Here, you’ll find overviews of the exceptional projects supported by the Aspect Testbed over the years. The valuable insights gained from these initiatives are shared across our network, fostering collaboration and enhancing collective knowledge. These learnings also inform the development of our training programmes—both online and in-person—ensuring they remain at the forefront of modern advancements and expertise.
Testbed Collaborations
We’re constantly exploring new ways to stimulate innovation across Testbed activities and deepen the impact of Testbed findings; working with Higher Educational Institutions, Government bodies and private and public organisations alike
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Initiate Microsite Maintenance and Course Promotion
This project focuses on improving the visibility and relevance of Aspect’s microsites, such as the Games Hub, by updating content and creating a strategy for long-term sustainability. It aims to promote underutilised training resources and ensure ongoing community engagement.
Phase 2
Innovation Fellows Programme Phase 2
Supporting academic-led culture change towards innovation among SHAPE researchers in their institutions and beyond.
Phase 2
Innovation Internships programme: Towards sustainability
PhD candidate placement opportunities within early-stage ventures.
Laying the Foundations for a New SHAPE Spinout Guide
The project is developing the groundwork for a comprehensive SHAPE spinout guide. It will identify gaps in current guidance and propose a framework for drafting a SHAPE-specific guide to support universities in spinning out research ventures.
Phase 1
Marketing Toolkit
Developing a series of guidance and good practice cases for the communication needs associated with social science commercialisation.
Phase 1
Methods for Change
Showcasing the value of social science methodologies to non-academic sectors.
Phase 2
Methods for Change Phase 2
Realising the value of research methodologies for creating change in society.
Phase 3
Methods for embedding micro-businesses in change for Net Zero
MicroSEM is a project led by a team at the University of Sussex Business School, which aims to understand how to better engage with the UK’s smallest businesses, micro and small businesses (up to 49 employees), for supporting their transition to Net Zero.
Phase 2
MicroSEM for Net Zero
Encouraging the implementation of changes by businesses and entrepreneurs to achieve Net Zero.
Phase 2
Office for National Statistics and Cardiff University Partnership
Developing resources that help deliver social value.
Phase 3
Pathways to increase SHAPE academic business engagement
Using a thematic context (Sustainability; Digital data and risk; Levelling up) as a hook to get academics engaged, the programme will showcase pathways to increase academic engagement. Includes workships with academics, ECRs, and businesses; and development of case studies and a framework for academic engagement.
Phase 2
Piloting a programme to support mid-career researcher engagement with startups
Providing mid-career researchers with an exciting and dynamic commercial experience.
Phase 3
Piloting an Innovation Internships programme for PhD students
In 2022, Zinc piloted a new placements programme, allowing PhD students – the majority from SHAPE disciplines – to work with and in Zinc startups. Eight students joined us in May from a range of institutions and disciplines, but with a shared interest in improving children’s mental health, which was the focus of our most recent venture-builder.
Phase 1
Research Commercialisation Workshop & Toolkit Series
Developing good practice for social sciences commercialisation.
Phase 1
Research Fellowships in Zinc’s later life venture-builder programme
Adding five more years of high quality to later life.
Phase 1
Research funding prize for Zinc ventures
Unlocking new opportunities in places hard-hit by globalisation.
66 Testbed Projects | Page 3 of 4