WUN is pleased to announce the results of the Research Development Fund (RDF) 2023. These awards mark a direct investment of more than £239,000 in international collaborative research among WUN member universities. WUN’s capacity to assemble diverse teams of researchers gives it distinctive advantage in tackling major research challenges in areas where comparative analysis is important. Consistent with the WUN Strategic Plan priority to nurture research talent, 11 of the 24 successful projects will be led by early career researchers.
These newly awarded projects join 80 existing WUN research projects. Now in its 15th year, the WUN Research Development Fund has directly invested over £3 million to date in establishing research projects on problems of global significance, and on which member universities, working together, can make real progress.
Peter Lennie, Executive Director of WUN, said “The strength and diversity of the applications is a powerful testament to the talents of researchers in our member universities, and I am delighted that we have been able to support 24 of them— more than at any time in the last decade.”
Further information on WUN research programs can be found here.
Research projects awarded funds in the 2023 round include (with lead university in bold):
Agricultural and societal survey to determine the prospect for bio-amendments in Ugandan agriculture
Research Team: University of Leeds; Makerere University; The University of Sheffield
AI for Sustainable Construction: Automating Project Planning in Lean Construction
Research Team: University of Alberta; The University of Auckland; University of Leeds
Business and Human Rights – A Comparative Regional Perspective
Research Team: University of Alberta; University of Ghana; Maastricht University; University of Pretoria; Ruhr University Bochum; University of Southampton; University of Technology Sydney
Climate Litigation and Vulnerabilities: Global South Perspectives
Research Team: University of Cape Town; University of Leeds; University of Pretoria; University of Southampton
Research Team: The University of Auckland; The University of Sheffield; University of York
Research Team: University of Ghana; Makerere University; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; University of York
Research Team: Mahidol University; Makerere University; Technologico de Monterrey; University of Pretoria; Ruhr University Bochum; University of York
Research Team: University of Ghana; Technologico de Monterrey; The University of Sheffield; University of York
Household transitions to clean energy: Status and Pathways
Research Team: The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Renmin University of China; Ruhr University Bochum
Linguistic diversity and linguistic discrimination in higher education: Opportunities and challenges
Research Team: The University of Auckland; University of Bristol; University of Cape Town; The University of Sheffield
Research Team: The University of Auckland; Technologico de Monterrey; University of Southampton
Prevalence and Correlates of Depression among University Students in Uganda
Research Team: University of Alberta; Makerere University; University of York
Promoting Sustainable and Equitable Dietary Patterns: A Multidisciplinary Approach
Research Team: University of Alberta; University of Ghana; Renmin University of China
Research Team: The University of Auckland; Maastricht University; Mahidol University; Makerere University; Technologico de Monterrey; University of Technology Sydney; University of York
Research Team: University of Ghana; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; University of Southampton
Sustainable Interventions for Recalcitrant Invasive Species Affecting Water Quality in North America, South East Asia and Southern Africa – the Case of the Hyacinth Plant
Research Team: University of Leeds; Technologico de Monterrey; University of Pretoria
Technologies for African Food System Transformations
Research Team: University of Ghana; University of Leeds; University of Pretoria; University of York
Research Team: The University of Auckland; University of Bristol; Technologico de Monterrey
Research Team: The University of Auckland; The Chinese University of Hong Kong; National Cheng Kung University
Research Team: Maastricht University; Mahidol University; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; University of Pretoria
Understanding and enhancing the role of Nurses globally in the Social Determinants of Health
Research Team: University of Alberta; The University of Auckland; University of Leeds; Mahidol University; University of Technology Sydney
Research Team: The University of Auckland; University of Cape Town, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Maastricht University; University of Rochester; University of Southampton
Research Team: The University of Auckland; Mahidol University; National Cheng Kung University
Zoning Urbanisation: a global comparison of sustainable growth management
Research Team: The Chinese University of Hong Kong; University of Leeds; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; Renmin University of China; The University of Sheffield
