The Open University has launched a new national Research Capability Hub (RCH) at its Walton Hall campus in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, to help social scientists across the UK manage increasingly complex data. The £4.9 million hub was formally launched on 27 January 2026 and is now operational, offering training in data management, digital methodologies and other advanced research tools.
The Research Capability Hub is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and is led by The Open University with Professor Bart Rienties serving as Project Lead. Staff at the facility will provide training to academic, government, business and third-sector researchers on safe data sharing, methodological innovation and how to ensure research supports real-world policy and practice.
Local coverage in Business MK described the funding as a major investment for the OU in Milton Keynes. The team at the OU’s Institute of Educational Technology worked with partner institutions—including University College London, Swansea University, Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Gothenburg—to develop the hub, which will operate as a five-year national initiative delivering research skills training and capacity building.
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