Imperial to be part of search for world’s best scientific talent

Imperial is one of twelve research organisations selected to deliver the Government’s £54 million fund to recruit the world’s top researchers.

Imperial is one of twelve research organisations selected to deliver the Government’s £54 million fund to recruit the world’s top researchers.  

The new Global Talent Fund is designed to attract leading researchers and their teams to the UK, working in the eight high priority sectors critical to the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy, such as life sciences and digital technologies.   

The Global Talent Fund will support our efforts to attract the brightest minds from around the world. Professor Hugh Brady President of Imperial College London

Each organisation will receive an equal share of this funding to bring some of the world’s foremost researchers and their teams to the UK. Imperial and the other selected institutions were chosen due to their track record in supporting international workforces and bringing competitive international research funding to the UK.  

Institutions will be empowered to develop their own approaches to spend their share of the Global Talent Fund to attract research talent from around the globe in their choice of Industrial Strategy areas, including covering visa and relocation costs for researchers and their family members. 

Attracting the world's brightest minds

Professor Hugh Brady, President of Imperial College London said: “Imperial College London is a global university and international researchers are central to our success. They bring fresh perspectives, new ideas, and a spirit of discovery that enriches our community and drives breakthroughs that benefit all of society - from tackling malaria to breakthroughs in quantum computing.

“The Global Talent Fund will support our efforts to attract the brightest minds from around the world. We look forward to welcoming them and continuing to push the boundaries of knowledge together.” 

Professor Ian Walmsley, Provost of Imperial College London said: “We are proud that Imperial has been awarded funding from the Global Talent Fund, a recognition of our world-leading research excellence and global reach. These strengths make us a natural destination for exceptional talent.  

“Our deep commitment to STEMB disciplines aligns strongly with the government’s strategic priorities, and this funding will enable us to attract outstanding academics who will shape our future growth areas. In doing so, we will inspire the next generation of students and accelerate societal impact through our innovation ecosystem.” 

Internationalism at Imperial

Internationalism is at the heart of Imperial, the world’s second-best university according to the latest QS World University Rankings. The university has collaborations or projects in 192 countries around the world and recently brought Bengaluru, San Francisco and Accra into its Imperial Global network, alongside its existing Singapore hub. 

Imperial has a track record of identifying and recruiting significant global talent to join its community. For example, Professor Mariagrazia Pizza, one of the world’s foremost experts in vaccine development, joined Imperial in 2024 from GSK in Italy and is now leading a major initiative in vaccinology involving researchers from across the institution, and Dr Bonnie Waring joined Imperial in June 2020 from Utah State University. Both have secured external funding and contributed to the UK efforts in their respective fields, including providing evidence to Parliamentary Committees.