# Grand Challenges 1-5 June 2026

**Source**: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/grandchallenges/
**Parent**: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/#a2

We are Winners!

The Grand Challenges team are the winners of a [Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence.](https://news.exeter.ac.uk/faculty-of-health-and-life-sciences/three-exeter-winners-at-prestigious-teaching-excellence-in-higher-education-awards/)

Strategy 2030

By completing Grand Challenges, students contribute to our Strategy 2030 goals.

# Grand Challenges 1-5 June 2026

Sign-ups for Grand Challenges 2026 is now live! You can [fill out your application here](https://forms.office.com/e/aLm4f2XvNi).

Grand Challenges is a project week in which you work in interdisciplinary groups with other like-minded students to design innovative solutions to real world challenges. Top academics and invited speakers share their views and help you apply your skills and knowledge to a real-life problem. You have the opportunity to develop your transferable skills including team work, presentation skills and project planning.  [Read more](https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/grandchallenges/whatisgrandchallenges/).

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**Sustainable Development Goals**

All of our Challenges topics link to the [UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals.](https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/SDG_Guidelines_AUG_2019_Final.pdf)

Future Food

- [Future Food](https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/grandchallenges/challenges2026/futurefood/)

Mental Health

- [Mental Health](https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/grandchallenges/challenges2026/mentalhealth/)

Social Inequality

- [Social Inequality](https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/grandchallenges/challenges2026/socialinequality/)

Climate Emergency

- [Climate and Environment Emergency](https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/grandchallenges/challenges2026/climateandenvironmentemergency/)

Grand Challenges Penryn

- [Grand Challenges Penryn](https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/grandchallenges/challenges2026/tomorrowsworld/)

Defence, Security and Resilience

- [Defence, Security and Resilience](https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/grandchallenges/challenges2026/defencesecurityandresilience/)

Education Innovation

- [Education Innovation](https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/grandchallenges/challenges2026/educationinnovation/)

Past Projects

- [Climate and Environment Emergency](https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/grandchallenges/projects/climateandenvironmentemergencychallenge/)
- [Future Food](https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/grandchallenges/projects/futurefoodchallenge/)
- [Mental Health](https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/grandchallenges/projects/mentalhealthchallenge/)
- [Social Inequality](https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/grandchallenges/projects/socialinequalitychallenge/)
- [Grand Challenges Penryn](https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/grandchallenges/projects/grandchallengespenryn/)

Benefits of Grand Challenges

With Grand Challenges you can meet like-minded people, develop a wide range of transferable skills, gain an understanding of global issues and have the potential to make a real impact.

- [Benefits of Grand Challenges](https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/grandchallenges/moreinfo/benefits/)

GreenComp

Grand Challenges helps students to develop their sustainable thinking, self-awareness and experiential learning, in line with the GreenComp framework (The European sustainability competence framework).

- [Read more about this framework here](https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/greencomp-european-sustainability-competence-framework_en)

Student testimonials

"I met so many new people and we quickly became friends through working together"

- [Read testimonials from previous students](https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/grandchallenges/moreinfo/benefits/studenttestimonials/)

Showcase Video 2023

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After presenting to their challenges in the morning, all 70 student groups across 5 challenges were given a space on Forum Street to showcase their outputs from the week.

Grand Challenges Week 2023 Montage Video

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A collection of video clips from throughout Grand Challenges Week 2023 which saw students working on a variety of projects from podcasts to compost bins.