Researcher tightening bolts inside a test chamber

Research missions

Discover our five research missions — helping us to better understand the world around us and share new insights with policymakers, businesses and wider society.

The five missions

Manchester Metropolitan University research is in the vanguard of addressing the grand challenges of our time.

Through our excellent research, we transform lives by harnessing our creativity and confidence to deliver societal impact. Research at Manchester Metropolitan University is driven by our desire to make an impact on the world we live in — building on our place in Manchester to achieve national and global impact.

Our research is focused on five world-transforming missions. Each is committed to advancing understanding of the pressing problems facing our planet and global society.  The five research missions drive a better understanding of the world around us, advancing knowledge and delivering new insights working with policymakers, industry, businesses and wider society. We will continue to apply our research to tackle inequalities and shape a fairer society.

  • Four teenagers chatting happily in a youth club meeting room

    Tackling inequalities

    Discover what drives us to create a more equal society and improve opportunities throughout the course of people's lives, moulding a society where prejudice has no place.

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  • A product designer working on ideas in a lab in Geoffrey Manton

    Championing creative excellence

    Creating a viable future recognising, understanding and celebrating cultural, social and material diversity harnessing technological and virtual transformations to support a breadth of cultural and creative practice.

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  • Beautiful sky over wetlands

    Leading sustainability

    Our research underpins the shift to more sustainable development the world must make — from developing cleaner fuels to protecting vulnerable wildlife and environments.

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  • Georgio Orlando observing a stair-climbing experiment at the Institute of Sport

    Transforming health

    Discover how we’re helping people live independently in good health for longer — and what we are learning about the boundaries of elite human performance that allow everyone to live a healthier life.

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  • The Manchester skyline at night, revealing a bustling city and high-rise development

    Driving economic growth

    Discover how our research is helping to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

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Our impact

A performance at the Manchester Voices Glass House event as part of the Manchester International Festival in 2019

Discover our research impact stories

In our impact stories, you can see how our research has real-world benefits for society, culture, the environment and the economy.
Go to the stories