Research expansion
Manchester Metropolitan’s purpose is to transform lives through the power of education and research.
We’re expanding our research capacity and focus while developing existing fields of strength. It’s why we’re searching for the right people to join us – those with the driving ambition to discover and disseminate knowledge that improves lives and solves the grand challenges of our time.
You’ll work in some of the best facilities in the sector. Over the past ten years, we’ve invested more than £400 million into award-winning buildings and facilities that support not only our research ambitions – but also yours.
And because of our greater focus and commitment to research, we had great results in REF 2021.
Research recognition
Our REF 2021 results revealed that 91% of our research impact was rated world leading and internationally excellent, also highlighting the outstanding areas of research quality and critical mass across the University, including:
- Healthcare and Biosciences
- Engineering
- Computer Science
- Environmental Science
- Business and Management
- Social Policy
- Sport and Exercise Science
- Education
- English
- History
- Art and Design
- Sociology
Support for growth
As well as our positive REF 2021 results and investment in our campus and people, the last five years have seen us double our research-active staff through targeted recruitment and current employee-development programmes.
Over the same timeframe, our research income has doubled, and total Research and Knowledge Exchange awards have grown to £88 million from 1,340 projects.
The volume of our high-quality publications has also increased, with 6,689 outputs indexed in Scopus between 2017 and 2021. Almost 18% of our outputs are amongst the top 10% most cited in the world.
Almost 50% of our outputs are co-authored with international partners, and many of our staff are members of peer review colleges and funding panels. We had our largest number of panel members in REF 2021, and we’ve played our part in shaping Research and Knowledge Exchange policy.
Impact and memberships
You’ll join a university that’s consistently in the UK’s top five for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs). Over 80 projects worth £8 million have delivered new products, services and value to regional SMEs and the national economy.
Meanwhile, we’re a signatory to the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, and we’ve held the EU HR Excellence in Research Award since 2013.
We’re members of the Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded Northwest Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP), the Economic and Social Research Council-funded White Rose DTP, and a DTA Applied Biosciences for Health training academy, which has received funding from Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions.
Notable research
2020: Best Knowledge Transfer Partnership: A KTP between Manchester Metropolitan and Aquacheck Engineering that revolutionized the traditional standpipe by turning it into a smart, connected device. The project leader was Professor Bamidele Adebisi.
2019: Times Higher Education Award Knowledge Exchange/Transfer Initiative of the Year: The Greater Manchester Youth Justice University Partnership (GMYJUP), which gives young people a voice in the criminal justice system. The project leader was Professor Hannah Smithson.
2019: Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education: Mother Tongue Other Tongue, an innovative multilingual poetry project for school pupils. The project leader was the former poet laureate, Dame Carol Ann Duffy.
For more information on specific areas of research, Research opportunities section.