Partner with UUKi

We partner with sector agencies, grant-giving foundations, international organisations, government departments and others to deliver high-value, short- and long-term projects. These include:

research and student/staff mobility grants for our member institutions
in-house research and consultancy
sector-relevant publications

Our current and past partners include:

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Department for Education

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education

Mitacs

https://www.mitacs.ca/

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-science-innovation-a…

British Council

https://www.britishcouncil.org/

Northern Consortium

https://nccharity.org.uk/

Whether it’s a funded or non-funded opportunity you'd like to discuss with us, please get in touch via email. We'd love to hear from you!

Get in touch

Why UUKi?

We offer:

deep understanding of the UK higher education sector through close relations with our 142 members and our extensive networks
strong connections with UK Government departments across our key policy areas: international student recruitment, research and innovation, global mobility, knowledge security and transnational education
strong links with peer organisations globally as well as overseas embassies in the UK and British Embassies and High Commissions overseas
expertise in designing and delivering vital initiatives such as research grant schemes, student mobility programmes, focused reports and collaboration opportunities to grow networks across the sector
a highly responsive, dedicated and agile partnerships team with experience in delivering projects to high standards

Our track record

Grant schemes and funded activity

To strengthen partnerships between UK universities and their international partners:

Research and analysis reports

To understand and learn from current topics and emerging trends in the sector:

Lessons from the UK higher education sector response to the invasion of Ukraine – funded by Research England
Powering the engine: the non-financial contribution of international postgraduate students to the UK – funded by UKRI
Gone international: a new generation – part-funded by Northern Consortium and Jisc
UK research and development funding in higher education: The impact of ODA funding – part-funded by BEIS

Mobility programmes

To ensure a well-rounded student experience and build global relationships across institutions:

Globalink Research Internships, Canada
UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) Mobility Programme: Study in India

Communications and engagement

To bring the sector together and provide insights and expertise:

European delegations and activities to boost participation in Horizon Europe following UK’s reassociation to Horizon Europe – funded by Wellcome
ODA impact newsletters – funded by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS)

Our impact

932 students across 35 institutions supported to undertake a Mitacs Globalink Research Internship in Canada:
- Since 2020, over 900 undergraduate students from 35 institutions undertook a funded 12-week internship to Canada to develop their research skills. Over the last three years, 132 students were from widening participation backgrounds, reflecting our continued commitment to ensure the programme broadens access to international research opportunities and supports a diverse pipeline of future researchers.
Across our UK-France schemes, UK institutions have developed and strengthened partnerships with French institutions, creating the foundations for research projects to flourish:

The UK-France pump-priming funding has been instrumental in strengthening our University’s strategic collaboration with our partner, France’s leading energy research organisation. The funding enabled us to form a strong consortium, engage in focused technical workshops, and prepare a competitive Horizon Europe proposal addressing challenges in hydrogen systems. This level of structured bilateral engagement would not have been possible without the flexibility and timely support provided by this scheme.

UK-France Pump-Priming Scheme call one recipient

We would like to thank [UUKi] for the award and the opportunity to participate in this mobility scheme. Overall, the programme has been highly beneficial, providing valuable support for international collaboration, access to advanced facilities and significant skills development. The emphasis on building research capacity and strengthening partnerships has been especially valuable for a growing research group. All three participants gained important technical competencies, increased laboratory confidence and established international networks that will support long‑term research impact.

UK-France Researcher Mobility Scheme recipient

The scheme has been invaluable for developing our Horizon funding bid. This sort of resource development is not usually funded by grants, so the opportunity to work alongside French colleagues specifically for developing a shared project has been very useful. Without this award, the planned Horizon bid and our new joint research programme would not have been possible. We are in a much stronger place for working alongside our French partner and have further benefited through building new contacts with industrial and academic partners.

UK-France Pump-Priming Scheme call two recipient

Over 2,900 visits and media coverage of international mobility report:
- In the year following publication, UUKi’s report Gone international: a new generation – supported by Northern Consortium and Jisc – gained over 2,900 visits and secured coverage from Times Higher Education, The PIE News, Wonkhe and University World News, promoting the benefits of international mobility.

Ready to collaborate?

Get in touch today to explore how we can support your strategic goals.

To discuss potential projects, please email our partnerships team at [email protected].
Interested in sponsoring one of our upcoming events? Contact our events team at [email protected].