What is the project doing?
As a result of the Phase 2 funding, the TIAH members developed a workable process, and an understanding of the the costs (in time and funding) required to deliver a comprehensive SHAPE commercialisation offer. Now that they had a stable model to take forward, phase 3 funding was used to underpin TIAH, specifically with a (0.4FTE) hub manager, and associated administrative support, to oversee the TIAH’s shared project pipeline and programme of activities for both SHAPE academics and professional services teams. Programme activities fell into 3 categories: Pipeline stimulation and consolidation; training, support and capacity building; resource consolidation.
Chris Hewson, Faculty Impact Manager, University of York
chris.hewson@york.ac.uk
Aspect Members: University of Reading (Henley Business School), Cardiff University, University of Glasgow, The University of Manchester, University of Sussex, University of York, University of Durham, University of Exeter, Queensland University of Technology, Australia, Teesside University.
What was the project doing?
This project aimed to explore how systems underpinning academic career progression could be better aligned to support meaningful engagement with E&I. It examined the current state of play with ASPECT partners in terms of recognition, reward, and workload allocation and co-created solutions. These were presented in a project report and position paper for senior stakeholders at network universities, as well as resources for ASPECT partners. In addition, the project developed recommendations for developing and implementing an enterprise pathway(s).
Why was this needed?
A perceived lack of engagement from academics had been identified as one of the foremost reasons for comparatively low levels of entrepreneurship and innovation (E&I) relating to commercialization in the social sciences (Aspect Learning Gain Report, 2021). This project aimed to address this issue through systemic change.
How could members get involved?
While the University of Reading and the University of Sussex led the work packages, the other named partners actively contributed, including direct participation, provision of feedback, and co-creating solutions. The project was designed to benefit all Aspect members and offered opportunities to participate in all work packages, which had consultation built in.
For further information, please contact Loran Hards (L.Hards@sussex.ac.uk).
Aspect member: University of Manchester.
What is the project doing?
Methods for Change Phase 2 draws on the existing collaborators from Phase 1, and the wider and expanded Aspect network partners.
The project’s first monitoring and evaluation survey conducted in summer of 2021 has shown that for 85% of people being involved with Methods for Change Phase 1 (Aspect contributors, academic and non-academic stakeholders) has ‘prompted them to think differently about their work and the role of social science methods’. Phase 2 looks set to continue the ambitious aim of realising the value of social science methodologies for creating change in society, and continue highlighting their importance, relevance and potential use beyond academic contexts for non-academic stakeholders from business, industry, government, and third sector organisations.
In this iteration, the project hopes to engage more strongly with critical and interpretive approaches to spatial, mixed methods, and quantitative methodologies. It will also more strongly engage with academics who are using social science research methods within interdisciplinary settings. Building on the success of Phase 1, the project will also look to explore non-traditional funding for social science methods driven projects (e.g., Innovate UK KPTs) and cooperative, social science consultancy projects across University of Manchester and other academic partners building partnerships, collaboration and non-academic impacts that will live beyond Phase 2 of the project.
Visit the Research Methods Library.
Why is this needed?
The social sciences offer many possibilities to deepening understandings of societal needs, environmental challenges, and wider political dynamics that can enhance the practices of customer, consumer and policy research within businesses, third sector organisations and government departments. The robust methodologies developed within the social sciences are often under-utilised by non-academic sectors and in interdisciplinary settings. Given the complexities of current national and global socio-ecological and socio-economic problems, there has never been a more important moment to mobilise the potential within social science methodologies with non-academic stakeholders to invoke transformative socio-ecological and political change.
How can members get involved?
The project will take place for 15 months from June 2022.
For further information on how to be involved please contact Dr Ali Browne (alison.browne@manchester.ac.uk).
Aspect Members: University of Oxford, University of Glasgow, University of Sussex, Cardiff University, University of Edinburgh.
What is the project doing?
The aim of the Innovation Fellowship Programme is to support academic-led culture change, helping researchers to see the benefits of, and supporting them to advocate for, commercialisation and business engagement among their SHAPE peers. This builds on and expands a pilot run in Oxford and Manchester (2020-21).
Fellows will be awarded £2-10k per annum each depending on their institution, current career stage and needs. In return, Fellows will lead a programme of activity to drive an inclusive, supportive culture of innovation among social sciences, arts and humanities researchers in their institution and beyond.
Together these Fellows will be expected to form a Community of Practice, sharing good practice. This network will be supported by network administrators who will help with logistic arrangements and support them to deliver joint activities, workshops and events.
Why is this needed?
Innovation is becoming an increasingly important component of research activity. We hope to create a step-change in innovation in the social science, arts and humanities, making it easier for researchers to engage in innovation and to make it a more valued part of research.
By investing in a broader cohort of Innovation Fellows across several HEIs we hope to combine forces to create more significant outputs, including sharing effective ways of capturing the hearts and minds of other researchers and advocating for innovation in SHAPE.
How can members get involved?
Learnings will also be shared via blogs, videos, and other resources.
Other members are welcome to contact us to find out more (sam.sneddon@socsci.ox.ac.uk).
Aspect member: University of Glasgow
What was the project doing?
This project focused on intrapreneurial placements and training. The placement aimed to adapt to the changing funding and career landscape that was ever-increasing the centrality of non-academic partnerships and business engagement. In Phase 2, the project focused tightly on academics across our Interdisciplinary Research Themes doing short-term placements with businesses.
Why was this needed?
Funders were increasingly requiring meaningful engagement with private sector partners and/or asking for demonstrable impact in the innovation ecosystem. Academics at all career stages needed training, experience, and relationships that allowed them to respond to the changes in funding and be competitive across the board. This program equipped academics with valuable training and experience to achieve these aims.
How could members get involved?
The project team was happy to share their experience of the student-focused program ran last year, as well as share information on what they were doing this year.
Please contact Paige McCaleb (paige.mccaleb@glasgow.ac.uk) for any further information.
Aspect members: University Of Glasgow, University of Bristol, University of Manchester, Nottingham Trent University
What was the project doing?
This project built networks among academics, professional services, and the private sector in the innovation of research-based games. It aimed to expand and scale the efforts of many social sciences academics who were creating games as part of KE and impact. The aim was to create and share good and sustainable practices that could be referred to when developing a game idea. At the moment, the project was working on the market validation of a law-based game from the University of Glasgow, collecting measurable data and verifying its possible developments.
Why was this needed?
This project aimed at reducing the gap between social science research and commercialization opportunities. Developing educational games could have played an important role in enhancing research impact and establishing good practices.
How could members get involved?
Members became involved in:
- Connecting among academics developing games;
- Receiving support to develop games;
- Participating in educational game trials;
- Getting in contact with the game industry;
- Exploring opportunities and measure the impact of translating research into games.
Aspect members: Oxford University, LSE, University of Bristol, University of Manchester, University of Glasgow.
What is the project doing?
Building on the success of ARC Phase 1, the ARC Accelerator Phase 2 is a six-month programme, which helps researchers and universities build SHAPE ventures. The programme is open to SHAPE researchers (students and alumni are not eligible) from Aspect network members.
Why is this needed?
- Universities have little to no experience creating SHAPE ventures and often try and follow STEM procedures which is a poor fit
- Social science, humanities and Arts need new routes to impact and ventures are a powerful new tool
- The world could probably do with a boost when it comes to: Improving – elections, education, carbon emissions, social care, healthcare…
How can members get involved?
ARC applications open in autumn of each year and the programme runs February – September.
To get involved members need to identify researchers who (1) wish to build a venture from their research (2) have research that can be commercialised.
Head to the ARC website to see details of the new cohort and other ARC news
For further information please contact Chris Fellingham (chris@arcaccelerator.io).
Aspect members: Cardiff University
What is the project doing?
This project will generate resources, develop toolkits and deliver training and development events and build capacity both within the G4S Custodial and Detention Services. These will be delivered via the G4S Family Intervention Team forum – meetings are held within the G4S Family Support management system on a monthly basis where the managers of the Family Teams across the G4S establishments meet to share best practice across the sites. The students will work with this forum on a consultancy basis to develop resources and toolkits, and deliver training to the other establishments within the G4S network.
Why is this needed?
The project has developed new resources related to how families engage and interact with each other establishing, maintaining and enhancing healthy family ties while a male family member is serving a sentence. The additional expertise brought by the students has developed new and novel approaches to how HMP Parc (and G4S) delivers its family support programme driving organisational innovation and change.
How can members get involved?
For further information, please contact John Parry-Jones (Parry-Jonesj1@Cardiff.ac.uk).
Aspect members: Cardiff University
What is the project doing?
This project is a continuation of the pilot held in 2021, aiming to enable Eleven Fellows to build upon their Cambria Fellowship summer school programme, and to continue their development through networking events, mentoring, and brokering of opportunities with enterprises and organisations within the social economy eco-system to facilitate entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial activity. The funding allows the Fellows to build capacity, business acumen and sustainability by testing their ideas, alongside ongoing support to develop new social enterprise ventures/social science businesses/intrapreneurial activities from Wales Co-operative Centre and Cardiff Business School.
Why is this needed?
The eco-system for entrepreneurship and innovation in Wales is made up of several providers, including Business Wales, Big Ideas Wales, amongst others.
One of the elements missing in this eco-system is a dedicated programme for developing social science scholars’ capacity to commercialise their research interests through social enterprise models, which this programme aims to address.
How can members get involved?
For further information, please contact John Parry-Jones (Parry-Jonesj1@cardiff.ac.uk).
Aspect members: University of Bristol, University of Cardiff, University of Surrey, University of Sussex, University of York, University of Exeter.
What is the project doing?
Most Universities still struggle to provide resources and solve the major challenges of social science commercialisation. The Aspect Translational Impact Acceleration Hub set about solving some of the challenges at the earlier stages of the impact journey by mapping opportunities and testing a new framework to check which activities can seed and accelerate projects along a pipeline.
Why is this needed?
Each University has some capacity. Combining resources and test new things out with a combined pipeline and standardized framework approach will allow us to better target resources and be more efficient in scaling support to academics. In addition, it might allow us the possibility to trial a cohort approach for some of the earlier activities and projects that than could go on a and enter the ARC accelerator.
