A unique service for researchers in smaller and specialist universities and colleges, is being launched today (4th March 2019) at the British Library.

GuildHE Research (previously known is as CREST – the Consortium for Research Excellence, Support, and Training) will provide tailored services which recognise that excellent research in smaller and specialist higher education institutions are more easily overlooked and researchers more isolated compared to research in larger, multi faculty organisations.

Chief Executive of GuildHE Gordon McKenzie said:

“The launch of “GuildHE Research” is more than a change in name; it marks GuildHE’s renewed commitment to promote and champion the transformative and outstanding research which takes place in smaller and specialist universities and colleges throughout the UK.

Research and innovation are important elements of the successful delivery of the Government’s Industrial Strategy and GuildHE Research will shine a light on the excellent, high impact research in our smaller and specialist universties and colleges.”

GuildHE Research will build on CREST’s work, which has been growing for almost a decade to include 29 institutions across diverse disciplines, from art and design to agricultural sciences, from education to osteopathy.

Services include enabling peer-to-peer support for researchers and their teams to develop useful collaborations, effective research strategies and sharing good practice. Other popular benefits include a residential PhD Summer School, virtual doctoral training, and a shared open access repository.

Prof. Peter Childs, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Newman University and inaugural Director of GuildHE Research said:

‘With so much happening in the Higher Education landscape today, the introduction of GuildHE Research will greatly enhance both the broader research culture and the islands of excellence within our network of small and specialist institutions.

The consortium gives them a superb platform from which to reach a larger audience and collaborate effectively to further promote a full and truly distinctive contribution to UK research and scholarship.’

Universities and colleges who may be interested in joining GuildHE Research or would just like to know more should contact research@guildhe.ac.uk