Interdisciplinary research

The sheer scale of our interdisciplinary research activity sets us apart. We're able to combine disciplines and capabilities to meet both the challenges of leading-edge research and the external demands of government, business and communities.

The University of Manchester Research Institute (UMRI) is central to our goal, outlined in our vision and strategic plan, of building on our path-breaking interdisciplinary research.

UMRI enables us to achieve this by ensuring that the necessary structures, resources, incentives and governance frameworks are in place. It also nurtures the emergence of new cross-cutting themes and networks.

Research beacons

Our research beacons are examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet.

Find out more about the pioneering research underway in:

University interdisciplinary research institutes

Our interdisciplinary research institutes are established where we have achieved, or aspire to, world-leading status.

Research platforms

Research platforms have a university-wide reach and support the research, external engagement and impact of the activities of our institutes and individual academics (typically several hundred academics are affiliated to a platform).

Research centres and groups in our Faculties

We also have many research centres and groups undertaking innovative and excellent research.  These are detailed on the Faculty web pages.

Pump prime initiatives supported by UMRI

We support new interdisciplinary initiatives through a pump prime open competition. The current and recent projects are: 

PI School/Department Title Start date End date
Professor David Johnson Earth and Environmental Sciences Developing satellite optical and radar sensing to estimate greenhouse gas emissions in grasslands 1 June 2019 1 February 2020
Professor Elaine Bignell Biological Sciences The infection network: an integrated community of researchers focussed on antimicrobial strategy in the settings of mono- and multi-morbidity 1 April 2019 31 January 2020
Dr Niels Peek Health Sciences A multidisciplinary research network to tackle multimorbidity 1 May 2019 31 January 2020
Professor Kevin Taylor Earth and Environmental Sciences GeoUrbaNet – geochemistry of toxic elements in urban sediment-water-drainage systems: an interdisciplinary approach to monitoring, managing and mitigation 1 May 2019 31 January 2020
Dr Richard Allmendinger Alliance Manchester Business School Industry 4.0 innovation lab: ensuring long term prosperity of UK manufacturing June 2019 January 2020
Dr Eduardo Martinez Ceseña Electrical and Electronic Engineering Energy system digital twin of Greater Manchester 1 April 2019 30 September 2019
Professor Neil Hanley Medical Sciences Towards a centre of excellence in interdisciplinary single cell biology 1 April 2019 31 January 2020
Professor Stefan Bouzarovski Environment, Education and Development The age of infrastructure: China as a global urban agent (AGORA) 15 April 2019 31 January 2020
Professor Nigel Scrutton Manchester Institute of Biotechnology Industrial biotechnology: enabling clean growth 1 April 2019 31 March 2020
Professor Simon Lovell Biological Sciences Manchester genomics: using interdisciplinary basic science approaches to improve interpretation of human genomic variation 1 June 2019 31 May 2020