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Impact and place

The Science and Engineering South consortium brings together seven universities with a commitment to research excellence and achieving a positive impact from our activities.

Our members invest in high quality science essential for the sustained development of world-leading research that makes a positive impact on the UK economy, our wellbeing and to the world around us.

Sustained investment in scientific and medical research has helped universities respond to the Covid-19 pandemic through vaccinations and innovative treatments.

Nationwide and global

Sustained investment in research excellence over many years has enabled our universities to help tackle the challenges facing our world through their activities. Our research impacts can be felt across the UK and beyond, with communities across the globe feeling the benefits our our member universities’ discoveries.

University of Southampton Science Park
Publication

The economic and social impact of the University of Southampton

More than a third of the identifiable regional-based impact generated by the University of Southampton occurred outside the south east of England, a report by independent consultants reveals.

Farmland in North Wales © Mary Hinkley
Feature

Showing our impact – REF 2021

Looking beyond SES members’ excellent performance in REF 2021 to their case studies reveals the positive impact their research is having. Here are some examples.

University College London, North West WingPhotographer: Mary Hinkley Copyright: © UCL Digital Media
Publication

The economic and social impact of UCL

UCL’s social and economic impact is £9.9bn per year and is felt across the whole UK, according to an independent report.

University of Southampton's Levelling Up Impact Report cover image
Publication

Levelling Up Impact Report

The University of Southampton has set out 14 goals to help level up Britain by improving social mobility and tackling inequality of opportunity.

credit: Barts Health NHS Trust
News

Queen Mary’s genes project goes national

A QMUL-led project to improve the representation of British people with Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage in genetic datasets has reached a key milestone.

Part of the Widcombe Flight of six locks on the Kennett and Avon Canal
Blog

What the Levelling Up White Paper means for research

Does the Levelling Up white paper signal a dramatic geographical rebalancing of research and development spending? Here’s what the experts think.

Local and regional

All of our member institutions exist within locations where there are wide reaching inequalities. Some of our catchment areas include communities with among the widest inequality gaps between rich and poor within the UK.

Each of our universities serve unique communities with their own challenges, including areas of inner city London, rural communities in the east of England or the maritime economies of the south coast. Already, our members are ensuring that the impact of their research help to address some of these challenges.

University of Southampton Science Park
Publication

The economic and social impact of the University of Southampton

More than a third of the identifiable regional-based impact generated by the University of Southampton occurred outside the south east of England, a report by independent consultants reveals.

credit: Barts Health NHS Trust
News

Queen Mary’s genes project goes national

A QMUL-led project to improve the representation of British people with Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage in genetic datasets has reached a key milestone.

A fibre laser cutting metal at the Zepler Institute. Fibre lasers use considerably less energy than traditional methods and are a key means of decarbonising manufacturing.
Blog

How QR funding supports innovation and jobs in our universities

Quality-related research funding has been described by the Russell Group of universities as “the invisible force holding up the UK’s research ecosystem”.