The Open University

New OU / BBC series to uncover the UK’s fascinating wildlife

24 April 2024

In this brand-new series co-produced by The Open University (OU) and BBC for BBC One and iPlayer, wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin will reveal wildlife gems from across the four countries of the UK. In Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles, Hamza will find and film incredible species and spectacles hidden amongst both our urban and wilder landscapes. […]

Students use NASA telescope to identify an underachieving black hole

21 March 2024

An international team of students, including a PhD student from The Open University (OU) have revealed that a brilliant supermassive black hole is not living up to expectations in a new study using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. The study revealed that although the supermassive black hole is responsible for high levels of radiation and powerful […]

City innovation is centre stage thanks to OU and City Council partnership

19 March 2024

Milton Keynes City Council and The Open University (OU) are once again teaming up to promote Milton Keynes as one of the world’s leading smart cities through the hugely successful MK:Smart initiative. Led by the OU and involving more than 20 organisations, MK:Smart began ten years ago to introduce large scale technology trials to Milton […]

OU’s pain tracking device, PainPad, wins at the Inaugural MK STEM awards

4 March 2024

The Open University (OU) and Milton Keynes University Hospital PainPad team have been named the winners of the Changemaker/Lightbulb Award at the MK STEM awards which took place on 29 February. The PainPad is a new and efficient way for patients to conduct more frequent and accurate pain readings through the device. The Changemaker / […]

New OU research aims to improve wellbeing and reduce health risks for people with curly hair

27 February 2024

An OU researcher is working with an SME on the best quality hair products for people who have curly or textured hair in a bid to promote wellbeing and guard against long-term negative health outcomes. Dr James Bowen, who is a hair expert in the OU’s Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, works with […]

OU space researchers awarded £2 million grant supporting the future human exploration of Mars

27 February 2024

Space scientists from The Open University (OU) have been awarded a £2 million grant from the UK Space Agency to develop detector technology that will contribute to a new imaging instrument for Mars, as part of the International Mars Ice Mapper mission (I-MIM). This imager will provide a new view of Mars that will be […]

Image shows Tim Blackman being presented with the Queen's Anniversary Prize by The Queen at Buckingham Palace

The Queen presents The Open University with Queen’s Anniversary Prize at Buckingham Palace

22 February 2024

The Open University has been presented with a prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education by Her Majesty The Queen today at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace. It was announced in November that the OU had been awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its OpenSTEM Labs initiative – the highest national Honour in […]

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust: the cosmic fertiliser that fuelled the origins of life

19 February 2024

The origin of life is an event so rare that, to the best of our knowledge, it has only happened once: here on Earth. The questions of how life developed and in what environments geochemical reactions took place are fundamental questions that span the fields of astrobiology, organic chemistry, and geology. One key ingredient is […]

OU space scientists awarded grant to investigate a Mars’ atmospheric mystery

16 February 2024

A new research grant awarded to scientists at The Open University (OU) will make it possible to investigate the long-standing mystery of ozone on Mars. The atmosphere of Mars, which is mostly made of carbon dioxide (CO2), has trace amounts of ozone present, at levels far lower than that found on Earth. A long-standing problem […]