What we do
Comprising some of London’s most prestigious research universities, grounded in the largest and most diverse metropolitan region in Europe and drawing on well-established and evidenced city and national strategies, the network seeks to meet the challenges of urban living with innovative, interdisciplinary solutions. In particular the network:
- Takes as its scope the challenges facing large urban regions in general and London in particular;
- Ties-in to existing urban research themes identified by its members and/or specific disciplines in which participating London HEIs possess outstanding research capacity (whether through personnel, infrastructure or connections);
- Provides a mechanism whereby research funding opportunities that match the agreed focus and criteria can be efficiently evaluated and, if appropriate, progressed by a group of London HEIs;
- Establishes an outward-looking platform to promote and amplify London’s collaborative research expertise in these areas to funders, stakeholders and external collaborators with a view to increasing transactions and making the case for greater research investment in London.
The network is open to all London Higher members. For further information contact: michael.reynier@londonhigher.ac.uk. Terms of Reference (PDF: 736KB).
Current Initiatives
The key themes the network intends to address initially are:
- Transport – We are in Discussions with TFL regarding an infrastructure research project;
- Housing – We have held academic networking meetings on this theme and are in discussions with housing developers and local authorities;
- Culture – We have held academic networking meetings with the Greater London Authority on Virtual and Augmented reality technology;
- Economic development – We will be engaging with London Business Improvement Districts in February to discuss potential projects;
- Public health – We have circulated a number of open calls for proposals among our members related to public health.