Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Malcolm Anderson said: ‘This is excellent news for Bristol and testament to all the efforts our academics are making to bring in research grants. Although this data does not include the value of awards, which is, of course, an important comparator, we know we are consistently punching above our weight. This is a fantastic platform to build on to bring in even more big grants that will help us maintain our standing as a world-class institute for research.’

NERC funds world-class science in universities and its own research centres that increases knowledge and understanding of the natural world. It is tackling the 21st century’s major environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity and natural hazards.

ESRC is the UK’s leading research funding and training agency addressing economic and social concerns. It aims to provide high-quality research on issues of importance to business, the public sector and government