Research top 10 facts and figures | University of Leicester

We are a top 30 UK research-intensive University, here’s our top 10 research facts and stats.

Our research portfolio is worth £300 million

We are a top 30 UK research-intensive university, winning £77 million funding in 2019/20, the highest on record at the University.

A leading light in health research

With £40 million of funding secured annually for health research, we are world-leading in the study of cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, diabetes, and cancer.

We see what others don’t

We were the first institution to raise concerns about the disproportionate number of COVID-19 deaths in ethnic minorities. This led to £2.1 million funding to investigate the risks of COVID-19 on ethnic minority healthcare workers.

A top 10 UK COVID-19 researcher

We are proud to be in the top ten UK universities for COVID-19 research, having secured more than £10 million of funding. With the UK’s largest respiratory health department and world-leading research on ethnic health, we are leading one of the world’s largest studies into the long-term health impacts of COVID-19.

Our lasting impression on space

Over the past 60 years, we have built 90 instruments that have been launched into space, six of which were on live space missions. That means a piece of technology developed by us has been orbiting Earth continuously since 1961.

We’re making life 3D

We lead the Midlands Cryo-Electron Microscopy Facility. The facility generates 3D structures of biomolecules, revealing how our cells perform the key functions of life.

Our research gets people talking

Our citations per publication are 9th in the UK and 59th in the world (THE World University Rankings 2021).

We are international

Our top 10 corporate co-authors include Airbus, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Nordisk, and Pfizer.

A brand new space park

Space Park Leicester is a £100 million world-leading cluster for innovative research in space and earth observation. Set to produce up to 2,500 jobs and contribute £715 million to the UK economy.

Breaking down subject boundaries

We aren’t afraid to forge new subject areas. We’re research the Anthropocene, a new geological period dominated by human impact on our planet. This new area of research combines physical and social sciences along with philosophy, turning ‘disciplines’ on their head. Our established interdisciplinary Research Institutes build on our key strengths: Precision Health (IPH; joint with the NHS), and Structural and Chemical Biology (LISCB).