Departments, institutes and centres
Our ten academic departments are all located on the South Kensington campus, giving a concentration of talent that creates a stimulating and vibrant research culture, which promotes multidisciplinary collaborations and attracts internationally leading researchers and scholars.
Engineering departments
Institutes and research centres
The multidisciplinary research institutes and centres at Imperial provide a platform for our world leading researchers to collaborate and focus on significant research challenges.
By harnessing previously dispersed research capability, the Faculty's model for supporting cross-College multidisciplinary research provides space for new and existing activities to flourish and translate research outcomes into products, processes and services that benefit wider society.
Institutes
Centres
For a full list of research institutes, centres and groups at Imperial College, please visit the research and innovation section.
- AVIC Centre for Materials Characterisation, Processing and Modelling
Materials characterisation, processing and modelling and developing a research-based collaboration to undertake applied and fundamental research.
Centre Director: Professor Jianquo Lin - AVIC Centre for Structural Design and Manufacture
Developing a thorough understanding of new material processing techniques that will be used by the airline industries.
Centre Director: Professor Jianquo Lin - Caterpillar Innovation and Research Centre (I&RC)
Centre Directors: Professor Ricardo Martinez-Botas and Dr Aaron Costall - Centre for Advanced Structural Ceramics
Science and engineering applications of structural ceramics
Centre Director: Professor Eduardo Saiz Gutierrez - Centre for Bio-Inspired Technology
Inventing, developing and demonstrating devices to meet global challenges in healthcare, taking inspiration from biological systems.
Centre Director: Professor Chris Toumazou - Centre for Blast Injury Studies
The Royal British Legion Centre for Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College seeks to progress understanding of blast injury through research and education.
Centre Director: Professor Anthony Bull - The Centre for Computational Methods in Science and Engineering (CMSE)
Integrate and build a community of researchers to bring powerful new methods into engineering and science practice
Centre Directors: Professor Demetrios Papageorgiou and Professor Paul Kelly - Centre for Cryptocurrency Research and Engineering
A leading international centre for ongoing research and application activity related to cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.
Centre Manager: Professor Dr William Knottenbelt - Centre for Neurotechnology
Neurotechnology is the use of insights and tools from mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and engineering to investigate neural function and treat dysfunction.
Centre Director: Dr Simon Schultz - Centre for Nuclear Engineering
A multidisciplinary research and teaching group dedicated to nuclear engineering and science.
Centre Director: Dr Michael Bluck - Centre for Process Systems Engineering
Multi-institute research centre applying a process systems engineering approach to managing systems involving physical and chemical change.
Centre Director: Professor Nilay Shah - Centre for Systems Engineering and Innovation
Enhancing the capacity of the construction industry using the application of systems engineering in the built environment.
Centre Director: Professor Jennifer Whyte - Centre for Terahertz Science and Engineering (CTSE)
CTSE aims to become a focal point for industrial cooperation in this rapidly growing area
Centre Director: Professor Norbert Klein - Centre for Transport Studies
Multidisciplinary research and teaching in relation to transport and communication systems, services, products and technologies.
Centre Director: Professor Washington Ochieng
- The Composites Centre
Researching a range of composite materials, including polymer, ceramic and metal matrix materials, nano, short and long fibre reinforcement types.
Centre Director: Professor Paul Robinson - CRRC Sifang-Imperial Centre for Rail Transportation Manufacturing Technologies
Developing rail technologies to streamline the construction and testing of high speed trains.
Centre Director: Professor Jianguo Lin - Dyson Robotics Lab
Developing computer vision programmes that will enable robots to move beyond their controlled environments and successfully navigate the real world.
Director: Professor Andrew Davison - IARC - Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre
Addressing a wide range of fundamental planetary science questions ranging from the origins of the Solar System to the continuing evolution of the planets, asteroids and comets.
Centre Director: Dr Gareth Collins - JLR Centre of Excellence in Engine Research
Centre Director: Professor Pavlos Aleiferis - London Centre for Nanotechnology
Combining the skills of researchers engaged in nano research activities across departments at both Imperial College London and University College London.
Centre Director: Professor Milo Shaffer - Musculoskeletal Medical Engineering Centre
Uniting researchers across Imperial College London to discover and develop medical engineering solutions for musculoskeletal disorders.
Centre Director: Professor Anthony Bull - Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Centre
Investigating challenges in the exploitation of carbonate reservoirs through collaborations between Imperial College London and international partners.
Centre Director: Professor Martin Blunt - Rolls-Royce Nuclear University Technology Centre
Addressing nuclear engineering research in partnership with Rolls-Royce.
Centre Director: Professor Fionn Dunne - Rolls-Royce Vibration University Technology Centre
A focus for fundamental and applied research projects in the area of vibration, of direct relevance to the aerospace and power generation industries.
Centre Director: Professor Norbert Hoffmann - Shell Advanced Interfacial Materials Sciences (AIMS) Centre
Centre Director: Professor Mary Ryan - Shell Digital Rocks LAB
Centre Director: Professor Geoff Maitland - Shell University Fuels and Lubricants University Technology Centre
Gaining insights into spray formation, deposit effects and combustion characteristics to further our understanding of formulating fuels for modern engine technologies.
Centre Directors: Professor Hugh Spikes and Professor Daniele Dini - SKF University Technology Centre
Applying research to real SKF applications such as prolonging the life of rolling element bearings in difficult environments and decreasing energy consumption by reducing bearing friction.
Centre Directors: Professor Hugh Spikes and Dr Amir Kadiric - Synthetic Biology Hub
Part of the Institute of Systems and Synthetic Biology, the Hub incorporates five different branches, focusing on varied applications of synthetic biology research and innovation.
Co-directors: Professor Richard Kitney and Professor Paul Freemont