The New UCL Grand Challenges

The UCL Grand Challenges programme is evolving. Beginning in academic year 2023/24 the new programme will bring new themes and enhanced support for collaborative work.

One of the aims of the UCL Strategic Plan for 2022-2027 is an evolution of the Grand Challenges programme, focusing on new themes and delivering further impacts from support for collaborative work. Grand Challenges will continue to take a cross-disciplinary and cross-boundary approach, supporting disciplinary experts to work with different disciplines and partners outside UCL on areas of pressing societal importance.

As well as introducing new themes and increasing support available, the new programme will feature an expanded remit. In addition to continuing support for cross-disciplinary research and knowledge exchange (including competitive seed funding), Grand Challenges will inform how UCL operates as an institution and a community and will introduce an online learning programme. The operation and education remits will draw on UCL's combined research expertise to determine how best to respond to the new Grand Challenges themes:

Climate Crisis - launching in AY 2023/24
Mental Health & Wellbeing - launching in AY 2023/24
Data-Empowered Societies
Inequalities
Intercultural Communication

We welcome feedback on the implementation activities to date and our future plans from members of the UCL community. You are also invited to register your interest in getting involved in the first two GC Themes (Climate Change and Mental Health & Wellbeing), so that we can be in touch as the Themes are developed and launched.

To provide feedback or register interest for the Grand Challenges of Climate Change or Mental Health & Wellbeing, contact rige@ucl.ac.uk. More information about the progress of the new Grand Challenges, including timescales and governance structures, can be found on our Sharepoint site (UCL login required).