UK Horizons: The Higgs Community
The Higgs Community seeks to be home to the most exceptional scientists and innovators in the UK, interested in turning ambitious science into real-world impact.
Despite the UK's strong heritage in science and research, many exceptional scientists find themselves navigating an academic system that incentivises incremental innovation and the publication of research papers over pursuing breakthroughs and translating ideas into real-world impact.
For those scientists who remain determined to work on breakthrough ideas, many are unaware of the full range of pathways available to create impact – from building venture backed start ups and leveraging philanthropic funding to launching new organisational structures such as Focused Research Organisations that help to allocate funding towards breakthrough science.
The Challenge
The Higgs Community will serve as a home for the UK’s most exceptional scientists and innovators who are eager to create impact from bold, ambitious science that is not easily realised within traditional academia. Higgs will foster a community that connects like-minded peers, challenges conventional academic constraints, and nurtures a translational mindset – encouraging members to explore every possible avenue for turning bold ideas into breakthrough applications and frontier science."
The community will offer regular, high-calibre events, including fireside chats and workshops, alongside a suite of resources, playbooks, and guides for navigating pathways outside of academia and venture. In addition, members will have access to high-impact career opportunities and funding channels designed to support ambitious, cross-disciplinary projects.
By bringing together a network of like-minded individuals, Higgs will empower its members to break free from convention, collaborate across disciplines, and drive transformative change beyond traditional pathways. This initiative is not just about supporting individual researchers – it’s about fostering a broader culture of ambitious, translational science that will fuel the next generation of transformative discoveries in the UK.
The Higgs Community is powered by RenPhil's partnership with the Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA).
Our Approach
We welcome applications from individuals who fit the description below. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and successful applicants will be brought forward to interview. We also encourage referrals from existing members.
You find traditional academia limiting and want to identify new paths to real-world impact.
You’ve already demonstrated a strong command of your field – or an unmistakable potential to do so – and you’re now determined to translate your research or concepts into tangible outcomes that make a difference. For you, success goes beyond journals, the ‘publish or perish’ mindset, or even metrics like your h-index; you want your work to shape the world. Whether it’s by spinning out a start-up, helping to allocate funding towards science or pioneering an entirely new model to translate science, you’re looking for new pathways to pursue bold, ambitious ideas that might change entire industries or fields of study.
You’re ambitious and sometimes restless.
You regularly explore questions most would find too risky or uncharted, and you love diving into areas others deem counterintuitive or off the beaten path. You’re excited by unexplored frontiers – whether that’s quantum biology, next-generation materials, or something even more avant-garde, and you sense that your capabilities and ideas can have a great, wide-reaching impact. You thrive on challenging boundaries and undertaking imaginative, high-impact research that few others dare to attempt.
You're looking for the right community to challenge and inspire your work.
Working on unconventional topics can be lonely, and you recognise that breakthroughs often emerge from vibrant scientific communities (e.g. Lunar Society, the Manhattan Project). You’re looking for an environment that lets you channel your drive without unnecessary bureaucracy - one where your passion, curiosity, and ambition can flourish. You’re excited to swap half-formed theories, debate emerging phenomena, and feed off each other’s energy and expertise.
You’re a multi-disciplinary tinkerer at heart.
You love diving into different fields and blending unexpected ideas – sometimes just to see what happens. You believe true breakthroughs often occur where disciplines collide, and you don’t just want to meet people in your niche – you want to collaborate with top-tier scientists, researchers, and innovators across multiple domains and geographies who share the same pioneering spirit.
Ready to join the Higgs Community? Fill out the application form here.