All communities are listed below in date order (newest first), and can be searched using key words or fund type.
Our “Featured Communities” are from the most recent round of Generator funding.
Our Communities
Our communities
The GW4 Building Communities Programme aims to build research and innovation communities of scale and capability, delivering a step change in world-class research that could not be achieved by one of the institutions alone. The Programme has two funding schemes:
- The annual Generator Fund which awards GW4 communities up to £20K for 6 month projects (launched in 2020). This replaced the Initiator (up to £20K for 5 months) and Accelerator (up to £75K for 8 months) funding schemes, which ran from 2014 – 2019.
- The Development Awards which support new, and advance existing, collaborations across GW4 by funding single activities or resources with up to £5K. This is a rolling scheme, with no closing date.
More details of both schemes, and how to apply, can be found at the links above.
Building Communities funding supports both the creation of new GW4 communities and the development of the strongest ideas emerging from our existing communities, and is open to any academic area. To date, the GW4 Alliance has invested over £3.4M in 125 collaborative research communities, which have generated £87M in research income. This means that for every £1 GW4 spends on collaborative research communities, GW4 captures an impressive £25 in external research awards.
Research integrity
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 communities
Featured Communities
All-solid-state lithium-ion batteries with cellulose enhanced solid polymer electrolytes (ALLIANCE)
STEM
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Young people’s self-harm and suicidal behaviour: Developing qualitative research to understand the influence of context and culture
HASS
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Fabrication and Testbed Network for Next-Generation Optical Brain Computer Interfacing
STEM
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Physical, psychological and social factors influencing musculoskeletal injury and wellbeing in Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professional students
STEM
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183 results found
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The GW4 Pay Equality Research Consortium (PERC)
Sustaining Communities Initiative
Overview
The aim of the project was initially to investigate how gender pay gap reporting regulations could be strengthened, and to look critically at the Equal Pay Act 1970 and Equality Act 2010 in order to identify gaps in the legislation and ways to strengthen it. In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic caused a major disruption to the labour market, with negative impacts for women. The project therefore redirected its focus to examine the impact of the pandemic and identify lessons for policy.
Community lead
University of Bath: Susan Milner (PI)
University of Bristol: Susan Harkness
Cardiff University: Melanie Jones, Alison Parken
University of Exeter: Emma Jeanes
Awarded
January 2019
The GW4 Value of Death Network
Initiator
Overview
This GW4 Network will address the global challenge of the critical relationships between medicine, living well, dying and death. It will examine how the process of dying is being medicalised and the implications of current practices for different populations.
Community lead
University of Bath: Malcolm Johnson
University of Bristol: Jane Blazeby (PI)
Cardiff University: Jenny Kitzinger
University of Exeter: Katrina Wyatt & Robin Durie
Awarded
September 2018
A Biosocial Approach to Trauma & Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Young People
Accelerator
Overview
Our goal is to leverage expertise from across GW4 in order to achieve a step change of our understanding of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in children and young people, with a particular focus on groups from low and middle income countries.
Community lead
University of Bath: Sarah Halligan (PI)
University of Bristol: Abigail Fraser
Cardiff University: Stan Zammit
University of Exeter: Anke Karl
Awarded
September 2018
Transformative History Education: Learning from Creative Practices in Cambodia, Columbia and Iraq
Accelerator
Overview
Working with partners in Cambodia, Colombia and Iraq, we explore creative practices that enable young people to learn about the violent past and contribute towards constructing a better future.
Community lead
University of Bath: Lizzi Milligan & Peter Manning
University of Bristol: Julia Paulson (PI)
Cardiff University: Kate Moles
University of Exeter: Catriona Pennell & Kelsey Shanks (now University of Ulster)
Awarded
September 2018
A Multi-Stakeholder Approach to Medicines Optimisation
Initiator
Overview
Medicines Optimisation is the name of a relatively recent policy to ensure the safe and effective use of medicines and thus to enable the best possible outcomes. The project aimed to bring together expertise in this area across GW4, to identify the most salient research issues to take forward as a community.
Community lead
University of Bath: Margaret Watson (initial PI, now at Strathclyde)
University of Bristol: Rupert Payne (PI)
University of Exeter: Nicky Britten
Cardiff University: Molly Courtenay
Awarded
September 2018
GW4-BCR (Brain Cancer Research) From Daffodils to Drugs
Accelerator
Overview
From Daffodils to Drugs – this community investigated synthetic analogues of compounds found in daffodil bulbs to treat brain tumours.
Community lead
University of Bath: Lorenzo Caggiano (PI) and Julien Licchesi
University of Bristol: Kathreena Kurian
Cardiff University: Chris Marshall & Stephen Paisey
University of Exeter: Jacqueline Whatmore
Awarded
September 2018
Investigating GBV Intersectional (Dis)Advantages & Legal Duties – A Scoping Study of UK Universities
Accelerator
Overview
The Network has identified a clear research opportunity to construct an ecological, theoretical model of gender-based violence (GBV) relevant to UK universities.
Community lead
University of Bath: Tina Skinner
University of Bristol: Geetanjali Gangoli & Marianne Hester
Cardiff University: Kirsty Hudson
University of Exeter: Rachel Fenton (PI) & Cassandra Jones (co-PI)
Awarded
September 2018
Ecologies of Mental Health
Initiator
Overview
This project will develop an interdisciplinary GW4 community (philosophy, psychology, sociology, and consumer culture theory) to investigate how our cognitive, cultural, and technological “ecologies” shape mental health and wellbeing.
Community lead
University of Bath: James Gregory
Cardiff University: Valerie Walkerdine
University of Exeter: Joel Krueger (PI), Aliette Lambert
Awarded
January 2018
Materials and Systems to Improve Occupant Health & Built Environment
Initiator
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.
Community lead
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
Awarded
January 2018
Microfluidics & Modelling for Investigating Cellular Heterogeneity
Initiator
Overview
This network will develop capabilities to study individual cells and identify cells that are rare but play a key role in antibiotic resistance, immune response or hormonal regulation.
Community lead
University of Bath: David Tosh
University of Bristol: Craig McArdle
Cardiff University: Xin Yang
University of Exeter: Stefano Pagliara (PI)
Awarded
January 2018