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Ground-breaking research that changes lives

Our research tackles real-world problems, seeking creative solutions to complex challenges, alleviating inequalities, and living sustainably in today’s inter-connected and digital world. We set new research agendas inspired by our commitment to equality, academic excellence, and social justice.

Research Excellence

As a research-intensive university, we’re of one of the UK’s top 25 universities for research quality TheCompleteUniversityGuide.co.uk. Operating in six interdisciplinary Schools - Business and Management; Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Sciences; Humanities; Law and Social Sciences; Life Sciences and the Environment; Performing and Digital Arts - we’re home to some of the brightest minds across the globe. We encourage innovation and rising talent, enabling established and emerging research leaders to achieve excellence and respond to new opportunities. 

Our research environment supports blue-skies thinking and excellent disciplinary and interdisciplinary research outputs. We nurture academics at each stage in their careers, working together to build sustainable future based on our shared values.

Improving Lives

Royal Holloway’s research improves lives, driven by innovative partnerships. Our academics collaborate with businesses and industries, with health, cultural and heritage sectors, and with government bodies, charities, and NGOs. Our research is strengthened by our links with business and LEPs across the region, and by our research partnerships with national and international partners.

Challenge-led Partnerships

Our four challenge-led research themes, established in 2021, are designed to meet today’s challenges in areas of established excellence and strategic growth:

  • StoryFutures aims to transform the creative industries through use of immersive and digital technologies.
  • Living Sustainably addresses the challenges of climate change, biodiversity, food and energy security, infectious disease, inequalities in education, work and participation, political polarisation and resource consumption.
  • Advanced Quantum Science and Technologies will shape the second quantum revolution in which devices based on quantum rules are set to revolutionize information processing and sensing capabilities.
  • Transformative Digital Technologies, Security and Society builds on our strengths in cyber security and aims to understand the role of AI and digital technology in daily life, on the economy, and workplace.

Our Research Centres and Institutes nurture partnership-led research and define areas of excellence. Partnerships with other universities and external agencies provide an environment for academics and their collaborators to work together and shape new intellectual agendas.

Explore Royal Holloway

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Royal Holloway is a research intensive university and our academics collaborate across disciplines to achieve excellence.

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Discover more about who we are today, and our vision for the future.

Royal Holloway began as two pioneering colleges for the education of women in the 19th century, and their spirit lives on today.

We’ve played a role in thousands of careers, some of them particularly remarkable.

Find about our decision-making processes and the people who lead and manage Royal Holloway today.