Research and Business

Sustainability research through the Strategic Research Fund (SRF)

Durham University’s Strategic Research Fund (SRF) aims to stimulate significant growth in research income for the University through substantial investments in our research capability, community, and infrastructure.

We have committed to invest around £18 million over four years into six ground-breaking transformative initiatives. With this investment, the projects will enhance our research capacity and work towards becoming financially sustainable.

We are delighted that the SRF funding offers 58 new vacancies across the University, including 38 new permanent academic staff, 12 support staff and 8 new Phd studentships.

Our SRF Projects

Gain deeper insights into our SRF projects by exploring the information provided below and in the sidebar. Discover how these projects are actively contributing to the achievement of the SDGs.

The Soil and Microbiome Augmentation and Restoration Technologies Lab SMART Soils Lab

SMART Soils Lab demonstrates how adding minerals and organic matter back into the soil can regenerate brownfield land and improve soil health.

Just Transitions to a Net Zero World (JusTN0W)

JusTN0W aims to stimulate significant growth in research income for the University through substantial investments in our research community, capability & infrastructure

Responsible Space Innovation Centre - For a sustainable future in space

Our Responsible Space Innovation Centre is linking world-leading research, impactful partnerships and industry-relevant training to ensure a sustainable future in space

Heritage 360

Heritage 360 nurtures a new research field at the interface of cultural and natural heritage by bringing significant interdisciplinary expertise to Durham

Centre for Research into Inner Experience (CRIE)

We bring together a multidisciplinary group of researchers with the aim of transforming scientific, humanities and social sciences approaches to human inner experience.

A digital illustration of pink plumes of smoke

Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding (GCCS)

Contextual Safeguarding is an approach to understanding, and responding to, young people’s experiences of significant harm beyond their families.

Person's feet in trainers running up steps

Durham University, working towards the SDGs

SMART Soils Lab

is recognised for its pioneering work developing a new field of nature-based environmental engineering of the soil microbiome to reverse fifty years of degradation and significantly contribute to the SDGs (SDG 2, 3, 6, 9, 11,12,13,15)

JusTN0W

researching sustainable and just solutions for accelerated decarbonisation of economics and achieve lasting societal well-being for the present and future generations (all 17 SDGs)

Responsible Space Innovation Centre

One of its three workstreams is “Net Zero to and from Space”, which is about both the sustainable use of space (and regulations around space junk) and also decarbonising space activity (SDG 13,16)

Heritage 360

sits at the crossroads of cultural & natural heritage, contributing to SDGs related to industry, innovation & infrastructure, biodiversity, and leveraging on our Northeast heritage assets to foster decent work & economic growth (SDG 8, 9 14,15)