News & articles

This month’s research image of the month (September 2025) captures Dr Katerina Alexiou’s research, which brings communities, local organisations, and practitioners together to share resources, build partnerships, and co-design projects or ventures that strengthen places and improve people’s lives.

The Open University’s PolicyWISE initiative is at the forefront of shaping the UK’s evolving model of territorial governance, with Director Dewi Knight co-authoring a new landmark report on the Council of the Nations and Regions – a flagship innovation of the new Labour government elected in 2024.

The Open University has been awarded £4.9M by the UK Research &; Innovation (UKRI) Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) to lead the delivery of an exciting new approach to research skills development in the social sciences.

Unpaid carers, sometimes described as society’s “invisible army”, are being pushed to the brink by rising costs, shrinking statutory provision and entrenched inequalities, according to new research led by The Open University.

The Open University has been shortlisted for a research-led international collaboration of the year project, innovative teaching and widening participation in this year’s Times Higher Awards.

The Open University has secured over £400,000 in funding from the UK Space Agency to support a project that will enhance the UK's role in future NASA space missions.

Seven Open University (OU) academics have been appointed to Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2029 sub-panels.

A new study led by The Open University’s Professor Bart Rienties, and to be published in Progress in Transplantation in December, reveals that high-intensity transplant athletes can not only meet but greatly exceed existing physical activity guidelines.

The Open University has secured £106,078 in funding to lead a new research project exploring how AI and large language models can transform the peer review process for research grants.

This month’s research image of the month (August 2025) encapsulates Dr Sara Calvo Martinez’s research on how community social enterprises can create inclusive, healing, and empowering spaces for marginalised groups.