Innovation Caucus
Lead Research Organisation:
Oxford Brookes University
Department Name: Oxford Brookes Business School
Abstract
The Innovation Caucus will undertake a wide range of project-based research and knowledge exchange activities to provide Innovate UK and ESRC with independent interdisciplinary social science insights on different topics related to innovation theory, policy, and practice. This proposal continues and expands the activities of the Innovation Caucus. The aim is to inform the thinking and shape the practice of Innovate UK and ESRC by drawing on the network of academics that comprise the membership.
The breadth of multidisciplinary expertise comprising the membership of the Innovation Caucus and its approach towards facilitating multiple projects are what distinguishes it from more conventional knowledge exchange initiatives. The format of the Programme of Work, comprising responsive mode and structured components, is able to accommodate an open and agile approach to meet the demands of Innovate UK and ESRC.
The core Innovation Caucus team led by Professor Tim Vorley as PI and supported by Dr Katy Wing as the project manager will provide the main interface with key contacts at ESRC and Innovate UK, as well as with the members of the Innovation Caucus. A key function provided is in brokering and facilitating knowledge exchange through the various activities and projects. Moreover, an important aspect of unlocking and realising the value of social science research is by encouraging more collaborative interdisciplinary engagement of the membership.
Building on previous work, the Innovation Caucus will develop its portfolio of activities ranging from the lighter touch engagement through consultation, to the design and delivery of scoping research for Innovate UK and ESRC. The proposed Programme of Work is based around five key activities, these are:
1. Responsive activities, including rapid responses to requests for evidence, more in-depth briefings, masterclasses and workshops;
2. Commissioned projects on social science questions of interest to Innovate UK and ESRC, funded via open calls to Innovation Caucus members;
3. PhD internships with Innovate UK and ESRC on short term projects providing valuable experience for doctoral students;
4. Core research projects, delivered by postdoctoral research associates across the duration of the funded period;
5. Communications and engagement activities intended to deepen engagement with Innovate UK, ESRC and the Innovation Caucus members.
The Innovation Caucus will work collaboratively with Innovate UK and ESRC to identify how the membership can help address current and emerging priorities. The step change in the proposed outcomes of the Innovation Caucus are to 1) Build a stronger community of engaged scholars in the field of innovation research; 2) Promote awareness and understanding in Innovate UK and ESRC around the value and use of social science research; and, 3) Develop and share research insights relevant to Innovate UK and ESRC from the social sciences to shape thinking and practice.
The Innovation Caucus is fundamentally about harnessing and leveraging the expertise and insights of the membership, to inform and shape to the work of Innovate UK and ESRC in different ways. As opposed to targeting a single major impact, the portfolio of engagement activities and projects are more likely to result in a series of 'micro impacts' that contribute to and enhance the work Innovate UK and ESRC over the 24-month duration of the funding and beyond to support sustainable, innovation-led economic growth.
The breadth of multidisciplinary expertise comprising the membership of the Innovation Caucus and its approach towards facilitating multiple projects are what distinguishes it from more conventional knowledge exchange initiatives. The format of the Programme of Work, comprising responsive mode and structured components, is able to accommodate an open and agile approach to meet the demands of Innovate UK and ESRC.
The core Innovation Caucus team led by Professor Tim Vorley as PI and supported by Dr Katy Wing as the project manager will provide the main interface with key contacts at ESRC and Innovate UK, as well as with the members of the Innovation Caucus. A key function provided is in brokering and facilitating knowledge exchange through the various activities and projects. Moreover, an important aspect of unlocking and realising the value of social science research is by encouraging more collaborative interdisciplinary engagement of the membership.
Building on previous work, the Innovation Caucus will develop its portfolio of activities ranging from the lighter touch engagement through consultation, to the design and delivery of scoping research for Innovate UK and ESRC. The proposed Programme of Work is based around five key activities, these are:
1. Responsive activities, including rapid responses to requests for evidence, more in-depth briefings, masterclasses and workshops;
2. Commissioned projects on social science questions of interest to Innovate UK and ESRC, funded via open calls to Innovation Caucus members;
3. PhD internships with Innovate UK and ESRC on short term projects providing valuable experience for doctoral students;
4. Core research projects, delivered by postdoctoral research associates across the duration of the funded period;
5. Communications and engagement activities intended to deepen engagement with Innovate UK, ESRC and the Innovation Caucus members.
The Innovation Caucus will work collaboratively with Innovate UK and ESRC to identify how the membership can help address current and emerging priorities. The step change in the proposed outcomes of the Innovation Caucus are to 1) Build a stronger community of engaged scholars in the field of innovation research; 2) Promote awareness and understanding in Innovate UK and ESRC around the value and use of social science research; and, 3) Develop and share research insights relevant to Innovate UK and ESRC from the social sciences to shape thinking and practice.
The Innovation Caucus is fundamentally about harnessing and leveraging the expertise and insights of the membership, to inform and shape to the work of Innovate UK and ESRC in different ways. As opposed to targeting a single major impact, the portfolio of engagement activities and projects are more likely to result in a series of 'micro impacts' that contribute to and enhance the work Innovate UK and ESRC over the 24-month duration of the funding and beyond to support sustainable, innovation-led economic growth.
Planned Impact
The Innovation Caucus is a knowledge exchange initiative, and therefore engagement and impact is intrinsic to the activities that comprise the Programme of Work. Given that the Innovation Caucus has been funded previously, there is a strategy and plan for working with Innovate UK to identify and initiate projects to meet current and emerging priorities. The focus of this proposal is to continue and expand the activities of the Innovation Caucus, with a view to promoting awareness and understanding as to the value and use of social science research in Innovate UK and ESRC and how it can better shape thinking and practice.
Since 2014 the Innovation Caucus, convened by Professor Vorley, has worked with colleagues at Innovate UK and ESRC to deepen and expand the portfolio of partnership activities. Over this period numerous projects and activities have been developed and facilitated with a view to harnessing and leveraging the expertise and insights of the members of the Innovation Caucus and contributing to and enhancing the work of Innovate UK and ESRC as the primary beneficiaries of the project. The step change in this proposal is extending the capacity of the Innovation Caucus to undertake a wider portfolio of responsive mode and structured activities.
As set out in the Pathways to Impact, the Innovation Caucus will facilitate and support a portfolio of activity engaging the membership of leading social science academics with interests in fields related to innovation theory, policy and practice. Ultimately, the impact of the Innovation Caucus is to facilitate more effective knowledge exchange between the social science research base and Innovate UK and ESRC. To achieve this the core Innovation Caucus team will deliver three key outcomes:
1) Build the membership as a strong community of engaged scholars in the field of innovation research;
2) Promote awareness and understanding in Innovate UK and ESRC of the value and use of social science research;
3) Develop and share research insights relevant to Innovate UK and ESRC from the social sciences to shape thinking and practice.
The project and activity based approach of the Innovation Caucus is premised on the engagement of the core team and the network of academics comprising the Innovation Caucus membership yielding 'micro impacts' that make incremental differences to Innovate UK and ESRC. Over the shorter term the value of social science insights are likely to be on a project by project basis, although over the medium term the intention is to engage and embed social science research more widely in Innovate UK and ESRC and at an earlier stage.
Deepening the relationship of Innovate UK and ESRC with the Innovation Caucus will give rise to new opportunities for research and engagement. In developing the reputation of the Innovation Caucus to date, building relationships and delivering on projects and activities has been an important aspect of gaining traction with further teams in Innovate UK and ESRC. The same has been true with the KTN, BEIS and the Smart Specialisation Hub. As set out in the Case for Support, the long term vision is to extend the reach and intensity of the Innovation Caucus and engage a wider and different sub-sets of the membership.
While the value of the Innovation Caucus is fundamentally in harnessing and leveraging the expertise and insights of the membership, achieving this is contingent on the core team. The role of Professor Vorley as the convenor of the Innovation Caucus has been in acting as a broker to the wider membership as well as facilitating and supporting the delivery of activities and projects. With increased capacity, notably the Project Manager and Postdoctoral Research Associates, the Innovation Caucus will have the ability to extend the portfolio of activities it facilitates and supports. It is this strategy that will ultimately increase the engagement and impact of the Innovation Caucus with Innovate UK and ESRC.
Since 2014 the Innovation Caucus, convened by Professor Vorley, has worked with colleagues at Innovate UK and ESRC to deepen and expand the portfolio of partnership activities. Over this period numerous projects and activities have been developed and facilitated with a view to harnessing and leveraging the expertise and insights of the members of the Innovation Caucus and contributing to and enhancing the work of Innovate UK and ESRC as the primary beneficiaries of the project. The step change in this proposal is extending the capacity of the Innovation Caucus to undertake a wider portfolio of responsive mode and structured activities.
As set out in the Pathways to Impact, the Innovation Caucus will facilitate and support a portfolio of activity engaging the membership of leading social science academics with interests in fields related to innovation theory, policy and practice. Ultimately, the impact of the Innovation Caucus is to facilitate more effective knowledge exchange between the social science research base and Innovate UK and ESRC. To achieve this the core Innovation Caucus team will deliver three key outcomes:
1) Build the membership as a strong community of engaged scholars in the field of innovation research;
2) Promote awareness and understanding in Innovate UK and ESRC of the value and use of social science research;
3) Develop and share research insights relevant to Innovate UK and ESRC from the social sciences to shape thinking and practice.
The project and activity based approach of the Innovation Caucus is premised on the engagement of the core team and the network of academics comprising the Innovation Caucus membership yielding 'micro impacts' that make incremental differences to Innovate UK and ESRC. Over the shorter term the value of social science insights are likely to be on a project by project basis, although over the medium term the intention is to engage and embed social science research more widely in Innovate UK and ESRC and at an earlier stage.
Deepening the relationship of Innovate UK and ESRC with the Innovation Caucus will give rise to new opportunities for research and engagement. In developing the reputation of the Innovation Caucus to date, building relationships and delivering on projects and activities has been an important aspect of gaining traction with further teams in Innovate UK and ESRC. The same has been true with the KTN, BEIS and the Smart Specialisation Hub. As set out in the Case for Support, the long term vision is to extend the reach and intensity of the Innovation Caucus and engage a wider and different sub-sets of the membership.
While the value of the Innovation Caucus is fundamentally in harnessing and leveraging the expertise and insights of the membership, achieving this is contingent on the core team. The role of Professor Vorley as the convenor of the Innovation Caucus has been in acting as a broker to the wider membership as well as facilitating and supporting the delivery of activities and projects. With increased capacity, notably the Project Manager and Postdoctoral Research Associates, the Innovation Caucus will have the ability to extend the portfolio of activities it facilitates and supports. It is this strategy that will ultimately increase the engagement and impact of the Innovation Caucus with Innovate UK and ESRC.
Organisations
Publications
Cherrington R
(2024)
Enabling circular economy practices in regional contexts: Insights from the UK Southwest
in The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Nelles J
(2023)
Innovation Skills Framework Summary
Related Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Award Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ES/T000570/1 | 31/08/2019 | 02/06/2020 | £560,100 | ||
| ES/T000570/2 | Transfer | ES/T000570/1 | 04/06/2020 | 08/06/2023 | £2,501,862 |
| Description | The proposed outcomes of the Innovation Caucus in this phase of work were to 1) Build a stronger community of engaged scholars in the field of innovation research; 2) Promote awareness and understanding in Innovate UK and ESRC around the value and use of social science research; and, 3) Develop and share research insights relevant to Innovate UK and ESRC from the social sciences to shape thinking and practice. As opposed to targeting a single major impact, the portfolio of engagement activities and projects are intended to result in a series of 'micro impacts' that contribute to and enhance the work of Innovate UK and ESRC, supporting sustainable, innovation-led economic growth. Below we have highlighted a number of achievements of the work funded through this award. 1. The Innovators' Breakfast Club (Series 1 - 4): Utilising the social science expertise from across the UK, via the membership of the Innovation Caucus and other expert collaborators, we arranged a well-attended series of virtual events to inform Innovate UK's work on areas of interest. Attendance also included other interested staff members across UKRI, with each event allowing engaging discussions on important contemporary innovation issues in the UK. 2. Supporting social science input into the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund: The expertise of the Innovation Caucus members continues to be accessed to provide social science insight across a number of Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Challenges as outlined in our submission. A key impactful outcome has been our ability to act as a conduit to the social science academic community through the organisation and facilitation of events in response to ESRC requests, such as by our Future Flight Research Director town hall event. This event enabled more informed applications for the position. 3. Realising the support of Further Education Colleges. The Innovation Caucus conducted a study reviewing the role Further Education Colleges play within the innovation ecosystem focusing on business support beyond training talent and providing qualification. The project is highly relevant to the work of Innovate UK's Talent & Skills function. The final report was published on government webpages and included a series of reflections and recommendations. 4. Understanding place-based innovation cluster growth potential. The Innovation Caucus undertook a project to understand the future growth opportunities of place-based innovation clusters, and what aspects of these clusters merit further investment to strengthen their contribution to GVA. This built on previous work undertaken in conjunction with Innovate UK, UK Space Agency, and the Satellite Applications Catapult looking at the regional clusters comprising the UK space economy. The most recent project provides user-friendly resources to assist Innovate UK Regional Managers in learning about key clusters in their area and to structure their thoughts about how these might be better supported within Innovate UK's range of programmes. Colleagues from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) have also engaged with this work, and stated that the report aligned with their experience and a meeting was arranged to discuss. Further projects may be developed as a result. |
| Exploitation Route | Within each individual output detailed in this submission we have outlined the specific ways in which we expect each area to be taken forward. Taking a higher level view, we can return to the three areas outlined in the original Pathways to Impact statement as a guide. Under our first outcome area 1.'Build a stronger community of engaged scholars in the field of innovation research' we have now increased the number of Innovation Caucus members involved with Innovate UK and ESRC and strengthened those relationships. This increasingly strong community has built the capacity of policy-engaged innovation scholars going forward. Under our second outcome 2) Promote awareness and understanding in Innovate UK and ESRC around the value and use of social science research, through our a comprehensive series of events, engagements and research projects as outlined in our submission we increased an awareness of the utility of social science research across a wide range of sectors that will endure through a legacy of assets, many of which are made publicly available to a non-academic audience where possible (publications, event videos, toolkits as outlined in our submission). Lastly we have sought to 3) Develop and share research insights relevant to Innovate UK and ESRC from the social sciences to shape thinking and practice - within this area our research insights are co-created, enabling the capacity and greater likelihood of being taken forward, as well as always being delivered with a practical recommendations for taking forward. |
| Sectors | Financial Services and Management Consultancy Government Democracy and Justice Other |
| URL | https://innovationcaucus.co.uk/ |
| Description | The Innovation Caucus has been very active, seeking to provide agile social science insight to support innovation activity during this challenging and changing period. As a knowledge exchange, translational and capacity building initiative the Innovation Caucus core team continues to work with the membership of 80 academics to deliver research-based insights that inform and influence the thinking of Innovate UK and ESRC. Within the 2021-2022 reporting period, the support we offer has widened to several additional funding councils within UKRI, including BBSRC and EPSRC. The Innovation Caucus has continued to deliver on a programme of activity delivered through a combination of Core Projects undertaken by the Innovation Caucus Research Associates, Responsive Activities and Commissioned Projects. The success of series 1 and 2 of the 'Innovator's Breakfast Club' led to a further two series being delivered, continuing engagement with colleagues across Innovate UK. An increasing number of UKRI wide colleagues attending these series has also been observed. A number of the projects carried out in the previous reporting period (see ES/T000570/1) have been extended. These include i) understanding the impact of Covid-19 on Innovate UK funded firms; ii) understanding the nature and interconnection of Standards Regulation and Trust in supporting innovation; and iii) exploring societal and environmental impacts in innovation funding. These projects were undertaken and completed with colleagues at Innovate UK and ESRC in relation to specific questions and projects asked of the Innovation Caucus members. The Innovation Caucus has also had a 16 month extension order to continue supporting sustainable innovation-led economic growth. In 2022-2023 the Innovation Caucus has continued to contribute to multiple non-academic impacts. This includes a project assessing the returns of Innovate UK grants, providing robust methodology and analysis to show how their funding contributes to the UK Economy. Another project looking at the diversity of Innovate UK applicant data, helping them to better understand the nature and scale of the diversity challenge.The Who are the Innovators report had a notable impact on Innovate UK's approach to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). For the first time, it revealed the likely composition of Innovate UK applicants and beneficiaries. This information helped to inform the EDI strategy and provided the underpinning rationale for the No Limits platform (launched early 2023). The report also laid the foundations for the development of an Innovate UK diversity questionnaire which all applicants are now required to complete, in turn creating a robust diversity dataset for Innovate UK. These are just some examples of the impact protects arising from the the Innovation Caucus has had. In addition to the projects, the Innovation Caucus has also held a number of virtual knowledge sharing events, including the 'Strategic Engagement Series'. In a series of four webinars, social scientists of all disciplines and career stages were invited to attend to help understand and engage more effectively with funders, intermediaries, policy makers and businesses. Over 700 people signed up to view the series, continuing to promote and share examples of how to feed social science insights into the innovation ecosystem. All of the project reports produced under this grant have been written with a policymaker and/or funder audience in mind. Therefore, all reports are accessible and include 'actionable insights' that provide recommendations and evidence in order for our stakeholders to make inform decisions. This includes providing evidence to develop business cases for future public investment as well as inform future funding programmes. Following the success of the Innovation Caucus, the team secured a £7 million grant to scale up. This led to the formation of the Innovation and Research Caucus, with an expanded core team of academics providing expertise, evidence and insight to its funders including, ESRC, Innovate UK and UKRI. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2022 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Financial Services, and Management Consultancy,Government, Democracy and Justice,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Other |
| Description | Assessing the impact of Covid-19 on Innovate UK award holders - wave 3: Final report |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health |
| Impact | Informing Innovate UK and providing understanding around the impact of Covid on Innovate UK award holders will help inform efforts to support innovative businesses during the pandemic and beyond. |
| Description | Innovation & Research Caucus |
| Amount | £7,500,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ES/X010759/1 |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2023 |
| End | 03/2026 |
| Title | The Innovation Clusters Map from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology |
| Description | The Innovation Clusters Map presents the most comprehensive picture to date of firm-level innovation activity across the UK. It allows users to explore the geography, distribution and strengths of clusters. Used in combination with local intelligence and engagement, it will help investors, policymakers and others to better understand, engage with and invest in the UK's ecosystem. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) commissioned a consortium of leading data scientists and economists from Cambridge Econometrics, The Data City and Innovation Caucus to produce an interactive mapping tool of the UK's RD&I clusters |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Referenced in the Analytical Report: Identifying and describing UK Innovation Clusters. This project applies innovative methodologies to identify and map the UK's RD&I clusters. The interactive tool and this accompanying report take a crucial step forward in building the evidence base in an important policy area. The tool showcases RD&I strengths and opportunities that exist across the UK for researchers, governments, businesses and potential investors. Although the tool is built on experimental data and has its limitations, it provides the most comprehensive picture of the RD&I clusters across the UK. |
| URL | https://www.innovationclusters.dsit.gov.uk/ |
| Description | "The Influence of Public Opinion on Regulatory and Policy Constructs in explaining diversity in the evolution of entrepreneurial ecosystems: a study of the UK bioscienc " |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at the International Conference for Innovation and Enrepreneurship 2022 to disseminate knowledge gathered from the BBSRC-funded project on profile of UK bioscience commercialisation & innovation. The conference is linked to a special issue of a 3* journal (on the Chartered Association of Business Schools journal ranking) which looks at the topic of " Opening Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Black Boxes". The conference was be attended by the likes of Erik Stam and Niels Bosma who are leading experts in the field and will be guest editors for the special issue. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Blog post, The missing ingredient for business success |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Blog piece on Innovate UK website following a Innovation Caucus funded project led by one of the Caucus members, Kristel Miller. This blog unpacks the term social capital and explores what it means for businesses. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://iuk.ktn-uk.org/perspectives/the-missing-ingredient-for-business-success/ |
| Description | Circular Economy project sharing event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Webinar sharing the work from the thoughtleadership project on 'Innovation for a Circular Economy' exploring what circular economy is and why it is a key consideration for innovation. During the hour-long session, the research team presented their work to colleagues across UKRI, followed by a Q&A session. This event unpacked the concept of circular economy, the impact it has on innovation and the funding process, and identify potential areas where Innovate UK might take action. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Circular Economy project sharing event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Webinar sharing the work from the thought leadership project on 'Grassroots thinking and circular economy practices in regional communities' exploring what circular economy is and why it is a key consideration for innovation. During the hour-long session, the research team presented their work to colleagues across UKRI, followed by a Q&A session. This event unpacked the concept of circular economy, the impact it has on innovation and the funding process, and identify potential areas where Innovate UK might take action. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Commercialisation of Research out of Social Science at ASPECT showcase |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | "In partnership with ASPECT's Translational Impact Accelerator Hub, Cardiff University through ASPECT network invited Dr Syahirah Abdul Rahman as a guest speaker. The event was an interactive, in-person showcase day, comprising a workshop, networking opportunities, pitches, and panel discussion at Cardiff University's Social Sciences Research Park. The showcase delivered demand-led activities, a pitch event and a panel session. Dr Syahirah Abdul Rahman presented on her work with Innovation Caucus and the ESRC on challenges in commercialisation of research out of social science. She also acted as one of the reviewers for the pitch session. " |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Contribution to workshop on the commercialisation of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Community of Practice |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Syahirah Abdul Rahman (Co-I) was invited to contribute to a workshop for a community of practice group focussed on professionals supporting Arts, Humanities and Social Science (AHSS)commercialisation. The session focused on culture and commercialisation, and how to enable robust and organic commercialisation of AHSS work. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Differing Approaches to Social Investment in UK Policy Documents |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Conference presentation at the International Social Innovation Conference in Halifax Nova Scotia on the academic outputs from the Regional Approaches to Social Investment project. Specifically on the policy analysis that Nadeen, Shera and I have been working on for a paper and which will be presented to ESRC in 2023. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | EPSRC Deep Dive - Removal of Pathways to Impact |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | EPSRC project to assess how the EPSRC community and staff and processes have adapted to the removal of Pathways to Impact. The Innovation Caucus commented and reviewed on the appropriateness of capturing impact during the scoping phase of EPSRC's work. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Future Flight Townhall |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The ESRC issued a pre-call for a Future Flight Research Director. The Innovation Caucus assisted the promotion of this call among interested parties via an online 'Town Hall' event. The Innovation Caucus planned and hosted the event with speakers including PI Tim Vorley, another ISCF Research Director, a senior member of Future Flight Challenge team and the ESRC MMS Senior Manager. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://innovationcaucus.co.uk/2021/03/09/598/ |
| Description | Identifying the environmental and social impacts of Innovate UK funded projects |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Project update to Innovate UK steering group on the 'Identifying the Environmental, Social and Societal Impacts of Innovate UK Funded Projects' programme of work. Discussion of next steps, milestones and feedback on indicators. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Identifying the environmental and social impacts of Innovate UK funded projects - Workshop with Innovate UK |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | The workshop was held as part of the Innovation Caucus project identifying the environmental, social & societal impacts of Innovate UK funded projects, with a view to develop a common or standardised approach to assessing, reporting and potentially improving those impacts. In turn this will contribute to the wider Innovate UK impact management framework being developed. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Innovation Caucus Members Event 2nd June 2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The Innovation Caucus held their Annual Event online. This event brought together Innovation Caucus members with key stakeholders from Innovate UK and ESRC. Five speakers, including three ISCF Challenge Directors, Online presented the Challenges and outlined new calls that are coming, developed a shared understanding of Innovate UK's and ESRC's strategic priorities, and identified how the social sciences and the Innovation Caucus can support. Covid-19 and the response to this crisis was also a topic in a later additional session. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://innovationcaucus.co.uk/2022/10/06/highlights-from-icmembersevent22-sustaining-the-future-of-... |
| Description | Innovators Breakfast Club Webinar series 3 & 4 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | After the success of Series 1 and 2 of the Innovators' Breakfast Club, a further two series have taken place. The Innovators' Breakfast Club is a collaboration between the Innovation Caucus, Innovate UK and the Enterprise Research Centre. During each event a number of social science academics provide short 'thought leadership' inputs, alongside an input by a relevant professional from Innovate UK / UKRI. Topics are selected as of interest to Innovate UK / UKRI staff. Series 3 had five webinars covering Disruptive Innovation, Business Model Innovation, Agility & Experimental, Connecting Innovation and Mission Approach. Series 4 had five webinars covering Networks, Infrastructure, Early Stage Investment, Sustainable Investment and Levelling Up and Place. These webinars were designed to inform Innovate UK on their thoughts for policies going forwards and we worked closely with Innovate UK to ensure these are impactful and insightful. The participant numbers were consistently high with turnout from across UKRI and Innovation Caucus members, and an average of 65 registrations for each webinar. Series 3 and 4 also saw an increase in engagement from across UKRI. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021,2022 |
| Description | Open Academics in the Business School - Using entrepreneurial skills and mindsets to create porous organisational boundaries |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation was awarded one of two Best Paper Pitches at the Northern Advanced Research Training Initiative (NARTI) Mini Conference on Engaged Research. The prize is mentorship and accelerated review process to International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The paper stems from the Caucus approach and the impact interviews conducted. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | PraxisAuril Conference: Social Science Commercialisation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The Innovation Caucus organised a panel discussion at the Praxis Auril 2021 conference (virtual). This session explored the opportunities, challenges and advances in social science commercialisation and included sharing findings of the Innovation Caucus' work on 'Commercialisation of Social Science Research'. Tim Vorley chaired the panel discussion. The session produced a lively discussion both by panel members and through the live chat function. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Presentation - to Strength in Places Fund on the work around Clusters |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Jen Nelles provided a presentation around the development of clusters to colleagues involved the 'Strength In Places Fund' as part of their series on shared practice, led by Research England. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Presentation around levelling up to Westminster Employment Forum |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Jen Nelles contributed to a seminar for the Westminster Employment Forum policy conference: Next steps for local skills improvement plans and regional skills in England. Jen Nelles shared her knowledge and expertise in relation to the projects: Further Education Colleges and Innovation, and Skills Innovation Framework |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Presentation at Asia School of Business, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Invited speaker to launch the book on 'How to Engage Policymakers with Your Research' and as panelist discussing collaborations between different stakeholders to meet society's grand challenges. Event entitled 'Academia to Policymaking' organised by the Centre for Technology, Strategy and Sustainability (CTSS) at the Asia School of Business (collaborative investment by the Central Bank of Malaysia and MIT Sloan). Attendees included policymakers, academics and industry professionals. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://innovationcaucus.co.uk/2023/02/21/promotion-of-how-to-engage-policymakers-with-your-research... |
| Description | Presentation to Greater Manchester Ageing Hub Executive Group |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presenting the 'The Healthy Ageing Challenge: Defining Innovation and Shaping Support in a Hybrid Domain' project to the Greater Manchester Ageing Hub Executive Group. The presentation gave an overview of process, findings and next steps of the project to open a discussion about the opportunities there were Greater Manchester to integrate some of the findings, coordinate strategic processes, and align with the evolving UKRI Healthy Ageing agenda in order to better meet GM's ambitions to be a global center of excellence on Healthy Ageing and great place to live for everyone. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Presentation to KTN around regulation, standards and trust |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to KTN around regulation, standards and trust. Shera presented to head of KTN Futures. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Presentation to UKRI colleagues outlining the ESRC ROI literature Review report |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to colleagues across UKRI to share an oversight and insight from the report: ESRC Return on Investment - semi-literature review. 43 individuals attended. Presentation occurred followed by an engaging Q&A session, exploring the area of capturing economic value and impact of social science research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Presentation, No Simple Answers: Getting the Role of Further Education Right in Innovation and Productivity |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Dr Jen Nelles was invited to presenting the 'Skills, Innovation, and Productivity - The role of Further Education Colleges in Local and Regional Ecosystems' report to the London and South Regional Productivity Forum, alongside Professors Damian Grimshaw and Marcella Miozzo. Invitation extended as the forum members had expressed a keen interest in gaining a deeper understanding of skills development, particularly in the context of sustainability initiatives. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Presentation: FECs, Innovation, and Skills: A Review of the State of the Art |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to the Productivity Institute Steering Group outlining Phase I of the project, including a literature review to examine the state of the art knowledge on how ecosystems best support innovation and productivity, with a focus on the specific role of FE colleges (as well as Institute of Technology and Land-Based/Rural Colleges) in ecosystems. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Providing a 'provocation' during BBSRC's Bioscience in Society Dinner Discussion |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Tim Vorley was invited to speak at BBSRC's 'Bioscience in Society Dinner Discussion' as part of their Annual Strategic Workshop (2022) to talk about the Innovation Caucus' work with BBSRC exploring the bioscience innovation ecosystem.. The overall theme of the workshop was 'Connectivity and Collaboration', in the context of the dynamic nature of the UK and global bioscience landscape, and the various drivers and perturbations in the system. One of the workshop's themes included 'Science in Society'. The outcomes from the workshop will contribute advice and insights to inform BBSRC's inputs to the further development and implementation of key aspects of UKRI's Strategy and BBSRC's support for UKRI bioscience. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Rethinking the Role of Further Education Colleges in Innovation Ecosystems |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The Innovation Caucus was invited to present findings from the research project to better understand the role of Further Education Colleges in the the Innovation Ecosystem at a webinar for the Association of Colleges, supported by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and the Productivity Institute. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://innovationcaucus.co.uk/2021/06/02/fecs-in-innovation-ecosystems/ |
| Description | Skills, Innovation, and Productivity: The Role of FE Colleges in Local and Regional Ecosystems |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | "Presentation to Department of Education sharing the scope, approach and findings for the project 'Skills, Innovation, and Productivity: The Role of FE Colleges in Local and Regional Ecosystems' This was held as part of DfE's series of research seminars to provide a forum for colleagues from within and outside government to present and discuss research that will help inform our work on skills and jobs. The audience for these seminars included internal cross-government colleagues who work in the skills and jobs space. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Social Capital project sharing event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Webinar sharing the work from the thoughtleadership project on 'The Role of Social Capital for Innovation' exploring what social capital is and why it's so important for innovation. During the hour-long session, the research team presented their work to colleagues across UKRI, which was followed by a Q&A session. This event unpacked the concept of social capital, the impact it has on innovation and the funding process, and identify potential areas where Innovate UK might take action. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Strategic Engagement Masterclass Series |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The Innovation Caucus invited all social scientists, at any stage in their career, to a series of hour-long masterclass seminars exploring themes addressed in the 2022 Innovation Caucus multi-authored book, How To Engage Policy Makers with your Research. Expert speakers shared their valuable insights, offer advice, and answering questions about engaging funders, innovation intermediaries, and policy makers at a strategic level in the innovation space, and how to translate research in the business space. Over 700 signed up to the event, with around 300 attending the events in person. All sign-ups were providied with a recording of each session. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://innovationcaucus.co.uk/2023/03/01/reflecting-on-the-innovation-caucus-strategic-engagement-m... |
| Description | Understanding Cluster Growth Potential presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | As part of the Understanding Cluster Growth Potential project, Tim Vorley and Jen Nelles presented the cluster framework to Innovate UK regional managers. Aim of this project is to better understand cluster development opportunities and the interventions necessary to realise future growth potential informing thinking about development practices in their territories and feed into IUK policies around levelling up. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Understanding Engagement in the Innovation Ecosystem |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | "Invited to give a keynote speech at the Applied Research International Conference at St Hilda's College, Oxford. The presentation covers our approach, ideas about engaged academics, as well as the 'How to Engage Policymakers with Your Research' book. " |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Who Are the Innovators? An analysis of Innovate UK applicants and beneficiaries |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | The Innovation Caucus presented findings from the research project to better understand the characteristics (i.e. gender, ethnicity, education and location) of Innovate UK applicants and beneficiaries. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Who are the Innovators? - Blog Summary |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This blog reflects on some of the key findings of the report 'Who are the Innovators? An Analysis Of Innovate UK Applicants and Beneficiaries' |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://ircaucus.ac.uk/who-are-the-innovators-blog-summary/ |