• "Aspect is changing the way people gain recognition for their role in SHAPE"

    We’re dedicated to training opportunities that foster collective growth in SHAPE research innovation

    Aspect training is for professionals, academics, and the public, united in our mission to share experiences, ideas, strategies, and learnings

    Get in touch Member login
    • This course provides insights into licensing, consultancy, and contract research pathways to scale research impact by engaging with businesses, NGOs, and charities. A pre-course offline training module prepares participants, while live sessions focus on stakeholder engagement. The ten-hour online course includes four hours of live training and two to six hours of self-learning. It teaches strategies for effective communication in academic and professional contexts, validated by an Aspect Certified Micro-Credential. For further details and to register click here.

    • Unlock LinkedIn’s potential for academic and career advancement. This course covers profile setup, research promotion, collaborator identification, and network expansion. Through real-life examples and best practices, you’ll gain a thorough understanding. Join this four-hour online training to optimise your LinkedIn presence. This training is accompanied by an online self-learning course accredited by one of our Aspect Certified Micro-Credentials! For further details and to register click here.

    • Learn strategies to enhance the impact of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses and materials. Explore successful approaches for sustainable outcomes and partner engagement. This flexible, one-hour lunch-and-learn series allows participants to choose individual sessions or complete the entire series. Packed with practical advice, peer examples, and inspiration, and accompanied by a plethora of additional resources and materials for you to digest at your own pace on the Impact Toolkits community platform where you can connect with peers participating in the programme. For further details and to register click here.

    • We’re pioneering the recognition of roles and activities within SHAPE through Aspect Smart Badges. These blockchain-based micro-credentials produced in collaboration with getTWOit Platforms detail the skills gained across our training and initiatives, so you as a learner can clearly see the skills you are developing and your strengths and weaknesses.

    Self-learning

    Recognising the demands of busy schedules and global time zones, we offer online training materials for Aspect Members to access at their convenience. Developed collaboratively to empower academics and professional support staff, our suite of resources includes pathways like The Social Venture Pathway, helping academics launch their own social ventures; the Games Development Pathway, offering insights from industry and academic professionals of converting research into both tabletop and digital video games, and Building on ABC developed by Aspect Members the University of Oxford, The University of Edinburgh, The University of Glasgow, University of Birmingham, York University, and Durham University providing a comprehensive knowledge exchange training programme.  We also collaborate with a number of external organisations to share their learnings, with courses on embedding sustainability, legal structures for ventures and tools for effective project communication and marketing

    Collective-learning

    Since our inception, we’ve championed experimentation and collaborative learning to foster SHAPE ventures’ growth. Uniquely, our network is built by members, ensuring that our collective knowledge is shared and utilised for the benefit of all. Our upcoming training sessions cover topics such as the nuances of licensing, consultancy, and contract research; strategies to promote research, identify collaborators, and enhancing scholarly impact on LinkedIn, and approaches to structuring CPD programmes, leveraging research outcomes, and engaging partners effectively, all designed to enhance skills and impact. These training sessions are held online with time commitments from four hours to 10 depending on the course. As with all of our training, participants will be issued with micro-credentials via our Smart Badges upon completion to attest to the knowledge and skills gained

     

    Watch, Listen, Read

    Since 2018, our members have been actively collaborating on the development of resources and materials derived from the Aspect Testbed projects

    These initiatives provide valuable insights, tools, and resources to navigate the dynamic SHAPE ecosystem, empowering individuals and organisations to maximise positive impact from SHAPE research

    • Filters
    259 Resources | Page 1 of 15

    FastFrame, Templates for Prototyping Software Apps

    The aim of the FastFrame project is to allow innovation offices to provide better support for academics that are creating innovative apps e.g. a data dashboard, a training app or an interactive journey.

    Learn more

    Announcing The Social Venture Pathway

    The Social Venture Pathway offers a toolkit of resources to guide you through the process of creating a social venture. This self-guided pathway aims to fill the gaps missing from traditional innovation processes by providing a clear and comprehensive training resource for starting your first social venture.

    Learn more

    Members only

    Train the Trainer 

    This is an overview of the methods used to obtain relevant information for the Train the Trainer project.

    Learn more

    Members only

    Building on ABCs – Phase 3 Expansion: Creating Collaborations

    Modular Knowledge-Exchange Training Course that gives insights into processes and requirements to developing business partnerships.

    Learn more

    Should we spend more time talking about methods?

    This blog by the Methods for Change team, illustrated by Jack Brougham, asks if we should spend more time talking about the methods we use as researchers. Drawing on a recent paper, we suggest that researchers need to articulate why methods matter in creating change to global challenges. We share three creative techniques that we have experimented with across the Methods for Change project that can encourage playful, reflective conversation about methods and their role in galvanising change.

    Learn more

    Collaborative Zine Making Method

    This ‘How-To’ Guide outlines the Collaborative Zine Making Method used by Professor Sarah Marie Hall from the University of Manchester and developed in collaboration with Inspire Women Oldham. The zine was also created in collaboration with Inspire Women Oldham.

    Learn more

    Oral Histories of Sensory Memories

    This ‘How-To’ Guide outlines the Oral Histories of Sensory Memories method used by Associate Professor Roisin Higgins from Maynooth University, Republic of Ireland. The poster was created in collaboration with Maddy Vian, Maddy Vian Illustrations.

    Learn more

    Pop-up Stall Method

    This ‘How-To’ Guide outlines the Pop-up Stall method used by Dr Robert Meckin and Dr Andrew Balmer from the University of Manchester. The poster was created in collaboration with Maddy Vian, Maddy Vian Illustrations.

    Learn more

    Diffractive Genealogy Method

    This ‘How-To’ Guide outlines the Diffractive Genealogy method used by Professor Natasha Mauthner from the University of Newcastle. The poster was created in collaboration with Maddy Vian, Maddy Vian Illustrations

    Learn more

    Facet Methodology

    This ‘How-To’ Guide outlines the Facet Methodology approach used by Magdalena Rodekirchen, research associate at the University of Manchester. The video was created in collaboration with Tom Young.

    Learn more

    Method Stacking

    This ‘How-To’ Guide outlines the Method Stacking approach used by Dr Kat Thiel from Manchester Metropolitan University and Dr Iveta Eimontaite of Cranfield University. The poster was created in collaboration with Jack Brougham.

    Learn more

    Participatory GIS Mapping Method

    This ‘How-To’ Guide outlines the Participatory GIS mapping methods used by Dr Jonathan Huck from the University of Manchester. The poster was created in collaboration with Jack Brougham.

    Learn more

    Thinking Through Comics Method

    This ‘How-To’ Guide outlines the Thinking Through Comics method used by Professor Eric Laurier and Dr Shari Sabeti from the University of Edinburgh. The comic strip was created in collaboration with Jack Brougham.

    Learn more

    Final Blog for Phase 2 of Methods for Change

    Methods for Change was an ASPECT funded project running in two stages from 2020 to 2023. Its overarching aim was to highlight the power of social science, humanities, arts and interdisciplinary methodologies and that methods themselves create change, while demonstrating the value and benefits these methods can bring across a range of sectors.

    Learn more

    The ASPECT Games Hub Pathway

    We at the ASPECT Games Hub are delighted to share the central output of Phase 3 of the Games Hub project: the Games Development and Commercialisation Pathway.

    Learn more

    Launch of the Train the Trainer Platform!

    The Aspect-funded Train the Trainer project supports Professional Service staff tasked with communicating knowledge exchange, innovation and its impact for SHAPE researchers within their institutions, and has been created in collaboration by The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), University of Glasgow, QUT (Queensland University of Technology), University of York and University of Exeter.

    Learn more

    Glasgow Mini-Projects Summary Report

    Summary of three Glasgow projects: Innovation Audit, Placements Scheme, and a Zinc collaboration

    Learn more

    259 Resources | Page 1 of 15

    Toolkit

    The Aspect toolkit captures the lessons learned during Aspect’s first three years, disseminating shared knowledge and providing practical guidance that other institutions can use for inspiration in their own activities

    Learn more

    Ready to join
our network?

    The Aspect Network welcomes applications from like-minded organisations across the world to become members

    Join us in contributing to solutions for the global challenges we encounter. Reach out to us today to discover how the Aspect Network can support you

    Join us Member login