Our researchers are leading conversations and transdisciplinary research initiatives to create a safer, greener future for all. Working at the intersection of environmental sustainability, economics and civic security, our researchers are reimagining how we produce our food, improve our communities and places of work, manufacture and recycle clothing, and design and retrofit buildings. They are developing innovative ways to use resources more wisely, and to mitigate climate change through low carbon, nature positive strategies leading to Net Zero without unintended consequences.
Key areas of focus:
Resilient Environments, Food & Energy Systems
Nottingham Trent University is at the forefront of research on resilient environmental, food and energy systems, with internationally acknowledged strengths in conservation science, sustainable agriculture, animal health, clean energy technologies and socio technical transitions. Our researchers work across natural and built environments to deliver solutions for biodiversity recovery, food security, decarbonisation and climate resilience, collaborating with industry, policymakers and global partners. Through interdisciplinary expertise and state of the art facilities, NTU delivers high impact research that supports secure, sustainable and equitable futures for communities, ecosystems and economies.
Advanced Manufacturing and Sustainable Production Systems
Nottingham Trent University expertise draws together research on smart and functional materials, design-led engineering and digital workflows, and sustainable, circular production systems. Our researchers develop 3D/4D-printable materials (including metal AM and programmable polymers), model and control additive and hybrid processes, engineer biomaterials and soft-actuated devices for health, and embed condition monitoring, sensor fusion and operations research into intelligent production lines. Circular design, lifecycle assessment and industrial ecology are built-in, ensuring that structure–process–property knowledge translates into high-value, low-impact products and reliable, optimised manufacture.
Safe, Secure and Inclusive Places
Engaging with local communities and collaborating with stakeholders locally and globally enables us to foster safe, secure, inclusive, and resilient places. This includes data driven discovery of local challenges. Our researchers are exploring new methods to reduce crime in public places, prevent harm within prisons and advocate for the rights of victims in the criminal justice system. We are developing cutting-edge cybersecurity and AI tools to protect vulnerable users from online threats, ensuring that people of all ages can navigate the digital world safely.
Theme Directors
Emily Burton
Emily Burton is a Professor in Sustainable Food Production and leads the University’s poultry nutrition research team.
Andy Newton
Andy Newton Staff Page NTU Nottingham Trent University Policing Criminology Crime
Bilal Ahmad
Professor Bilal Ahmad is Academic Lead for the Automated Distribution and Manufacturing Centre (ADMC). His work centres on bridging the gap between research and real-world industrial deployment, enabling industry to adopt advanced automation and digital technologies effectively.
Associated Research Centres
Fashion and Textile Research Centre
Representing a complex field in a global context, research in this centre focuses on cultures, heritage, design, business, sustainability and advanced textiles.
Centre for Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences Research
Research in this area explores environmental issues, the exploitation of natural resources, sustainable agriculture, climate change, animal sciences, and waste management.
Cultural Heritage, Architecture, and Community (CHAC)
The research group, Cultural Heritage, Architecture and Communities (CHAC), brings together researchers engaged with and sharing interests in, the dynamic inter-relationships between cultural heritage (tangible and intangible), architecture and communities.
CBIT - Centre for Business and Industry Transformation
Conducting world-leading & high-impact research in business transformation, building ventures to transform industries, empowering disruptive entrepreneurs through personalised education.
Centre for Law, Emerging Technologies and Business
The Centre for Law, Emerging Technologies and Business (C-LEB) was established in 2025, building upon Nottingham Law School's strong research foundation in the legal aspects of emerging technologies, and complementing existing strengths across business law, broadly defined.
Centre for Computer Science and Informatics (CIRC)
Discover how our Centre for Computer Science and Informatics (CIRC) is enabling technologies that drive advances in health, education, and wellbeing.
Centre for Crime, Offending, Prevention and Engagement (COPE)
COPE contributes to the understanding of victimisation risk and crime harm, the transformation agenda for change in the Criminal Justice System, and community engagement with crime prevention.
Centre for Economy, Policy and Place
The centre brings together research on economic and policy issues and public management across the whole public sector at international, national, regional and local scales.
Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Social Interaction
The Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Social Interaction (CROS) is an interdisciplinary grouping of researchers from across NTU interested in the phenomenon of social interaction.
International Business and Interactive Decisions Research Network
IBID investigates research phenomena of international importance for individuals, groups, organisations, cultures, and nations.
Centre for Legal Education
Nottingham Law School's Centre for Legal Education drives the Law School's excellence and innovation in academic and professional legal education.
Centre for People, Work and Organizational Practice
The research within the Centre explores the ways in which leadership and HR practices influence employees’ attitudes and behaviours at work.
Centre for Policy, Citizenship and Society
The Centre for Policy, Citizenship and Society (CPCS) conducts research that seeks to understand the ways in which society operates, especially in relation to policy, theory and practice in social contexts.
Centre for Research in Applied Cognition and Neuroscience (CRACN)
Researchers from this centre use behavioural and neuroimaging techniques to further fundamental theoretical knowledge of cognitive and neural processes and apply this to understanding performance in everyday tasks.
Centre for Research in History, Heritage and Memory Studies
The Centre connects NTU researchers and projects in policy, religion, conflict, race, gender, memory & welfare through varied methodologies & knowledge exchange
Centre for Research in Language, Education and Developmental Inequalities (CLEDI)
The Research Centre is an interdisciplinary research centre which aims to understand different perspectives of language and education (at child, family, school, and community levels).
Centre for Research in Literature Linguistics and Culture
The Centre for Research in Literature, Linguistics and Culture is a multi- and interdisciplinary hub that promotes research innovation across Literary Studies, Linguistics, and Media, Film and TV Studies.
Centre for Rights and Justice
The Centre for Rights and Justice (CRJ) was established in 2013. It is an inclusive Centre with a diverse membership, bringing together research, practice and scholarship, in the broad areas of human rights and criminal justice.
BE:SMART
We bring together expertise in architecture, engineering, computing, design, and real estate economics to address urgent challenges in urbanisation, climate resilience, and digital transformation.
Eastern Africa Centre
The Eastern Africa Centre (EAC) at NTU is a dynamic hub for collaborative, interdisciplinary research advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Imaging, Materials and Engineering Centre (IMEC)
To solve modern engineering problems requires an interdisciplinary approach. At IMEC this principle is embedded in the way we do research in the applied sciences and engineering, with our strengths in imaging, materials, and smart and medical technologies.
Marketing and Consumer Studies Research Group
Marketing and Consumer Studies Research Centre (MACS) includes academics with a wide range of interests and expertise across consumer behaviour, branding and brand identity, services research, and tourism experiences, amongst others.
Product Innovation and Intelligent Design
The Product Innovation and Intelligent Design research group drives global impact through AI-powered product innovation, sustainable design, and cutting-edge research for a circular economy.
Centre for Responsible and Sustainable Business
Founded in 2015 with the goal of supporting income generation, publication and business impact within the business school and across disciplines at NTU.
Sport, Health and Performance Enhancement Research Centre (SHAPE)
Providing a vibrant research environment to investigate the biological, physical, psychological and societal impact of sport and exercise for health, well-being and human performance
Work, Informalisation and Place Research Centre
Providing innovative, interdisciplinary studies focusing on the spatial dimensions of contemporary work and employment in sectors such as hand car washes, nail bars, and small-scale garment manufacturing.
Re:frame Podcast
Join NTU's brightest minds as they challenge commonly held beliefs and tackle the big questions shaping society. In this series, our researchers reframe how we think about the world, offering fresh perspectives and insights that inspire change.
Get closer to the experts who challenge the status quo and discover answers to the questions that matter most.
Re:search Re:imagined
To us, research is about more than writing papers and proposing new ideas. By daring to think differently, we’re disrupting the research landscape and finding the answers to the questions that really matter.
Re:view
Safeguarding Britain's railways
Re:drive
Reducing risk on our roads
Re:covery
Reducing suicide and self-harm risk in prisons
Re:govern
Supporting governance excellence
Re:place
Tackling the sustainability of the poultry industry
Re:engineer
Generating green energy from abandoned coal mines
Re:boot
Rethinking how individuals interact in our online world.
Re:play
Teaching complex topics through play.
Re:trofit
Creating the homes of the future.
Re:port
Fighting to make women’s safety everyone’s responsibility
Re:scue
Improving safety, saving lives
Re:cognise
Understanding language, dialect, and their role in building our sense of self.