51³Ô¹ÏÍø

Our latest Impact of Giving Report has been published, celebrating the incredible difference philanthropy made to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø between 2023 and 2024.

In the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø 2023-24 Impact of Giving Report, we recognise the generosity of donors and showcase the opportunities they’re providing for our community to impact the world. Over 3,600 individuals and organisations came together during 2023–24 to donate a record-breaking £91.9 million to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø.

These donations – the largest amount given in any single year in 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s history – have opened doors and provided transformative opportunities for students and staff, enabled innovative research to be carried out and supported the development of world-class facilities.

Fuelling ambitious research

This year, the theme of the report is “Supporting scientific imagination and discovery”, as our talented staff and students come together to interrogate the forces that shape our world.

Philanthropy provides our academics with the resources and facilities needed to explore groundbreaking research that has the potential to create world-changing impact. This includes researchers such as Dr Paul Bruce, Reader in High-Speed Aerodynamics, who – alongside colleagues – is recreating the extreme flight conditions present in space thanks to a gift that provided 51³Ô¹ÏÍø with a unique, purpose-built supersonic wind tunnel.

We couldn’t do this without the generosity of donors whose giving helps us to unlock the power of science to serve humanity. Professor Hugh Brady President of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø

It also includes researchers leaning into 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s culture of entrepreneurship, such as PhD Student Magdalene Ho. Magdalene has joined forces with Dr Ben Almquist FIMM, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Bioengineering, to co-found startup AptaBone, which uses novel technology to heal broken bones. The startup has been able to advance its MedTech innovation in bone repair thanks to a philanthropically funded accelerator programme.

Enabling students to pursue their passions

Donors are also opening paths for talented students all over the world to reach their potential at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø. In our 2023-24 Impact of Giving Report, we hear how students are using support received to better themselves, their research and the world around them. This includes Isra, a bursary recipient and Medicine undergraduate, who has positively impacted the local community by helping to deliver an award-winning project transforming mental health services in West London.

Speaking about receiving the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø bursary, Isra says: “My family was homeless right before I started 51³Ô¹ÏÍø; to say those years were tough would be an understatement. 51³Ô¹ÏÍø gave me hope. It was the first time in a long time that I felt someone cared for my situation and wanted me to achieve what I was aiming for.

“Starting university felt like an absolute privilege and still does. I’m so thankful to everyone who supported me to get to where I am today and to those of you who continue to support me on my journey through the bursary scheme.”

Meanwhile, Dean’s Fund recipient Henry has used support given to enhance his PhD in Environmental Policy, by engaging key players in biodiversity conservation, from UK farmers to leading global organisations.

I’m so grateful for the donors who have given to student support. Without the funding, I wouldn’t have had the chance to attend conferences, widen my knowledge base and develop my presentation skills. Henry Grub PhD Student and Dean's Fund Recipient

Henry says: “[The Dean’s Fund] allowed me to attend the UN’s Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) in Montreal. This conference was where the new Global Biodiversity Framework was decided, determining how conservation will be carried out for the next decade or so. It was a fantastic experience. I had the opportunity to sit in the negotiation room and witness the process for international negotiations – certainly not an experience you get every day! I also met many influential researchers and policymakers.

“I’m so grateful for the donors who have given to student support. Without the funding, I wouldn’t have had the chance to attend conferences, widen my knowledge base and develop my presentation skills. These opportunities have meant the time spent doing my PhD has been filled with rich experiences I wouldn’t otherwise have had.”

A year to remember

Our 2023-24 Impact of Giving Report is being published following a momentous year for 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, which included the launch of our new strategy, Science for Humanity. In the report we celebrate this and other key highlights from the year. We also have the privilege of hearing directly from alumni volunteers and donors, who share what giving back means to them. 

Speaking on the importance of our community, Professor Hugh Brady, President of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, says: “Our supporters, whether giving in a financial, skills or resource capacity, are instrumental to our success — something that was reflected in the QS World University Rankings earlier this year. 51³Ô¹ÏÍø was ranked the top university in the UK and Europe, and second in the world.

“This recognition is testament to our collective efforts to push the boundaries of knowledge and unearth discoveries that will have a lasting impact on us all. We couldn’t do this without the generosity of donors whose giving helps us to unlock the power of science to serve humanity. So, on behalf of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, thank you to all those who have played a role in helping us get to where we are today.”

Read the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø 2023–24 Impact of Giving Report