THE NEEDHAM RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Registered charity 311459 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE EAST ASIAN HISTORY OF SCIENCE TRUST

Building on the late Dr Joseph Needham's foundation, the Institute facilitates, promotes and develops academic research, publication and teaching in the fields of the history of science, medicine and technology in East Asia.

Objects

THE PROMOTION OF THE STUDY AND GENERAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF THE COUNTRIES OF EASTERN ASIA. TO MAINTAIN THE NEEDHAM LIBRARY.

Area of benefit: NATIONAL

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Cambridge, East of England, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£583k

Latest spending

£723k

Registered

1968

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total net assets increased to £18,097,779 from £17,652,156 in the prior year, driven by investment gains and income. The charity maintains unrestricted reserves of £4,049,665 and holds a provision of £24,309 for pension deficit recovery plan contributions. The auditors confirmed that the financial statements give a true and fair view and that there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £80,001 - £90,000 — in the top quarter for charities its size (median £60k)

“The total number of employees whose total salaries exceeded £60,000 is as follows: 2025 £80,000 ~ £90,000 1” — page 20

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 1

“The total number of employees whose total salaries exceeded £60,000 is as follows: 2025 £80,000 ~ £90,000 1” — page 20

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: sufficient to maintain the day to day costs of running and servicing the Institute (reserves figure: £4.0m)

“The Trustees have considered that the most appropriate policy is to maintain all surplus funds split between investments held with Cazenove Capital and also a level of balances held as cash at bank sufficient to maintain the day to day costs of running and servicing the Institute.” — page 6

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Pension scheme deficit: £24k

“The Institute has a potential liability relating to the employees who are in the ‘Universities Superannuation Scheme’. Note 16 and 22 to the accounts set out the basis of a provision that has been made of £24,309 (2024: £28,101).” — page 6

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Prentis & Co LLP. Discloses 6 of 6 completeness components.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 30/09/2025

Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£80,001–£90,000: 1)

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 30/09/2024

Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£80,001–£90,000: 1)
Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 30/09/2023

Volunteers: 3
Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£70,001–£80,000: 1)
Grant-making is its main activity

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 30/09/2025)

Total income

£583k

Total spending

£723k

Cost of raising funds

£54k

Reserves (reported)

£4.0m

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~67.2 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Investments (66% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 9.2% of total income — above the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

PROFESSOR MARTIN KENNETH JONES PHDchair
Andrew Seaton
Dr Charles Harpum QC Hon LLD
Dr Yan HE
ELIZABETH ANN WRIGHT
Katie Lee
Professor Mary Augusta Brazelton
Professor Roel Sterckx · trustee of 1 other charity
Professor Ying Jin

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
30/09/2025	£583k	£723k
30/09/2024	£633k	£730k
30/09/2023	£666k	£712k
30/09/2022	£551k	£628k
30/09/2021	£801k	£515k

Common questions

Is THE NEEDHAM RESEARCH INSTITUTE financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total net assets increased to £18,097,779 from £17,652,156 in the prior year, driven by investment gains and income. The charity maintains unrestricted reserves of £4,049,665 and holds a provision of £24,309 for pension deficit recovery plan contributions. The auditors confirmed that the financial statements give a true and fair view and that there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Prentis & Co LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of THE NEEDHAM RESEARCH INSTITUTE earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £80,001 - £90,000 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.

Who funds THE NEEDHAM RESEARCH INSTITUTE?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE NEEDHAM RESEARCH INSTITUTE as a grant recipient include THE SINO-BRITISH FELLOWSHIP TRUST.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE SINO-BRITISH FELLOWSHIP TRUST	FY2021	£88k	Grants to Chinese academics for study visits to Great Britain – object (b)
THE SINO-BRITISH FELLOWSHIP TRUST	FY2025	£76k	Grants to Chinese academics for study visits to Great Britain – object (b)
THE SINO-BRITISH FELLOWSHIP TRUST	FY2024	£18k	Grants to Chinese academics for study visits to Great Britain – object (b)
THE SINO-BRITISH FELLOWSHIP TRUST	FY2021	£16k	Grants to British academics for study visits to China – object (a)
THE SINO-BRITISH FELLOWSHIP TRUST	FY2025	£2k	Grants to British academics for study visits to China – object (a)
THE SINO-BRITISH FELLOWSHIP TRUST	FY2024	£2k	Grants to British academics for study visits to China – object (a)

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
THE NUFFIELD FOUNDATION	1	£1.0m
JOHN INNES FOUNDATION	1	£731k
Bird Song Trust	1	£203k
BOLTON COMMUNITY AND VOLUNTARY SERVICES	1	£13k
THE BATCHWORTH TRUST	1	£5k
THE TANLAW FOUNDATION	1	£3k
THE MCBAIN FAMILY FOUNDATION	1	£2k
THE ASTOR FOUNDATION	1	£2k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with EARLHAM INSTITUTE.

EARLHAM INSTITUTE income £14.1m
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH income £3.3m
THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE MEDICAL INSTITUTE LIMITED income £474k
MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION income £3.7m
THE SHI'AH INSTITUTE income £30k
Saeed Institute income £280k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE NEEDHAM RESEARCH INSTITUTE	£583k	£80,001 - £90,000	1	unclear	—	no doubt
EARLHAM INSTITUTE FY2025	£14.1m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH FY2026	£3.3m	—	—	below	—	no doubt
THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE MEDICAL INSTITUTE LIMITED FY2025	£474k	—	0	within	—	no doubt
MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION FY2025	£3.7m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE SHI'AH INSTITUTE FY2025	£30k	—	0	below	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.