Funding

The ORC is a research institute with income entirely resulting from its research activities. This includes two prestigious Portfolio Partnership Awards from the UK government that provide core funding for a sustained research vision. The remainder comes from a combination of sources, including the European Union, Department of Trade & Industry, and direct commercial contracts.

Our two main sources of funding are:

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, EPSRC, is a major source of funding for the ORC. The ORC holds a prestigious Portfolio Grant that provides a solid and flexible foundation for the research vision at the ORC. This was instrumental in the University of Southampton breaking the £100M barrier of EPSRC funding, placing it as the third highest funded UK institution. You can see up-to-date information on grants at the EPSRC funding database.

The ORC has historically been very focused on innovation and solving real-world problems with science and engineering. This continues today, and is reflected by the many projects that are funded by corporations large and small. Staff are encouraged to pursue industrial links, and the ORC is one of the leading schools in this area, working with Research and Innovation Services at the University of Southampton.