Our approach

Context 

The University of Sheffield plays a key role in advancing UK sovereign capabilities through our leading research and innovation in the defence and security sectors and provision of talent in the form of skilled graduates and apprentices. 

As a University community, we recognise that we are operating in a fast-changing geopolitical situation and that our research and innovation contributes to the sovereign capability of the UK to ensure its national security and defence capability. 

Our environment for research and innovation 

At the University of Sheffield, we undertake research and innovation through a range of mechanisms from individual scholars, to research groups and centres of excellence, and have a focus on impact – making a significant difference to key sectors in the UK economy, including advanced manufacturing, clean energy, defence, digital technologies and life sciences. 

We carry out world-leading research that can be of practical use to government and industry and supports better, faster, more efficient, economical and greener processes and products. We work through industrial, SME, academic and public sectors and policy engagement to offer thought leadership for the areas in which we undertake research and innovation. 

We have a well-developed approach to supporting our researchers and we use a suite of University policies outlined in our Code of Ethics to guide our research and innovation activities. All University staff are trusted to uphold this Code and are accountable to relevant stakeholders for how they conduct themselves and their work. We undertake research and innovation in an atmosphere of integrity, guided by our Good Research and Innovation Policy (University login required). Collectively we are committed to integrity, impartiality and confidentiality in the delivery of our projects and supporting activity. 

The defence sector supports the UKʼs security, economy, employment and technological leadership, while also enhancing its strategic and geopolitical standing. The sector directly and indirectly supports hundreds of thousands of high-skilled jobs in the UK across the manufacturing sector and wider supply chain. 

Our research, innovation and collaborations with the defence sector drive transformative research across adjacent sectors and have consistently accelerated innovation in a range of areas, such as new materials, light-weighting, low carbon fuels, recyclability, new methods of inspection, digital technologies, automation and robotics, smart tools and visualisation. Our research activities also shape policy, governance and regulation around the world. 

Consistent with our charitable purpose, the University of Sheffield undertakes research and innovation that has public value. Funding is derived from a range of sources for both fundamental and applied research and innovation. 

We believe that there is significant public value in supporting the UK, and its key allies where this is consistent with UK Government strategy, with fundamental and applied research and innovation that make a contribution in developing UK sovereign defence capability in the interests of national security. We believe that this also has the potential to deliver direct economic value to communities via skills, jobs and growth. 

We will carry out research and innovation that is in line with the Ministry of Defenceʼs (MoD) strategy, including working with NATO countries, or where funding originates from the MoD budget and is in the interest of UK national security.