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UCL Grand Challenges

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UCL Grand Challenges unites experts from education, industry, and innovation. The goal? To solve society's toughest problems by working across disciplines.

Tackling the most complex global challenges


UCL's 2034 vision promotes bold ideas and teamwork across different fields to tackle global challenges.

To support this, UCL Strategic Plan 2022-2027 has expanded the Grand Challenges programme with an additional £25m over eight years. The plan supports interdisciplinary collaboration, community-building, and innovation, to influence UCL's activities and educational offering.

Interdisciplinary research


Grand Challenges success is from its challenge-led interdisciplinary approach. This enables experts from across UCL to stimulate new partnerships, so we can develop practical, evidence-based solutions that benefit people and the planet.

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How is Grand Challenges delivered?


UCL's Grand Challenges programme works to fund, support and facilitate new research, education and industry partnerships that work across the boundaries of academic disciplines. 

The programme reports directly to the Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement). Each Grand Challenges theme has appointed academic leaders. There are two academic leads per theme (Pro-Vice-Provosts - PVPs) who are supported by a team of Directors, Coordinators, and Programme Management staff.

> View the Experts
> View the Funding Opportunities 

Who is Grand Challenges for?


UCL Grand Challenges is open to everyone in the UCL community and beyond. This includes researchers, educators, and those in innovation and professional services. We also work with partners in education, industry, policy, government, and not-for-profit sectors.

> Find out more about UCL Grand Challenges Partners

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Grand Challenge Themes

UCL Grand Challenges brings researchers together from across UCL, setting the agenda for future research, while building collaborations with external partners. 

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Grand Challenge Programme Impacts

UCL Grand Challenges drives innovative global solutions to make a tangible difference to society's most challenging issues. Explore some of the programmes highlights.

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Grand Challenge Education

UCL Grand Challenges maximises the potential of UCL's world-class students, by ensuring education equips them with skills to address global problems through interdisciplinary work.

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Partner with UCL Grand Challenges


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Join forces with UCL’s world-class experts and global network to tackle today’s most pressing societal challenges.

> Speak to the team