University News & Events

GLASGOW Caledonian University’s ground breaking research has been highlighted in a new report examining government block grant funding.

GCU’s widely-acclaimed work in the field of musculoskeletal rehabilitation, including the development of a world-class human performance measurement laboratory and medical imaging facilities, was ranked alongside research carried out by Oxford University and Imperial College London.

The university, along with 16 others, was used as a case study in Securing World-class Research in UK Universities: Exploring the Impact of Block Grant Funding, which looks at the cutting-edge research produced by teams across the country

It was used as an example of how government money is being used to make a real difference to our everyday lives.

Jim Woodburn, professor of rehabilitation at Glasgow Caledonian University, pictured at the launch of the report in London, said:  "It was very rewarding to open the report and see the GCU case study profiled alongside those from such prestigious institutes as Oxford, Durham and Imperial."

Block grant funding - known as quality-related (QR) funding and paid as part of the block grant from the UK’s higher education funding bodies - gives institutions the freedom to undertake risky and ground-breaking research that may otherwise go unsupported.

Researchers on the GCU project are currently working with small and medium sized enterprises to develop a quick, personalised and cost effective approach to orthotics, aimed at maximising a patients' quality of life.

Professor Steve Smith, President of Universities UK, said: “This report brings to the fore the vital role of block grant funding in ensuring that the UK continues to produce world-class research.

“Without this funding, the many medical, social and global advances that have been made would never have happened.”

Sir Alan Langlands, Chief Executive of HEFCE, said: “This report clearly demonstrates how block grant provided by HEFCE and the other UK funding bodies, within the dual support system, is essential to the success of the higher education research base.  

“It shows how the significant investment in higher education through QR funding brings long-term and important returns.”