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National Trust

National Trust

Our partnership with the National Trust Partnership supports new research, innovation and creative collaborations across five areas where we share ambitious strategic priorities.

  • Colonial connections
  • Climate resilience
  • Creative industries and audience experience
  • Mental health, wellbeing and landscape
  • Landscape decisions and management

This is the first regional partnership of its kind for the National Trust, involving multiple universities across the South West and Wales and building on previous strategic investment from GW4.

As partners, our research will advance understandings of nature, culture and heritage, generating the evidence we need to meet some of the most challenging environmental and social issues of our time.

By creating and developing research and knowledge-led communities across our organisations, we can produce new approaches to conservation and curation, ensuring the National Trust’s places and collections remain sustainable and relevant in the long term.

With nearly 6 million members, more than 50,000 volunteers and 10,000 staff, the National Trust is now the biggest conservation charity in Europe, caring for more than 250,000 hectares of farmland, more than 780 miles of coastline and 500 historic properties, gardens and nature reserves. The National Trust is recognised as an Independent Research Organisation (IRO) by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The partnership’s Research Co-ordinator is Rosamund Davis, and the initiative builds upon previous strategic investment from GW4 for the Bridging the Gaps 2 project.

University of Bath
University of Bristol
Cardiff University
University of Exeter