Platforms

Our research platforms provide focus and resource to connect, drive and amplify interdisciplinary collaborations between academics, Faculties and institutes.

With hundreds of academics affiliated with each platform, they benefit from the sheer size of our University and the breadth of knowledge we cultivate. They support research, external engagement, impact, inform our teaching, and support innovative projects in Greater Manchester and beyond.

Creative Manchester

Creative Manchester offers academics and researchers the opportunity to partner with city-based and UK-wide arts and cultural organisations.

The platform also seeks to develop and sustain interdisciplinary research communities across the University and promote creativity as a practice in all research areas across the three Faculties.

Their work sits under three research themes:

  • Creative Industries and Innovation
  • Creativity, Health and Wellbeing
  • Creative and Civic Futures

Digital Futures

Digital Futures is an interdisciplinary network that operates across the University’s digital research, bringing together more than 1700 researchers from all three Faculties.

The platform presents the University’s digital research activity to external stakeholders and facilitates collaboration between our communities to explore new research areas and support Greater Manchester’s ambition as a leading digital city.

The seven themes of the platform's work focus on societal challenges that have the potential to be transformed by digital technology.

Policy@Manchester

Policy@Manchester makes an impact on local, national and international politics by ensuring our research is used to inform legislation in the areas that matter.

As the sector-leading policy engagement institute, Policy@Manchester connects our world-leading researchers with policymakers, nurtures long-term policy engagement relationships, and enhances stakeholder understanding of pressing policy challenges.

Sustainable Futures

Sustainable Futures brings together the depth and breadth of our internationally leading research communities to create truly sustainable solutions to urgent environmental challenges.

The platform works to align, connect, celebrate and grow our social, economic and environmental sustainability research across six challenges to explore opportunities, contestations, solutions and unintended consequences across key global issues including climate change, circular economy, food and water security, biodiversity, and future energy systems.