driving forward excellence in research: the university of oxford

Driving forward excellence in research: the University of Oxford

Professor Andrew Hamilton FRS

Oxford’s size and shape in students 1 December 2009

20/04/23Driving forward excellence in research

Source: OSS

Visiting students

Postgraduate research (doctorate)

Postgraduate taught (masters)

Undergraduate

100% = 20,927

Oxford students by divisionOxford students by type

Visiting studentsContinuing Education

100% = 20,927

Social Sciences

Medical Sciences

Math, Physical, and Life Sciences

Humanities

2%

24%

18%

56%

2%6%

13%

25%

26%

28%

Development of Graduate EducationStudents as of 1 December


1,3042,614

Source: OSS

11,211 11,332

Total=

Postgraduate research

Postgraduate taught

Undergraduate

1,6213,641

11,328 11,382

5,053

3,639

16,588

20,076

1999 2009

Growth1999-2009

0.5%

65%

Increasingly InternationalBy nationality


Academic staff

Postgraduates (full-time)

Undergraduates (full-time)

2003

2009

1996

2009

1996

2009

20 20

17 14

43 20

34 16

8 6

6 4

International as a percentage of total

10%

63%

14%

50%

31%

40%

1,050

1,633

2,549

4,781

1,188

2,015

Overseas

EU (excl. U.K.)

Total number international

Source: OSS for students; OpenDoor database for academic staff. Student data as of December 1; staff data as of July 31.

A significant Collegiate University BudgetRevenues 2008-9


Source: annual reports/accounts of respective units

Oxford University Press•Academic, ELT, U.S., International•Present in over 50 countries

100% = £1.7 billion

Oxford Colleges•38 colleges

£863m

£281m

£579m

The University of Oxford•60+ departments•Numerous centres

Collegiate Experience


Humanities

Social Sciences

Math, Physical & Life Sciences

Medical Sciences

including over 60 departments

Four academic divisions

Smaller communities

38 colleges

Every Oxford student belongs to a department and to a college

Strategic Plan: Research

1. Retain and recruit researchers of the highest distinction and quality

2. Support divisions and departments in the development and implementation of their research plans

3. Provide and develop a supportive research environment in which scholars, at every stage of their career, can flourish

4. Maintain research strength across the disciplinary range and encourage further interdisciplinary research initiatives

5. Participate...in national and international debates on future research assessment exercises.....

6. Enhance administrative services and support designed to facilitate research excellence and knowledge transfer

7. Support international research and collaboration8. Ensure that research is carried out in accordance with applicable

ethical standards


Expansion of our research enterprise


Source: HESA; University of Oxford Research Services; Personnel Services

External research income, 2008-09 Increased research incomebrings

•Exciting expansion of academic horizons

•Growing number of research-only staff

– 700 in the 1970s– Over 3,000 today

•Hunger for research students and post-docs

•Need for different kinds of administrative support

Main source of Research Funding: GovernmentUniversity research income 2008-9


100% =£451 million

60% 25% 8% 7%

UK• HEFCE block grant 24%• Research Councils 23%• Government departments/ 8% National Health Service

Europe• European Commission 4%

UK charities

Industry

Other sources

Source: University of Oxford Research Services

Government

External research


Year Value (£K) % increase

00/01 142,430

01/02 149,744 5%

02/03 162,894 9%

03/04 173,496 7%

04/05 183,569 6%

05/06 213,139 16%

06/07 248,233 16%

07/08 285,289 15%

08/09 340,540 19%

09/10 367,048 8%

External research funding 2000/01 to 2009/10

00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10

142,430 149,744 162,894 173,496 183,569213,139

248,233285,289

340,540367,048

External Research Income from FY 2000/01 to FY 2009/10 (£K)

External Research


Research Councils

(£112.9M)

31%

UK Charity (£112.7M)

31%

UK Govt /

NHS (£38.1M)

10%

EU Govt (£24.4M)

7%

UK & Overseas

Industry (£39.0M)

10%

Other UK & Overseas

Sources (£40.0M)

11%

External Research Income by Sponsor Type FY 2009/10:

Total £367.0M

Wellcome Trust


FY 2005/06 FY 2006/07 FY 2007/08 FY 2008/09 FY 2009/10

Wellcome Trust 43.4 45.4 46.2 60.7 59.0

43.4 45.4 46.2

60.7 59.0

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

FY 2005/06 FY 2006/07 FY 2007/08 FY 2008/09 FY 2009/10

£M

Research Income from Wellcome Trust: FY 2005/06 to FY 2009/10

Oxford’s research funding from international sources has grown strongly in recent years


2003/04 2006/072005/06 2008/092007/082004/05

£53.5M£47.7M

£72.5M

£27.9M£27.6M

Research Income (International Sources)2003/04 – 2008/09

£36.4M

• Income from international sources now accounts for >20% of Oxford research income

• Average annual growth 21% pa - compared to 13% pa for domestic sources

Some of the major drivers for this growth

Investment in Interdisciplinary and Cutting-edge Research

Investment in Interdisciplinary and Cutting-edge Research

“I’m on the verge of a majorbreakthrough, but I am also atthat point where chemistry leaves off and physics begins,so I’ll have to drop the wholething”

Oxford Future Energy

Solar / Photovoltaics

Chemistry for Energy

Nuclear materials

Offshore energy

Transport

Laser plasma interactions

Lower Carbon Futures

20/04/23

Driving forward excellence in research

Oxford Future Energy

Smith School for Enterprise & the

Environment

Chemistry

Physics

Plant Sciences

Materials

Engineering Science

Mathematics

Oxford Martin School

Transport StudiesEnvironmental

Change Institute

e-Research Centre

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Globalising Tidal Power

Nuclear & Energy Materials

Carbon & Energy Reduction in

Transport

Organic Photovoltaics

Future of Cities

Future of Humanity


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Transport

Institute for Carbon & Energy Reduction in Transport

Catalysis

New materialsLightweight

electric motors

Low carbon infrastructure

Fuel efficiencyPolicy

Thermo-fluids

Futures modelling

Scenarios

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Solar and photovoltaics

Synthesis

CatalystsThermo

photovoltaics

Device development

Electronic properties

Scale-up

Transparent conducting

oxides

Markets & policy

ModellingReal-world

testing

20/04/23


Investment in Technologies to Support the Research Effort

Interconnectivity


Environment

Chemistry

Physics

Plant Sciences

Materials

Engineering Science

Mathematics


Transport Studies

Environmental Change Institute

e-Research Centre

20/04/23



Environment

Chemistry

Physics

Plant Sciences

Materials

Engineering Science

Mathematics


Transport Studies


e-Research Centre

20/04/23



Environment

Chemistry

Physics

Plant Sciences

Materials

Engineering Science

Mathematics


Transport Studies


Transport

Solar/PV

Chemistry for Energy

Nuclear Materials

Low Carbon Futures

e-Research Centre

Offshore energy

Applied Mathematics (incl. modelling)

20/04/23


The Humanities: a research success story


Humanities

With the support of its specialist Research Facilitators, Humanities has developed a ‘culture’ of applying for research grant funding

Sharp increase in research income and the funding of research overheads

Diversification of its pool of funders, increasing the number of different award sponsors from 24 to 34 in the past year

The Division entered in 15 units of assessment in RAE 2008, ten of which were top in the UK according to the Research Fortnight power table: French, German, Middle Eastern and African Studies, Asian Studies, English, History, Philosophy, Classics, Theology, and Music.


Oxford University & Isis Innovation Ltd

Isis Innovation Ltd, established in 1987, 100% owned by the University

Isis helps researchers who wish to commercialise the results of their research

Three business divisions:

Technology Transfer for Oxford - identify, protect, market, licence, spin-out, seed funds,

Oxford University Consulting - access to Oxford academic expertise

Isis Enterprise - access to our expertise in technology transfer & innovation management

Supported by Networks – Oxford Innovation Society, Isis Angels Network

Income last year £7.5m; Isis has 65 staff in total

Since 2000 - 55 spin-outs raising £270m & 500 licensing/option deals

20/04/23


Some of our success factors (1)

Centuries-old tradition of scholarly enquiry and academic culture within the Collegiate University

Grouped into learning communities, with a teaching-research nexus

Vibrant international character

Ability to attract or recruit the best researchers and faculty

Ability to attract and retain the best students at graduate and undergraduate level



Multi and cross-disciplinary teaching, scholarship and research

Infrastructure - capital investment, Oxford’s libraries, museums and collections, maintenance and refurbishment programme

Inspired and inspiring academic leadership

Capacity to win competitive peer review funding

Good levels of independent funding through development activity



A “light touch” central management regime

High quality administration/academic-related support services

Long tradition of knowledge exchange and technology transfer

Promotion of academic values: academic freedom, subsidiarity, collegiality, parity of esteem, and disciplinary diversity


Isis Innovation Ltd Extracts from Isis Annual Report 2010

20/04/23



Things you may not know about the University of Oxford

The Oxford you may know less well

• A dynamic research-intensive university with many departments and centres

• Home to a medical sciences division that on its own would rank as 5th largest UK university by research income

• Educator of world leaders: over 30 overseas presidents and prime ministers

• An international university

• The oldest university in the English-speaking world, based around colleges

• Renowned for its strengths in the humanities, its libraries and museums

• Educator of British leaders: 26 British Prime Ministers

• A British university

The Oxford you hear about – it is real

What are Colleges?


Real communities: academic, residential, social

Intellectual communities students and academics majority both undergraduate and

postgraduate; 8 graduate only most cover all subjects, though

some specialised

Big enough for diversity, small enough for connection:

~300-750 students (jointly admitted)

~30-70 academics (jointly appointed)

Ancient and modern

Growing collaboration: across disciplines and with industry


Opportunity. Risk. Innovation. Impact.

Tackling the toughest challenges of the 21st century.

• Founded 2005 with $100 million gift from Dr James Martin; new $50 million challenge fund• Goal: formulate new concepts, policies, and technologies that will make the future a better

place to be• 15 interdisciplinary institutes focused on major 21st century challenges• Including: environmental change, migration, emergent infections, the future of humanity

• £13.75 million, 5 year agreement with Man Group Plc, world’s largest publicly traded hedge fund

• Endows a professorship and funds research programme• In addition: Man has located its internal R&D laboratory on the floor

below the Institute• Leads to formal (seminars) and informal (lunch) exchange between

academics and practitionersOpened 2007

Launch of major fundraising campaign


Aim

Raise the funds to liberateOxford people to achievetheir greatest aspirations

Scope

•Joint campaign across the Collegiate University: universities, departments, libraries, museums…

•Global in reach

Priorities

•Supporting students and the life of the University

•Supporting academic staff and programmes

•Supporting infrastructure and buildings

Target

•Min. of £1.25 billion

•Launched in May 08 with £575 million committed; just passed £1000 million

•Significant gap to close vs. American peers

Oxford’s international collaborations in Tropical Medicine

20/04/23


Collegial and interdisciplinary – Research Fora

2007 Security, Energy, Cancer, Democracy

2008 Climate Change, Forced Migration, Global Health,Materials Characterisation, Water, India

2009 The Material World, The Islamic World, China, North American Studies, Integrated Quantitative

Biosciences, Economic Impact of Research, Research Integrity,

Medical Physics

2010 Pathways to Drug Discovery, Digital Humanities: workshop on images, Digital Humanities: linking data


driving forward excellence in research: the university of oxford

Documents

research excellence

researchexternal research

research councils

research plansprovide

research enterprise

international sources

international debates

staff data