Our Communities
To date (June 2021) the GW4 Alliance has invested over £3.1m in 112 collaborative research communities, which have generated nearly £50m in research income. This means that for every £1 GW4 spends on collaborative research communities, GW4 captures an impressive £16 in external research awards.
The GW4 Alliance has adopted the Russell Group Research Integrity Statement of cooperation in cross-institutional research misconduct allegations, which aims to support the efforts of researcher communities to foster research integrity (also known as good practice in research or the responsible conduct of research).
Explore our GW4 research communities by keyword or theme. (All communities are also listed below in order of award date with newest first).
Aerospace and Advanced Engineering
Creative and Cultural Economy
Digital Innovation
Living Well
New Energy Systems
Resilience, Environment and Sustainability
Flood Resilience for the TRANsport Sector (FR-TRANS)
GENERATOR FUND
Awarded: 2021
GW4 community leads
University of Bristol: Maria Pregnolato (PI),
Cardiff University: Reza Ahmadian, Man Yue (Arthur) Lam
University of Exeter: Barry Evans, Albert Chen, Slobodan Djordjevic
Project overview
The project aims at establishing a community around urban resilience to climate, looking at addressing current gaps in assessing and reducing flooding impact to transport networks.
Rhetoric and Practices of Green Recovery in Cities
GENERATOR FUND
Awarded: 2021
GW4 community leads
University of Bath: Sophia Hatzisavvidou
University of Bristol: Oscar Berglund
Cardiff University: David Shackleton (PI)
University of Exeter: Jess Britton
Project overview
This collaboration investigates the rhetoric and practices of green recovery in UK cities in the time of COVID-19.
Urban Humanities
GENERATOR FUND
Awarded: 2021
GW4 community leads
University of Bath: Christina Horvath
University of Bristol: Maria Fannin, James Duminy
Cardiff University: Julian Brigstocke, Gary Bridge
University of Exeter: Jason Baskin (PI)
Project overview
Our GW4 community brings together a cross-disciplinary group of scholars to establish the research area of the Urban Humanities, which is critical, we contend, to understanding the full complexity of urban change in the twenty-first century.
Climate Change Education Network
GENERATOR FUND
Awarded: July 2020
GW4 community leads
University of Bath: Elisabeth Barratt Hacking, Lorraine Whitmarsh
University of Bristol: Paul Howard-Jones (PI)
Cardiff University: Christina Demski, Kat Steentjes
University of Exeter: Justin Dillon
Project overview
This project will establish a transdisciplinary network involving researchers across university disciplines working with teachers to orient and provide active support for research on Climate Change Education.
GWPore: Porous materials for energy, healthcare and the environment
GENERATOR FUND
Awarded: July 2020
GW4 community leads
University of Bath: Asel Sartbaeva (PI)
University of Bristol: Sebastian Rochat
Cardiff University: Timothy Easun
University of Exeter: Yongde Xia
Project overview
We aim to create a network of researchers, GWPore, interested in all aspects of porous materials, across all four GW4 universities. This network will facilitate collaborations, applications for funding, mentoring for ECRs, networking, and equipment sharing between groups.
Plasticity and Robustness: cellular understanding of plant growth and defence
generator award
Awarded: July 2020
GW4 community leads
University of Bath: Kit Yates
University of Bristol: Alan Champneys
Cardiff University: Veronica Grieneisen (PI)
University of Exeter: Mike Deeks
Project overview
This project will link the major developmental alterations caused by plant pathogens to the fundamental changes in cellular polarity that underpin all these responses.
Circular economy for affordable, low-carbon secondary raw materials
INITIATOR FUND
Project period: February – June 2019
GW4 community leads
University of Bath: Pete Walker, Stephen Allen
University of Bristol: Steve Eichhorn, Rinat Nigmatullin
Cardiff University: Eshrar Latif, Marianna Marchesi
University of Exeter: Raffaele Vinai (PI), Matt Eames, Peter Hopkinson
Project overview
The project will focus on materials, processes, technologies and systems to enable up-cycling of industrial waste and agricultural co-products into valuable components, fostering circular economic solutions for sustainable building products.
Materials and systems to improve occupant health and the built environment
INITIATOR FUND
Project period: January – March 2018
GW4 community leads
University of Bath: Richard Ball, Chris Bowen (joint PIs)
University of Bristol: Valeska Ting
Cardiff University: Robert Davies, Diane Gardner
University of Exeter: Yanqiu Zhu, Meiling Zhu
Project overview
We will identify opportunities to develop and apply the next generation of technologically advanced ceramic materials and systems to improve the environmental impact and occupant health and wellbeing in the built environment.