Goal 1: No Poverty

Financial support  

During the year, we made available a wide range of financial support for students across all our Themes. Some of these bursaries are based on country origin, supporting those from low/lower-middle income countries. For example: Commonwealth Scholarships for students from developing Commonwealth countries who would not otherwise be able to study in the UK. In 2023 Global Clinical Supplies Group and Cranfield University partnered to launch a new scholarship for the Logistics and Supply Chain Management MSc Global Clinical Supplies Group and Cranfield University launch new Supply Chain scholarship. The Anglia Water Bursary also provided funding for a place on Cranfield’s MSc in Water and Wastewater Engineering.

Additional funding sources are available from Cranfield’s Hardship Fund. It provides discretionary financial assistance to help alleviate unexpected financial hardship and enable students to remain on their course.

Student support services

All students at Cranfield benefit from access to a wide range of free mental health and wellbeing support services connecting students to services they need so they are more likely to continue their education. Our Student Intranet has sign posting to medical support, Mental Wellbeing and Financial Support (including a Hardship Fund).

We are proud members of the ‘Too Good To Go’ food waste movement. Too Good To go is an app that allows unsold food from selected venues on campus a second chance at being consumed rather than going to waste, allowing staff, students and the local community to purchase ‘surprise bags’ of food at low prices.

During 2023, Cranfield’s Green Team organised a clothes swap and Fairtrade Fortnight.

The 2022-23 student move out campaign saw a continued arrangement with the British Heart Foundation’s ‘Pack for Good’ campaign and the NEED Project. The donations provide much needed items for the charity shops and families in need in the local area.

Support for local businesses

In 2022/23, the Ready for Net Zero Growth programme supported many local businesses. Cranfield University offered free training programmes and workshops to help them improve energy efficiency, reducing emissions and energy use and adopting clean energy. We worked with local councils in Milton Keynes and Central Bedfordshire. These programmes have been sponsored by our partner organisations and have resulted in energy and carbon audits, and subsequent carbon reduction plans for each of these SMEs.

The Future Frontiers Fund (FFF) supports the generation of ideas, technologies, products and services that address challenges related to tackling climate change, protecting our environment, and delivering a Net Zero future. We are looking to support truly innovative leaps through small grants of approximately £10,000 to test concepts. The fund is open to UK-based SMEs, start-ups and spinouts, sole traders, individual entrepreneurs, academics and students with early-stage ideas

Programmes supporting an end to poverty

Cranfield supports international development, particularly with providing agricultural or social based research solutions in developing countries such as sub-Saharan Africa.

For example, the student-run SAFAD (Silsoe Aid for Appropriate Development) charity helps to alleviate poverty with sustainable solutions in developing countries.

Cranfield’s research projects in Water (see SDG 6) and Energy (see SDG 7) are often related to energy and water security, supporting an end/reduction to poverty.

Research

• Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold Chain (ACES)

The mission of ACES is to accelerate the uptake of sustainable cooling and cold-chain solutions in the agriculture and health sectors in Africa, improving livelihoods, health, food and nutritional security of rural communities, thereby bringing environmental, social and economic development, and therefore reduce poverty.

• Data led soil management

Soil degradation and poor nutrient management are global challenges that particularly affect low-income farmers in Africa. This two-year project aims to develop a software platform for delivering management and fertiliser scheduling advice to smallholder tea growers in Kenya.

Financial support

During the year, we made available a wide range of financial support for students across all our Themes. Some of these bursaries are based on country origin, supporting those from low/lower-middle income countries. For example, Commonwealth Scholarships for students from developing Commonwealth countries who would not otherwise be able to study in the UK, International Water Association & Cranfield University Excellence Scholarships, Conacyt (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia) and Latin American Taught Scholarships.

Additional funding

Additional sources of funding are available from Cranfield’s Hardship Fund. It provides discretionary financial assistance to help alleviate unexpected financial hardship and enable students to remain on their course.

Student support services

All students at Cranfield benefit from access to a wide range of free mental health and wellbeing support services, connecting students to services they need so they are more likely to continue their education. Our Student Intranet has sign posting to medical support, mental wellbeing and financial support (including a Hardship Fund).

We are proud members of the ‘Too Good To Go’ food waste movement. Too Good To Go is an app that allows unsold food from selected venues on campus a second chance at being consumed rather than going to waste, allowing staff, students and the local community to purchase ‘surprise bags’ of food at low prices.

Support for local businesses

In 2021/22, the Ready for Net Zero Growth programme supported many local businesses.

Luton-based small- and medium-sized companies (SMEs) working in or supplying the aviation sector were eligible for free coaching and support to grow their business.

Luton Council funded 30 places on the University’s Ready for Scale aviation programme for ambitious business leaders looking to take the next step in growing their business.

Programmes supporting an end to poverty

Cranfield supports international development, particularly with providing agricultural or social-based research solutions in developing countries such as Sub-Saharan Africa. For example, the SAFAD (Silsoe Aid for Appropriate Development) student-run charity helps to alleviate poverty with sustainable solutions in developing countries. You can find out about its 2021/22 programme on the SAFAD website.

Cranfield University has a wide range of financial support available to students across all its Themes. Some of these bursaries are based on country origin (supporting those from low/lower-middle income countries).

Additional sources of funding are available. Cranfield’s Hardship Fund provides discretionary financial assistance to help alleviate unexpected financial hardship and enable students to remain on their course.

Applications can be made at any time up to four weeks before registration end date, with details published on our intranet site.