Midlands universities partner to become Policing Academic Centre of Excellence

A consortium from the University of Birmingham, Aston University and the University of Leicester has been selected as one of nine new Policing Academic Centres of Excellence.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), in partnership with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), have funded £4.5 million to launch nine Policing Academic Centres of Excellence (P-ACEs) in October 2025. This includes a new partnership between three Midlands-based universities, the University of Leicester, Aston University and the University of Birmingham, called P-ACE LAB.

Each P-ACE will be promoted across the policing sector as an accessible source of leading academic experts aligned with policing’s Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) and evidence needs. The P-ACEs will support policing with adopting new technologies, developing new tools and techniques, improving training and skills, and increasing public safety.

P-ACE LAB is an interdisciplinary consortium that will produce solutions related to key policing ARIs, such as building and maintaining public trust, crime prevention, mobility, identification and tracing, and analytics, whilst harnessing the latest advances in science and technology.

Professor Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay, Project Lead for P-ACE LAB from the University of Birmingham, said: “We are delighted to have been selected as one of the nine new Policing Academic Centres of Excellence. Leicester, Aston and Birmingham, bring diverse and complementary skills with a strong track record of building policing research capability that has helped police forces and communities.

“P-ACE LAB will enable the police to be science- and evidence-led in effectively tackling the challenges of today and tomorrow, and promoting economic growth by reducing productivity losses from crime and victimisation.”

Working closely with police forces, the P-ACEs will drive collaboration between academia and policing, ensuring that policing is shaped by the latest and best scientific expertise and that the UK’s leading researchers can challenge and innovate in partnership with policing to improve public safety.

Professor Paul Taylor, Police Chief Scientific Adviser, said: “Academia and policing have a long history of collaborative working on issues as diverse as forensic science, crime prevention, and analytical technologies. The P-ACEs will fortify this connection, providing a focal point for research and knowledge exchange.

“I’m particularly excited about what the P-ACEs can bring to early career scientists who are interested in tackling the complex challenge of keeping the UK public safe. The P-ACE community will, I hope, provide them more opportunities and greater support as we look to forge deep and lasting partnerships over the next decade.”

Stian Westlake, Executive Chair of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), said: “The Policing Academic Centres of Excellence will forge closer relationships between police forces and researchers, providing the police with data and evidence to make the justice system work better. By bringing experts in policing practice together with social scientists and data scientists across the country, the centres will provide knowledge and insights to drive service improvement. These centres of excellence demonstrate our commitment to reducing crime and making Britain a safer place.”

For detailed information about the expertise each P-ACE can offer, visit science.police.uk. For more about P-ACE LAB, visit the website.