Major gift to support future research talent

The gift being formally marked at a ceremonial signing

University of Warwick celebrates major philanthropic gift to support future research talent

The University of Warwick has received a significant philanthropic donation from G-Research, a leading quantitative research and technology firm, to support the next generation of statistical research talent. The gift advances the University’s ambition to Set the Pace in the Warwick Student Experience by enabling new PhD and MSc scholarships in Statistics.

The donation will support three PhD students in the University’s Department of Statistics, with one student recruited per academic year to undertake a four‑year doctoral programme. The scholarships will prioritise research in machine learning and AI modelling. The first PhD student and an MSc student joined the department in 2025.

The partnership was formally launched at a signing ceremony held on campus in April during the Warwick Statistics Conference. The event brought together colleagues from across the University and G‑Research to celebrate the collaboration, recognise the company’s ongoing contribution to research and education, and outline shared goals for the years ahead.

As part of the conference programme, Mark Burnett, Head of Technology Innovation and Associate Partner at G‑Research, delivered a plenary talk on bridging the divide between academia and industry in the age of artificial intelligence, highlighting the importance of deep theoretical research in enabling effective real‑world AI deployment.

Dr Charles Martínez, Academic Relations Manager at G‑Research, also delivered an early‑career insight session, concluding with an interactive simulated game that provided an engaging close to two days of research discussion.

During the visit, G‑Research colleagues toured Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) and the Centre for Applications of Mathematical and Computing Sciences (CAMaCS), meeting with academic and professional colleagues to explore Warwick’s applied research strengths.

Professor Tom Montenegro-Johnson, Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research (STEM Impact, Knowledge Exchange and Partnerships) at University of Warwick, said: “Thanks to the generous support of G-Research, we have already welcomed one PhD student and one MSc student to the Department of Statistics, and will be able to support a further two PhD students over the next two years. These scholarships will enable their progression towards professional careers in statistical and quantitative fields across academia, industry, and beyond, and we are grateful to G-Research for making these opportunities available to more talented early-career researchers.

It’s great for our students to see that such a prominent industry partner values the skills they are developing here at Warwick. G-Research has always been a strong advocate for the statistical sciences, and more broadly the culture of research and discovery that is exemplified both in their offices and in our University. We look forward to continuing this partnership."

The scholarships will provide comprehensive support for tuition fees, living costs, equipment, travel, and conference attendance. Recipients will also benefit from optional career development opportunities, including mentoring, research presentations, seminars, and networking events.

This donation forms part of G‑Research’s national NextGen initiative, which is funding 42 PhD students across eight leading UK universities to strengthen the UK’s future research base.

In addition to student scholarships, G‑Research supported the 2026 Warwick Statistics Conference and is supporting Warwick’s upcoming Statistics Summer Research Experience, an eight-week programme offering non-Warwick students first‑hand insight into PhD study within the department.

Mark Burnett said: “Warwick’s Statistics conference highlighted how deep mathematical ideas are directly enabling real-world AI, which closely reflects the work we do at G-Research, and reinforced how vital strong links between academia and industry are as the gap widens between organisations that can move quickly and those that can’t.”

Dr Charles Martinez added: “It’s exciting to see our partnership continue to grow, particularly through our NextGen programme, where we’re focused on supporting the next generation of Warwick statistics researchers and building stronger links between academia and industry.”

More about Set the Pace

Set the Pace aims to raise an initial £250 million and inspire 20,000 acts of volunteering, shaping the Warwick Student Experience and supporting researchers in tackling major global challenges. To learn more or get involved, visit our dedicated website.

The image above shows:

The gift being formally marked at a ceremonial signing between Mark Burnett, Head of Technology Innovation and Associate Partner at G-Research, and Professor Tom Montenegro-Johnson, Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research (STEM Impact, Knowledge Exchange, and Partnerships), at the Warwick Statistics Conference on Wednesday 22 April 2026.

Left to right: Louis Meyer, Statistics PhD student and G-Research scholar; Dr Charles Martinez, Academic Relations Manager at G-Research; Mark Burnett, Head of Technology Innovation and Associate Partner at G-Research; Professor Tom Montenegro-Johnson, Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research (STEM Impact, Knowledge Exchange, and Partnerships), Professor Martyn Plummer, Head of the Department of Statistics; and Daisy Murray, Statistics MSc student and G-Research scholar.