Queen’s University Belfast awarded £4.35 million to attract world-leading researchers

Queen’s University Belfast has been awarded £4.35 million under the UK Government’s new Global Talent Fund, a significant step in strengthening the university’s global research leadership and supporting Northern Ireland’s innovation-driven economy.

The £54 million Global Talent Fund, administered by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will be distributed among 12 leading UK institutions to bring exceptional international researchers and their teams to the UK.

Queen’s will focus its funding on advancing research in advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, and life sciences—sectors seen as vital to both Northern Ireland’s economic development and the UK’s global technological competitiveness.

The five-year programme will cover the full range of eligible recruitment costs, including relocation, research expenses, and visa support for researchers and their dependants, eliminating significant financial and bureaucratic barriers to international talent mobility.

“A clear endorsement of excellence at Queen’s”

Welcoming the announcement, Professor Sir Ian Greer, President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s, said:

“We are proud that Queen’s has been selected as one of the 12 UK institutions tasked with delivering the Global Talent Fund. This funding, announced today (Friday 18 July), will allow us to bring world-leading researchers to Northern Ireland in priority areas such as advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity, fields that are vital to our economy and to the UK’s global competitiveness.

“By attracting exceptional talent from outside the UK, we are enhancing our strong research base and helping to drive innovation within the local economy. This is a clear endorsement of the excellence and impact of research at Queen’s, and of our role in helping to deliver the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy.”

“Genius is not bound by geography”

Science Minister Lord Vallance emphasised the UK’s readiness to welcome innovation from all corners of the globe:

“Genius is not bound by geography. But the UK is one of the few places blessed with the infrastructure, skills base, world-class institutions and international ties needed to incubate brilliant ideas, and turn them into new medicines that save lives, new products that make our lives easier, and even entirely new jobs and industries. Bringing these innovations to life, here in Britain, will be critical to delivering this Government’s Plan for Change.

“My message to the bold and the brave who are advancing new ideas, wherever they are, is: our doors are open to you. We want to work with you, support you, and give you a home where you can make your ideas a reality we all benefit from.”

Wider impact on growth and innovation

The Global Talent Fund forms part of a broader £115 million investment package aimed at accelerating global recruitment and fostering high-impact research across the UK. It will be supported by the Global Talent Taskforce—a new concierge service reporting directly to the Prime Minister and Chancellor—designed to ease the transition for incoming researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

“The UK is home to some of the world’s best universities which are vital for attracting international top talent. Supported by our new Global Talent Taskforce, the Global Talent Fund will cement our position as a leading choice for the world’s top researchers to make their home here, supercharging growth and delivering on our Plan for Change.”

The economic potential of such initiatives is substantial. According to the International Monetary Fund, artificial intelligence (AI) alone could contribute £47 billion annually to the UK economy over the next decade, while quantum computing could add over £11 billion to GDP by 2045.

A national initiative with strategic reach

Alongside Queen’s University Belfast, the following institutions were selected to deliver the Global Talent Fund:

• University of Bath

• University of Birmingham

• University of Cambridge

• Cardiff University

• Imperial College London

• John Innes Centre

• MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

• University of Oxford

• University of Southampton

• University of Strathclyde

• University of Warwick

These 12 institutions reflect a national commitment to building a science and technology superpower, reinforcing the UK’s reputation as a global hub for research excellence.