The University of Nottingham has been successful in its application to join the UK Defence Universities Alliance (DUA) as a founding member, alongside 35 other UK universities.
The DUA was announced on Monday 13 July by Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP. The alliance will strengthen collaboration between universities, government, the armed forces and industry in support of UK defence and national security objectives.
Membership of the DUA is significant national recognition of the University of Nottingham's research excellence, innovation capability and contribution to addressing major societal challenges, including national security and resilience.
Boosting defence-related opportunities for students and graduates
The DUA is backed by a £182m defence skills package, which will boost defence-related opportunities for students and graduates. Membership is also a recognition of the university's relationships with key employers throughout the region, placement opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate students, and role in the training and development of the UK's workforce, as a provider of high-quality advanced technical education and skills.
Today's DUA announcement follows the UK government's recent publication of its Defence Investment Plan, which sets out the implementation strategy for the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, underpinned by £298bn investment over the next four years.
With the aim of increasing defence spending to 2.6% of GDP by 2027, this places defence investment as a key contributor to national productivity and UK GDP growth.
Joining the UK Defence Universities Alliance is a significant achievement for the university and a testament to the strength of our research community and partnerships. It creates new opportunities for Nottingham researchers to contribute to some of the UK's most pressing security and resilience challenges, while supporting economic growth and technological leadership.
Professor Rodden added: "The University of Nottingham's research strategy is aligned to national priorities and our contribution to the security of the UK aligns with our continuing commitment to tackling complex issues such as health, climate change and social inequality."
Making today's announcement, Defence Minister Luke Pollard MP, said: "As we prepare for warfighting readiness, working with universities, students and innovators boosts skills and helps keep our country safe. The Defence Universities Alliance will create meaningful connections between students, academia and defence, boosting research, skills and defence expertise across the UK to strengthen industry. Universities play a key role in innovating and supporting defence, and the DUA helps marshal those efforts.
"In this new era of threat our £182 million defence skills package is helping to create opportunities for students, apprentices and young people, making sure our historic £298 billion defence investment is an engine for growth across the UK, and building on the more than 272,000 industry jobs supported by MOD spending."
Addressing national challenges and attracting investment
Selection for the DUA acknowledges the university's investment in sector-leading facilities such as the Hybrid Propulsion Systems Lab and industrial testbed capabilities, accelerating its ability to translate new technologies into real-world applications, alongside its role as a regional anchor for innovation-driven investment and growth.
Membership of the alliance will extend the University of Nottingham's impact on society by strengthening national resilience and advancing dual-use technologies that deliver benefits across both defence and civilian sectors, including cyber security, AI, communications, data science, energy, health technologies, advanced materials, and manufacturing.
An example of the impact of dual-use technologies is a partnership with the Ministry of Defence, which is exploring how the world's first mobile quantum brain scanner, developed at the University of Nottingham, can measure the effects of blast exposure on military personnel in real time at training sites.
Rigorous ethical oversight
The University of Nottingham has robust governance and policies which ensure that defence and dual-use research at Nottingham is conducted in a way that aligns with university values and upholds the highest standards of integrity. Professor Rodden said that the university's role as a founding member of the DUA also provided an opportunity to shape best practice for responsible engagement between universities, government and the defence sector, adding:
"Working together as part of this alliance we can help to ensure that defence and dual-use research is conducted within robust ethical, governance and regulatory frameworks, underpinned by our values of academic freedom, transparency and focus on public benefit."
