About research at The University of Northampton

The University of Northampton leads and engages in a wide variety of research at regional, national and international level. In the Research Assessment Exercise 2008, the University was recognised as a world leader for its research activities.

Research at the University of Northampton is driven by the pursuit of four goals:

• To enhance excellence through the support of high-quality research and knowledge transfer that extends and sustains the University's mission and relevance within its region, nationally and internationally
• To enrich the educational experiences of all students and staff by ensuring that research and knowledge transfer underpins the teaching and learning portfolio
• To heighten the reputation of the University as a business-facing research and knowledge transfer provider, establishing its applied ethos and professional and practitioner focus
• To strengthen and shape the University's research and knowledge transfer portfolio by providing an infrastructure and culture that enables the judicious recruitment, development, retention and reward of staff who engage actively and contribute successfully to the research and knowledge transfer agenda

The University also has a network of Centres of Research Excellence who produce internationally renowned specialised research.

Centres of research excellence:

• The Centre for Children and Youth
• The Centre for Sustainable Wastes Management
• Centre for Research on Leather and Materials Science
• The Northampton Institute of Urban Affairs
• The Centre for China. Transitional and Developing Economies Research
• Centre for Entrepreneurship, Enterprise and Governance
• The Centre for the Study of Anomalous Psychological Processes
• Centre for Special Needs Education and Research
• Centre for Practice-led Research in the Arts
• The Centre for Contemporary Fiction and Narrative
• The Centre for Health and Wellbeing

The University's research centres also identify how social enterprise can be integrated with existing research projects. For more information, see Social enterprise research.