Climate and environment at Imperial boosted by Grantham Institute funding

Grantham Institute Lecturer Dr Gbemi Oluleye

The Grantham Foundation has extended its support for the Grantham Institute until 2034.

The Grantham Institute at Imperial College London, whose mission is to promote a sustainable, resilient and zero-carbon society, was founded in 2007 following a donation from the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment.

Since then, it has become a world-leading authority on climate and environmental science, driving forward research, converting innovations into applications, training future leaders and communicating academic knowledge to businesses, industry and policymakers.

The additional investment of £8 million will increase the Foundation’s commitment to £12 million until 2034, enabling the institute to maintain its core team and enhance its activities across research, innovation, education, policy and translation.  

“The funding provided by the Foundation is invaluable to our continued success, and we are hugely grateful to the Grantham Foundation for their passion and belief in our mission,” says Grantham Institute Director Professor Ralf Toumi (pictured).

“Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham understand how important it is to give such a high impact initiative the necessary time to grow. Over the past 18 years, with their continued support, the Institute has been very successful, exceeding all our expectations.”

The donation will be used to continue the Institute’s lectureship and fellowship scheme, which attracts world-class researchers from a variety of specialisms to Imperial.

“So far, we’ve had over 15 fellows and lecturers at the Grantham Institute. They have all been outstanding academically as well as impactful on climate action, making a substantial contribution to Imperial’s capacity in climate and environment expertise,” says Professor Toumi.

 The donation will also:

• Support the Institute’s innovation activities through Undaunted, which has built a leadership position in the UK cleantech ecosystem, most recently celebrating a new international partnership with the Earthshot Prize;
• Support the teaching of the Institute’s Masters programmes: MSc Climate Change, Management & Finance with the Business School and MSc Cleantech Innovation with the Dyson School of Design Engineering;
• Strengthen the Institute’s policy and translation activities, which act as a gateway to Imperial expertise, and build strong links with the civil service, UK parliament and the House of Lords, with the objective of informing policy makers on the best available evidence on climate and environment-related issues.

“We are delighted to be investing in the future of Imperial’s Grantham Institute,” said Ramsay Ravenel, President of the Grantham Foundation. “The Institute’s cutting-edge research, innovative solutions, and dedication to shaping global policies are essential in helping to address the most pressing environmental challenges of our time and drive meaningful change for the future of our planet.”