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A large part of the Grand Challenges approach is bringing researchers together from diverse disciplines. We aim to support academics from across the university to explore collaborative working with colleagues with knowledge outside their areas of expertise, on the premise that solutions to the greatest challenges rarely come from one field alone.
At our Grand Challenges Showcase event, we asked some of the project teams that we have supported over the years to tell us how working in a cross-disciplinary way helped them.
UCL Research Domains
We are not alone in this endeavour, as the UCL Research Domains also aim to bring like-minded people together.
We often work in collaboration with the UCL Research Domains: larger, cross-disciplinary research communities that span UCL's 11 faculties and partner organisations, building interaction, collaboration, and income generation. We believe that by bringing together a critical mass of expertise we can undertake internationally leading research in our key areas of strength.
Academics in the following fields are encouraged to join a Research Domain to develop new collaborations and benefit from development opportunities, particularly for early career researchers.
- Neuroscience
- Personalised Medicine
- Populations & Lifelong Health
- Environment
- eResearch
- Collaborative Social Science
- Food, Metabolism and Society
UCL Lancet Commissions
Thanks to our expertise in varied fields and support from the Grand Challenges, UCL has been able to take the lead on many high level Commissions which have their work published in The Lancet.
- Healthy Cities
- Health and Climate Change
- Migration and Health
- Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine
Partnerships
The Grand Challenges programme not only fosters novel partnerships between researchers at UCL from different disciplines; the programme also encourages collaboration with external organisations, both academic and non-academic.
- A joint funding programme with Hong Kong University, to bring UCL researchers and their counterparts in Hong Kong together
- Our Africa Voices and India Voices programmes of events, which brought researchers from around the world to London to discuss research relating to and inspired by contemporary Africa and India.
- Our series of lectures and seminars sponsored by the French Embassy, where scientists and technology experts have been able to discuss issues at the forefront of research.