Horizon Europe programme and gives world-leading researchers the freedom to pursue bold, curiosity-driven ideas that could lead to major scientific and societal breakthroughs.  

Professor Tufte leads the REACT project – ‘Reimagining Activism, Communication and Trajectories of Participation in the Global South’. Over the next five years, REACT will examine how 18- to 30-year-olds in 20 countries respond to rising inequality, unemployment and socio-economic exclusion. The project will employ more than 20 researchers across the Global South and survey 12,000 young people, with in-depth studies in five cities across Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, India, and South Africa. REACT aims to amplify youth voices, stimulate cultural exchange, and uncover pathways toward more inclusive societies.  

This prestigious award from the European Research Council is a clear recognition of the world-leading research taking place at Loughborough. Professor Tufte’s REACT project exemplifies the kind of bold, globally engaged scholarship we champion: work that addresses urgent social challenges and gives a voice to those too often overlooked, representing the ethos of our Vibrant and Inclusive Communities strategic theme.

Two new Deans appointed

Last week we announced the appointment of two new Deans, following rigorous international searches. Professor Rajkumar Roy will take up the role of Dean of the Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering, while Professor Moataz Attallah has been appointed as Dean of the School of Aeronautical, Automotive, Chemical and Materials Engineering. 

Professor Roy joins Loughborough from City St George’s, University of London, where he is currently Executive Dean of the School of Science and Technology. He previously held a range of senior positions at Cranfield University, including Director of Manufacturing and Professor of Competitive Design. An internationally recognised expert in through-life engineering, Professor Roy is renowned for developing its scientific foundations. At Cranfield, he established the Centre for Design (C4D), an interdisciplinary hub uniting art-based product design, computer science, engineering, materials science, and management to develop innovative, socially impactful solutions.  

Professor Attallah is currently the Professor of Advanced Materials Processing and Director of Research and Knowledge Transfer at School of Metallurgy and Materials, University of Birmingham. Professor Attallah is an internationally recognised leader in the field of advanced manufacturing, with particular expertise in additive manufacturing, powder metallurgy, and materials for extreme environments. His research group (AMPLab) has received multiple awards from DSTL and Safran Group on the research on metal 3D printing of jet engine components.  

Professor Roy will join us on 1 August and Professor Attallah will start his new role at Loughborough on 1 September. I am sure you will all join me in welcoming them both to the University. 

New partnership agreement signed with Army Sport

I was delighted to sign a new strategic partnership with Army Sport earlier this month, which will enhance high-performance sporting opportunities for Army personnel. The agreement will provide Army sport teams with access to our facilities and professional services and allow them to compete against our Loughborough teams. 

There will also be opportunities for Army Sport, and the wider Army, to leverage cutting-edge research, collaborative coach development and knowledge sharing on all aspects of high-performance leadership. The partnership will bring direct student engagement with the Army’s career opportunities. 

Multi-faceted strategic partnership agreements such as this cut across several of our strategic aims, from Sporting Excellence and Opportunity to Research and Innovation. I look forward to seeing the partnership develop and to watching the Loughborough sports teams beat their Army counterparts, of course! 

Government launches its Foreign Influence Registration Scheme

Towards the end of 2023, we launched our Safer Partnerships and Trusted Research campaign, which highlights the role all colleagues must play in ensuring we deliver the University strategy safely and responsibly.  

Tomorrow, on 1 July, the Government will bring into force the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), which aims to increase the transparency of activity taking place in the UK at the instruction of a foreign state or foreign state-controlled organisation.  

This scheme is part of a suite of legislation impacting higher education and requires the University to register all activities directed by a foreign power that seek to influence political and public life in the United Kingdom, or any activities directed by foreign powers specified in the legislation. The Government has specified Iran and the Russian Federation as foreign powers. 

This means that from 1 July all new agreements, whether formal or informal, with a foreign power to carry out political influence activities in the UK, or any activities on behalf of the government or government-controlled entities of Iran or Russia, must be registered in ten calendar days. 

A Foreign Influence Registration Scheme guidance page has been created on the Safer Partnerships and Trusted Research website to support colleagues who believe they may be impacted by this legislation.  

The development of substantive partnerships with universities and institutions around the world is one of the ways in which we can grow our global influence and the impact of our work, but we need to be confident about those we collaborate with and their motivations for working with us. We cannot afford to be dismissive of national security concerns and threats to international collaboration and I’d encourage you to revisit the information on our website regularly to remind yourself what you need to consider when working with others. 

A decade in the top ten

Loughborough has been ranked 7th in the Complete University Guide 2026, marking a decade in the top ten – a feat shared only by the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, St Andrews, Durham and Imperial. Loughborough also remains the highest ranked university in the Midlands, underlining its position as one of the best universities in the country.

REF Roadshows

Throughout June, Professor Dan Parsons, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, led a series of REF (Research Excellence Framework) events to provide an insight into our preparations for the REF 2029 submission. If you were unable to attend but would like to know more about REF and its importance to the University, a recording is now available online.

LEN celebration evening

This month the University held its Loughborough Enterprise Network (LEN) celebration evening to recognise the achievements of students, graduates and staff, and the local business community. Congratulations to all the winners. LEN supports students and graduates (in the curriculum and through Careers Network) and staff (through LUinc. and the Research and Innovation Office) with entrepreneurship, innovation and commercialisation.