Scaling Social Science Research & Innovation

Lead Research Organisation: Zinc Ventures Limited
Department Name: Core Team

Abstract

There is a wealth of knowledge from social science research that can inform an understanding of the societal challenges currently facing the UK. Increasingly, there is a range of exciting technological innovations that could be harnessed to develop effective solutions. However, at present, these pockets of knowledge and emerging technologies sit in siloes - fragmented across disciplines and sectors.

Zinc provides a platform to bring together social science and technologies (from life, computer and material sciences) with creative design and entrepreneurship, with the aim of tackling big societal issues through new, scalable products and services. Over the last two years, we have piloted a series of research and innovation activities that have drawn upon evidence, theory and methodologies from social science. These have included: embedding and generating research in new Zinc businesses; launching a Research Fellowship programme where researchers come to Zinc full-time to work alongside our entrepreneurs; establishing a network of experts (called 'Visiting Fellows') who engage with Zinc and Zinc businesses on an ad-hoc basis, creating opportunities for researchers to work in new businesses (through founding and advisory roles), building partnerships with universities at both the 'Zinc' and 'Zinc business' level; building relationships with research funders; disseminating learning; and creating a methodology for social science-based innovation.

We have demonstrated proof-of-concept on all these activities; however, our capacity to 'scale up' has been limited. This Fellowship would allow the Applicant to establish a new scale-up team with the aim of creating, testing, scaling and showcasing a world-leading approach to commercial research & innovation for the social sciences.

Specifically, the scale-up will focus on four missions, developing over 100 new businesses which provide consumers and businesses with new products and services. The missions are to:
- Improve mental and emotional health;
- Unlock new opportunities for people and places impacted by automation and globalisation;
- Add quality to later life;
- Enable individuals to halve their negative environmental impacts.

This programme of work would contribute to our knowledge about the social problems we are setting out to tackle (helping to develop and test potential solutions, as well as to highlight gaps in knowledge that may require further research/investment), the process of business creation (helping to build our knowledge of how to build mission-driven businesses), and the process of social science-based research and innovation. Its outputs will be of potential benefit to a range of audiences, including users of the products/services that are developed, entrepreneurs and start-ups, and the research and innovation ecosystem. It also has the potential for broader societal and economic impact in the UK, through the creation of successful and impactful startups, as well as the opportunity to build on the UK's existing strengths in social science, creative design, and technology to build a global centre of excellence for social science-based innovation.

Planned Impact

This is not a traditional research project; Zinc's work, and the specific project being proposed here, is designed with the explicit purpose of having an impact beyond an academic research context. Our goal is to create a new, world-leading approach to commercial research & innovation for the social sciences that will build on the UK's existing strengths, produce social benefits for a range of user groups, and generate economic benefits for the UK.

The primary direct beneficiaries will be:
(1) Users of the products and services that are created;
(2) Entrepreneurs and the UK start-up ecosystem;
(3) Researchers and Innovators who are interested in applying social sciences in commercial contexts.

How will users benefit? By creating and scaling a novel approach to social science-based innovation, we are aiming to develop new products and services that are both engaging and effective - targeted at real user needs, and capable of generating measurable impact. We will draw on social science evidence and methodologies to adopt a user-led approach, maximising the potential for the businesses we create to directly benefit those who are most in need of solutions. In the longer-term, the outcomes of this work have the potential to transform society's most pressing challenges, as these products and services reach scale. With the benefit of this UKRI funding in this 4-year period, we will build and measure the positive impact of 120 new companies on 1m or more people.

How will entrepreneurs benefit? The UK start-up ecosystem is increasingly embracing the concept of design thinking and the approach of being user-led; however, the world of social science research remains largely disconnected. By providing the entrepreneurs who come through our programmes with a systematic methodology for creating new social science-based businesses, we will maximise the impact their businesses create. Further, by building a thorough understanding of human behaviour through engagement with social science research, entrepreneurs can maximise their business's chances of commercial success. This has the potential to lead to a step-change in the UK's start-up ecosystem, e.g. by attracting new types of entrepreneurs (e.g. early career researchers, healthcare professionals, etc.) who are mission-driven and passionate about evidence-based practice.

How will researchers/innovators benefit? By translating social science research into new commercial businesses, we will open up new pathways to impact for academic researchers, new career opportunities for early career researchers, and a new type of intersectionality between the worlds of research and innovation which, in the social sciences, have not always operated in tandem. For example, placing researchers alongside the entrepreneurs, full-time over 18 months (through our Research Fellowship programme) will directly benefit early career researchers, whose career prospects within academia are often limited, and who are increasingly looking for alternative career paths.

In addition, the following groups will indirectly benefit: Public, private and third sector organisations and professionals (e.g. teachers, healthcare professionals, charity-workers, as well as corporates and SMEs) whose work is relevant to one or more of Zinc's missions; higher education institutions and funders, who will benefit from additional collaborative opportunities, and new channels for research funding; the UK economy, whose global economic competitiveness will benefit from the creation of a world-leading approach to social-science research and innovation that draws on the UK's existing strengths.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Title Animated video capturing Zinc's approach to user research 
Description Short, animated video capturing principles underpinning Zinc's approach to user research 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2020 
Impact Increase in awareness of Zinc's R&D activities 
URL https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KG9G09ZJqG-60eUHiEfhieWhJMs2m1E6/view
 
Title Podcast episode describing Zinc's R&D work 
Description Podcast episode (openly available online) of the Anthropology + Technology Podcast focused on an interview with Rachel Carey about Zinc's R&D work 
Type Of Art Artefact (including digital) 
Year Produced 2020 
Impact Increased awareness of Zinc's work; new connections; invitations to participate in other events. 
URL https://response-ability.tech/podcast/
 
Title Podcast episode on 'taboo' health issues 
Description Rachel Carey hosted a conversation, on the Zinc podcast, with Linnea Dunne and Dr Anna Hushlak on the nature and impact of health issues that are stigmatised or taboo. 
Type Of Art Artefact (including digital) 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact The podcast led to increased visibility of Zinc's work and new connections made. 
URL https://www.zinc.vc/blog/zinc-vcs-podcast-taboos-episode/
 
Title Podcast episode: Interview on The Decision Corner 
Description Interview with Rachel Carey on The Decision Lab's podcast (The Decision Corner), talking about applied behavioural science and Zinc's approach to R&D. 
Type Of Art Artefact (including digital) 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact The podcast has led to new connections and networks. 
URL https://thedecisionlab.com/podcasts/creating-startups-through-empathy-behavioural-research-dr-rachel...
 
Title Video capturing scientists' roles in early-stage startups 
Description Short video featuring scientists and researchers in Zinc startups, talking about their role and its impact 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact Increased recognition of Zinc's R&D work and the role of researchers in our ventures 
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lHyidahMfg
 
Description The original Fellowship proposal outlined 9 research and innovation activity strands, which together represented my scale-up plans for R&D at Zinc. A brief update on each of these is provided below.

Embedding & generating research in Zinc businesses: In November 2021, we launched our fourth venture-builder programme focused on improving children and young people's mental health. We produced a manifesto for this mission to highlight priority areas for innovation, and also produced an open-access guide to engaging with children and young people for Zinc founders (and others) to draw on in their research and innovation activities. In line with a key FLF objective, we are on track to back ~15 research-based ventures in this programme, covering a range of important areas. Since the beginning of the FLF award, we have grown the overall R&D team to >12 people, which has allowed us to scale up the support we provide to our cohorts of entrepreneurs. Our R&D team is supporting our cohort of 67 founders, to help them understand the problems within this space and develop effective, engaging products and services. This involves summarising peer-reviewed literature, supporting with user research, connecting with relevant experts, and maximising the value and quality of ventures' experimentation. In this current venture-builder programme, we have responded to >150 research requests from entrepreneurs, compiled a database of 78 records, facilitated engagement opportunities with charities and other organisations (including 10 schools), delivered >10 whole-cohort workshops and worked individually with entrepreneurs and their emerging teams to explore problems and design and test solutions. Later this year, we will launch our next venture-builder - this time, focused on helping people to reduce their environmental harms. Over the next few months, we will be engaging in research and consultation to build our manifesto for this next mission.

Research Fellowship Programme: In 2021, we launched the R&D Fellowships programme, supporting postdoctoral researchers to spend 12 months at Zinc. The Fellowships offer researchers the chance to work closely with entrepreneurs from the earliest stages of the founder journey - accelerating research impact, supporting product development, and offering researchers new translational opportunities and skills. In line with a key FLF objective, we received funding for the first four of these Fellowships from the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and Medical Research Council (MRC). We are currently exploring ways to formalise and grow this programme - expanding to other disciplines and recruiting larger cohorts. In addition to this, in April 2022, we will be launching our first Innovation Internships Scheme, supporting a cohort of 6-10 PhD students to spend 3 months at Zinc, as an industry placement funded by UKRI studentships. With support from ASPECT, we are now designing a programme of support for these students, to make sure their experience is maximally valuable for their career and personal development. Both of these programmes have been designed through research and in consultation with researchers and ventures.

Visiting Fellows: We have continued to grow our network of Visiting Fellows, and our current programme involves a network of >100 world-leading experts across a variety of backgrounds, more than 20% of whom are researchers / scientists. In addition, later this year, we will be piloting a programme for mid-career researchers. This will specifically target some of the known barriers to engaging with startups, and provide opportunities for short-term immersion in the world of early-stage innovation. With funding from ASPECT, we will pilot this approach with a small cohort of mid-career social scientists, who will join us for a mix of on- and offline events over the course of several months.

Creating roles for researchers in Zinc ventures: In the run-up to our most recent venture-builder, we opened dedicated recruitment pipelines focused on early career researchers. In our current cohort, >20% of the entrepreneurs have a research/science background. In our portfolio of ventures, ~30% of the Founders have a research/science background, and many have taken on scientists as employees, consultants and advisors.

Formalising university partners for Zinc: Led by a core member of the FLF team, our Head of R&D Partnerships, we have continued to bolster and grow our network of university collaborators. We have collaborated with universities on funding applications (described in detail elsewhere in this submission), events, and collaborative research projects. We have also expanded our university connections through our delivery, in partnership with UKRI, of the Healthy Ageing Catalyst Awards programme. Our focus in the next two years will be to continue to build international links, beginning with university collaborators for our next mission on the environment.

Formalising university partners for Zinc businesses: As our portfolio of ventures grows and diversifies, many are running collaborative research projects and working closely with researchers to refine and test their products and services. Almost half of our portfolio companies have live collaborations or formal relationships with a university/academic. For example, Parla are continuing to leverage the research they conducted in 2021 (as part of the Wellcome-funded Taboo Health programme), as they launch new products to their community of users in the first half of 2022. Bold Health are working with UPenn and Stanford, who are running randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of their IBS product, Zemedy. And Bia Care are officially partnered with Imperial College's Self-Care Academic Unit (SCARU), with whom they conducted research to understand women's experience of menopause, which won the Best Research Award at the RCGP Annual Conference.

Building relationships with research funders: Since the beginning of this Award, we have worked closely with a number of funders, and have secured further funding: for Research Fellowships and Zinc-led research and innovation programmes - all outlined elsewhere in this submission.

Dissemination and knowledge exchange: We have regularly shared updates and learning through events, workshops, blogs and podcast episodes (listed elsewhere in this submission). We have moved the majority of our dissemination and knowledge exchange events online due to the pandemic, but plan to host and attend more in-person events over the next two years.

New methodology for social science innovation: We have begun work on a number of resources to contribute to new methodologies for social science innovation. This work is partially being advanced through our Transforming Business Through Social Science (ESRC) project. We will be sharing more (externally) on this over the next year.
Exploitation Route The outcomes and learning from this Award are being regularly shared through a variety of outputs and outlets (focusing more on public engagement than traditional academic publishing). The aim is for this learning to be taken up and put to use by innovators, researchers and others - both within and beyond the Zinc network. For example, the guidance document we developed on engaging with children and young people was made public, in order to both take on new feedback and share emerging good practice.
Sectors Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software)

Education

Environment

Healthcare

Other

 
Description This is a programme of research and innovation, hosted within a business setting, and is not a traditional research project. The focus is entirely on having impact: on our missions (mental health, the quality of later life, the future of work, and the environment), on researchers (particularly early career researchers who are interested in working in or with new ventures) and on innovators and entrepreneurs who want to create successful products and ventures. The work supported through this Award is allowing us to scale-up our research and innovation activities to: provide more in-depth support to entrepreneurs, create new opportunities for researchers, and work with our new ventures to have impact at scale on our chosen missions.
 
Description AHRC / Zinc R&D Fellowships
Amount £120,000 (GBP)
Organisation Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2021 
End 09/2022
 
Description Discretionary Award - Public Engagement
Amount £240,000 (GBP)
Funding ID 222055/Z/20/Z 
Organisation Wellcome Trust 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 11/2020 
End 11/2021
 
Description MRC / Zinc R&D Fellowships
Amount £120,000 (GBP)
Organisation Medical Research Council (MRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 11/2021 
End 03/2023
 
Description Transforming Business Through Social Science
Amount £100,000 (GBP)
Organisation Economic and Social Research Council 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 12/2021 
End 11/2022
 
Description Digital Good Network 
Organisation Birmingham Museums Trust
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution The Digital Good Network (DGN) is a cross-discipline, cross-sector network exploring how to ensure that digital technologies benefit people, society and the economy. Dr Rachel Middlemass, who is part of the FLF team, is on the DGN management team. We will facilitate hosting of PhD placements and postdoc fellowships as part of this collaboration.
Collaborator Contribution The Digital Good Network (DGN) is a cross-discipline, cross-sector network exploring how to ensure that digital technologies benefit people, society and the economy. Over five years, it will provide funding, training and capacity-building opportunities to DGN affiliates, to enhance our collective understanding of what the 'digital good' should look like and how it can be achieved. DGN was launched in November 2022 with £4m investment from the ESRC and an additional £1m from partners. It will: support research projects and methodological innovation across disciplines and various dimensions of the digital good; offer internships, fellowships and training; host technology design sprints and workshops; co-produce research with policy, industry and communities; and produce a Digital Good Index, based on original research, horizon scanning and open data.
Impact This is a new, multidisciplinary collaboration.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Digital Good Network 
Organisation British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution The Digital Good Network (DGN) is a cross-discipline, cross-sector network exploring how to ensure that digital technologies benefit people, society and the economy. Dr Rachel Middlemass, who is part of the FLF team, is on the DGN management team. We will facilitate hosting of PhD placements and postdoc fellowships as part of this collaboration.
Collaborator Contribution The Digital Good Network (DGN) is a cross-discipline, cross-sector network exploring how to ensure that digital technologies benefit people, society and the economy. Over five years, it will provide funding, training and capacity-building opportunities to DGN affiliates, to enhance our collective understanding of what the 'digital good' should look like and how it can be achieved. DGN was launched in November 2022 with £4m investment from the ESRC and an additional £1m from partners. It will: support research projects and methodological innovation across disciplines and various dimensions of the digital good; offer internships, fellowships and training; host technology design sprints and workshops; co-produce research with policy, industry and communities; and produce a Digital Good Index, based on original research, horizon scanning and open data.
Impact This is a new, multidisciplinary collaboration.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Digital Good Network 
Organisation Lancaster University
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The Digital Good Network (DGN) is a cross-discipline, cross-sector network exploring how to ensure that digital technologies benefit people, society and the economy. Dr Rachel Middlemass, who is part of the FLF team, is on the DGN management team. We will facilitate hosting of PhD placements and postdoc fellowships as part of this collaboration.
Collaborator Contribution The Digital Good Network (DGN) is a cross-discipline, cross-sector network exploring how to ensure that digital technologies benefit people, society and the economy. Over five years, it will provide funding, training and capacity-building opportunities to DGN affiliates, to enhance our collective understanding of what the 'digital good' should look like and how it can be achieved. DGN was launched in November 2022 with £4m investment from the ESRC and an additional £1m from partners. It will: support research projects and methodological innovation across disciplines and various dimensions of the digital good; offer internships, fellowships and training; host technology design sprints and workshops; co-produce research with policy, industry and communities; and produce a Digital Good Index, based on original research, horizon scanning and open data.
Impact This is a new, multidisciplinary collaboration.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Digital Good Network 
Organisation Sheffield Hallam University
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The Digital Good Network (DGN) is a cross-discipline, cross-sector network exploring how to ensure that digital technologies benefit people, society and the economy. Dr Rachel Middlemass, who is part of the FLF team, is on the DGN management team. We will facilitate hosting of PhD placements and postdoc fellowships as part of this collaboration.
Collaborator Contribution The Digital Good Network (DGN) is a cross-discipline, cross-sector network exploring how to ensure that digital technologies benefit people, society and the economy. Over five years, it will provide funding, training and capacity-building opportunities to DGN affiliates, to enhance our collective understanding of what the 'digital good' should look like and how it can be achieved. DGN was launched in November 2022 with £4m investment from the ESRC and an additional £1m from partners. It will: support research projects and methodological innovation across disciplines and various dimensions of the digital good; offer internships, fellowships and training; host technology design sprints and workshops; co-produce research with policy, industry and communities; and produce a Digital Good Index, based on original research, horizon scanning and open data.
Impact This is a new, multidisciplinary collaboration.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Digital Good Network 
Organisation University of Cambridge
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The Digital Good Network (DGN) is a cross-discipline, cross-sector network exploring how to ensure that digital technologies benefit people, society and the economy. Dr Rachel Middlemass, who is part of the FLF team, is on the DGN management team. We will facilitate hosting of PhD placements and postdoc fellowships as part of this collaboration.
Collaborator Contribution The Digital Good Network (DGN) is a cross-discipline, cross-sector network exploring how to ensure that digital technologies benefit people, society and the economy. Over five years, it will provide funding, training and capacity-building opportunities to DGN affiliates, to enhance our collective understanding of what the 'digital good' should look like and how it can be achieved. DGN was launched in November 2022 with £4m investment from the ESRC and an additional £1m from partners. It will: support research projects and methodological innovation across disciplines and various dimensions of the digital good; offer internships, fellowships and training; host technology design sprints and workshops; co-produce research with policy, industry and communities; and produce a Digital Good Index, based on original research, horizon scanning and open data.
Impact This is a new, multidisciplinary collaboration.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Digital Good Network 
Organisation University of Massachusetts Amherst
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The Digital Good Network (DGN) is a cross-discipline, cross-sector network exploring how to ensure that digital technologies benefit people, society and the economy. Dr Rachel Middlemass, who is part of the FLF team, is on the DGN management team. We will facilitate hosting of PhD placements and postdoc fellowships as part of this collaboration.
Collaborator Contribution The Digital Good Network (DGN) is a cross-discipline, cross-sector network exploring how to ensure that digital technologies benefit people, society and the economy. Over five years, it will provide funding, training and capacity-building opportunities to DGN affiliates, to enhance our collective understanding of what the 'digital good' should look like and how it can be achieved. DGN was launched in November 2022 with £4m investment from the ESRC and an additional £1m from partners. It will: support research projects and methodological innovation across disciplines and various dimensions of the digital good; offer internships, fellowships and training; host technology design sprints and workshops; co-produce research with policy, industry and communities; and produce a Digital Good Index, based on original research, horizon scanning and open data.
Impact This is a new, multidisciplinary collaboration.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Digital Good Network 
Organisation University of Oxford
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The Digital Good Network (DGN) is a cross-discipline, cross-sector network exploring how to ensure that digital technologies benefit people, society and the economy. Dr Rachel Middlemass, who is part of the FLF team, is on the DGN management team. We will facilitate hosting of PhD placements and postdoc fellowships as part of this collaboration.
Collaborator Contribution The Digital Good Network (DGN) is a cross-discipline, cross-sector network exploring how to ensure that digital technologies benefit people, society and the economy. Over five years, it will provide funding, training and capacity-building opportunities to DGN affiliates, to enhance our collective understanding of what the 'digital good' should look like and how it can be achieved. DGN was launched in November 2022 with £4m investment from the ESRC and an additional £1m from partners. It will: support research projects and methodological innovation across disciplines and various dimensions of the digital good; offer internships, fellowships and training; host technology design sprints and workshops; co-produce research with policy, industry and communities; and produce a Digital Good Index, based on original research, horizon scanning and open data.
Impact This is a new, multidisciplinary collaboration.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Digital Good Network 
Organisation University of Sheffield
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The Digital Good Network (DGN) is a cross-discipline, cross-sector network exploring how to ensure that digital technologies benefit people, society and the economy. Dr Rachel Middlemass, who is part of the FLF team, is on the DGN management team. We will facilitate hosting of PhD placements and postdoc fellowships as part of this collaboration.
Collaborator Contribution The Digital Good Network (DGN) is a cross-discipline, cross-sector network exploring how to ensure that digital technologies benefit people, society and the economy. Over five years, it will provide funding, training and capacity-building opportunities to DGN affiliates, to enhance our collective understanding of what the 'digital good' should look like and how it can be achieved. DGN was launched in November 2022 with £4m investment from the ESRC and an additional £1m from partners. It will: support research projects and methodological innovation across disciplines and various dimensions of the digital good; offer internships, fellowships and training; host technology design sprints and workshops; co-produce research with policy, industry and communities; and produce a Digital Good Index, based on original research, horizon scanning and open data.
Impact This is a new, multidisciplinary collaboration.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Involvement in BSG Ageing Business and Society Special Interest Group 
Organisation British Society of Gerontology
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Member of research team participating in the British Society of Gerontology's special interest group, actively contributing to building new partnerships and sharing knowledge.
Collaborator Contribution Contributing to planning first public webinar.
Impact Webinar jointly planned. Collaboration brings together multiple organisations and disciplines.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Mid-career researchers placement programme - ASPECT network 
Organisation Cardiff University
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We designed and ran a short programme of events and discussions (over 5 days) for mid-career researchers interested in entrepreneurship and innovation.
Collaborator Contribution Our partners supported this work by supporting one or more academics to attend this programme.
Impact This project has received funding from ASPECT (and is therefore social science led).
Start Year 2022
 
Description Mid-career researchers placement programme - ASPECT network 
Organisation Queen's University Belfast
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We designed and ran a short programme of events and discussions (over 5 days) for mid-career researchers interested in entrepreneurship and innovation.
Collaborator Contribution Our partners supported this work by supporting one or more academics to attend this programme.
Impact This project has received funding from ASPECT (and is therefore social science led).
Start Year 2022
 
Description Mid-career researchers placement programme - ASPECT network 
Organisation University of Exeter
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We designed and ran a short programme of events and discussions (over 5 days) for mid-career researchers interested in entrepreneurship and innovation.
Collaborator Contribution Our partners supported this work by supporting one or more academics to attend this programme.
Impact This project has received funding from ASPECT (and is therefore social science led).
Start Year 2022
 
Description Mid-career researchers placement programme - ASPECT network 
Organisation University of Glasgow
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We designed and ran a short programme of events and discussions (over 5 days) for mid-career researchers interested in entrepreneurship and innovation.
Collaborator Contribution Our partners supported this work by supporting one or more academics to attend this programme.
Impact This project has received funding from ASPECT (and is therefore social science led).
Start Year 2022
 
Description Reducing Environmental Harms - ASPECT network partnership 
Organisation Royal College of Art
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution To ensure we engage the UK's depth and breadth of expertise around environment/climate, and with a social science agenda, we are working with a number of UK universities to collaboratively prioritise areas for innovation in Zinc's current (climate-focused) venture-builder.
Collaborator Contribution Our partner universities are supporting this project by facilitating introductions to relevant experts and hosting discussion events.
Impact This collaboration was one strand that led to the creation of Zinc's environment manifesto. This project has received funding from ASPECT (and is therefore social science led).
Start Year 2022
 
Description Reducing Environmental Harms - ASPECT network partnership 
Organisation Teesside University
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution To ensure we engage the UK's depth and breadth of expertise around environment/climate, and with a social science agenda, we are working with a number of UK universities to collaboratively prioritise areas for innovation in Zinc's current (climate-focused) venture-builder.
Collaborator Contribution Our partner universities are supporting this project by facilitating introductions to relevant experts and hosting discussion events.
Impact This collaboration was one strand that led to the creation of Zinc's environment manifesto. This project has received funding from ASPECT (and is therefore social science led).
Start Year 2022
 
Description Reducing Environmental Harms - ASPECT network partnership 
Organisation University of Bath
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution To ensure we engage the UK's depth and breadth of expertise around environment/climate, and with a social science agenda, we are working with a number of UK universities to collaboratively prioritise areas for innovation in Zinc's current (climate-focused) venture-builder.
Collaborator Contribution Our partner universities are supporting this project by facilitating introductions to relevant experts and hosting discussion events.
Impact This collaboration was one strand that led to the creation of Zinc's environment manifesto. This project has received funding from ASPECT (and is therefore social science led).
Start Year 2022
 
Description Reducing Environmental Harms - ASPECT network partnership 
Organisation University of Exeter
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution To ensure we engage the UK's depth and breadth of expertise around environment/climate, and with a social science agenda, we are working with a number of UK universities to collaboratively prioritise areas for innovation in Zinc's current (climate-focused) venture-builder.
Collaborator Contribution Our partner universities are supporting this project by facilitating introductions to relevant experts and hosting discussion events.
Impact This collaboration was one strand that led to the creation of Zinc's environment manifesto. This project has received funding from ASPECT (and is therefore social science led).
Start Year 2022
 
Description Reducing Environmental Harms - ASPECT network partnership 
Organisation University of Glasgow
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution To ensure we engage the UK's depth and breadth of expertise around environment/climate, and with a social science agenda, we are working with a number of UK universities to collaboratively prioritise areas for innovation in Zinc's current (climate-focused) venture-builder.
Collaborator Contribution Our partner universities are supporting this project by facilitating introductions to relevant experts and hosting discussion events.
Impact This collaboration was one strand that led to the creation of Zinc's environment manifesto. This project has received funding from ASPECT (and is therefore social science led).
Start Year 2022
 
Description Reducing Environmental Harms - ASPECT network partnership 
Organisation University of Greenwich
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution To ensure we engage the UK's depth and breadth of expertise around environment/climate, and with a social science agenda, we are working with a number of UK universities to collaboratively prioritise areas for innovation in Zinc's current (climate-focused) venture-builder.
Collaborator Contribution Our partner universities are supporting this project by facilitating introductions to relevant experts and hosting discussion events.
Impact This collaboration was one strand that led to the creation of Zinc's environment manifesto. This project has received funding from ASPECT (and is therefore social science led).
Start Year 2022
 
Description Reducing Environmental Harms - ASPECT network partnership 
Organisation University of Reading
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution To ensure we engage the UK's depth and breadth of expertise around environment/climate, and with a social science agenda, we are working with a number of UK universities to collaboratively prioritise areas for innovation in Zinc's current (climate-focused) venture-builder.
Collaborator Contribution Our partner universities are supporting this project by facilitating introductions to relevant experts and hosting discussion events.
Impact This collaboration was one strand that led to the creation of Zinc's environment manifesto. This project has received funding from ASPECT (and is therefore social science led).
Start Year 2022
 
Description Reducing Environmental Harms - ASPECT network partnership 
Organisation University of York
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution To ensure we engage the UK's depth and breadth of expertise around environment/climate, and with a social science agenda, we are working with a number of UK universities to collaboratively prioritise areas for innovation in Zinc's current (climate-focused) venture-builder.
Collaborator Contribution Our partner universities are supporting this project by facilitating introductions to relevant experts and hosting discussion events.
Impact This collaboration was one strand that led to the creation of Zinc's environment manifesto. This project has received funding from ASPECT (and is therefore social science led).
Start Year 2022
 
Description BSG New Year New Career Event 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Event held in partnership with British Society of Gerontology to raise awareness of the variety of career opportunities available to PhD students and ECRs interested in ageing within and outside the academy. A panel of speakers with experience in a diverse range of industries shared their experience and answered audience questions.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Blog on 4 ways Zinc is accelerating research and innovation 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Blog outlining ways in which Zinc is advancing and accelerating research and innovation.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://zincvc.medium.com/four-ways-zinc-is-accelerating-research-and-innovation-c2bf105829a6
 
Description Blog on how Zinc works with children and young people to create new innovations 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact We published a blog on how we planned to work with children and young people in our venture builder on children's mental health.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://zincvc.medium.com/how-well-work-with-children-and-young-people-to-tackle-mental-health-d3748...
 
Description Blog on the humanities application to innovation at Zinc 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact One of our postdoctoral Research Fellows published a blog on their experience of applying the humanities to the context of early-stage commercial innovation.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.zinc.vc/blog/a-wildness-of-mind-the-arts-humanities-at-zinc/
 
Description Blog published to summarise upcoming research and innovation plans (2022) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact PI published a blog to summarise 2022 plans for R&D at Zinc.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.zinc.vc/blog/whats-new-at-zinc-rd-plans-for-2022/
 
Description Blog series on climate innovation 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Member of the FLF team has launched a regular newsletter delivered to entrepreneurs to highlight important and interesting insights in the climate tech world.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022,2023
URL http://lukebevan.substack.com
 
Description Blog summarising plans for FLF project 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Blog written by the FLF award-holder summarising the background and plans for FLF, published on Medium and on LSE blogs
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessreview/2020/07/27/connecting-social-science-and-startups-to-tackle-i...
 
Description Blog to launch later life innovation report 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact A blog was published, via the ASPECT website, to celebrate the launch of a new later life innovation report, aiming to summarise insights and share them with a wide range of communities and stakeholders.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://aspect.ac.uk/resources/bringing-startups-and-social-science-together-for-later-life-innovati...
 
Description Contribution at ReSHAPE event 
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 A member of the FLF team contributed to the ReSHAPE event, launching a collaboration between Aspect, The British Academy, ARC and Aspect Angels, the event brought together pioneering SHAPE ventures, investors, policy makers, academics and key players in the sector.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://aspect.ac.uk/news-and-events/reshape-launch/
 
Description Contribution to ASPECT Festival 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Member of research team gave a short presentation of what Zinc does to support social science ventures, followed by Q&A. Purpose was to explore good practice in supporting social science in commercial contexts and to better understand what support can be offered at institutional level (i.e. at different universities).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://aspect.ac.uk/news-and-events/aspect-festival-21/
 
Description Contribution to LSE Generate ABC PhDs Retreat 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Member of research team facilitated talk and interactive workshop to 30 PhD students from different disciplines who are interested in exploring career opportunities outside academia. Aim was to introduce students to early-stage, mission-focussed innovation and helping them understand how their skills and expertise might be used in that context.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://info.lse.ac.uk/staff/divisions/research-and-innovation/generate
 
Description Contribution to University College Dublin Panel Discussion 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact PI was invited to participate in a panel discussion outlining career paths beyond academia to an audience of postgraduate students and postdocs.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description ECR careers event talk for TU Delft 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Presentation to introduce PhD students to alternative (non-academic) career pathways
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Engage Conference 
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 Member of research team ran a workshop describing an updated version of our new guidance on involving children and young people in research, including a description of the process and outcomes of a crowdsourcing activity run as part of the Engage 'Unconference'. Intended to introduce conference participants to the ways in which high-quality participatory research and co-design can be run in and by commercial start-ups, and to share insights into some aspects of best practice in this.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/sites/default/files/publication/engage_conference_2021_full_progr...
 
Description Engage Unconference workshop 
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 Workshop held by members of research team, exploring ways to safely and effectively involve children and young people in research, to the mutual benefit of researchers and research participants. Used the session both to share Zinc's developing insights in this subject and to crowd-source additional input and examples of best practice from PE professionals with experience of working with young people. To do this, we shared a set of draft guidance developed by Zinc (based on desk research and expert engagement) with workshop participants and invited them to comment on and add to that document themselves. The document was made freely available to all. Several participants requested permission to share it more widely in their own institutions.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p_fYXGE25-hW60x9Nsl6v4SNK_BPNYjZveFthoW_7Qg/edit#heading=h.841jn...
 
Description Event focused on innovations to improve the quality of later life 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact We facilitated an event focused on improving the resilience, impact and success of later life startup innovation - held as part of Longevity Week. Of the 82 people who registered, we had ~50% attend the session.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Event focused on the role of research in mental health startups 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact We facilitated a virtual event focused on the nature and impact of research in mental health startups, featuring the Founder of Big Health as a keynote speaker. 130 people signed up, of whom >50% attended.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Event hosted for early career researchers at Zinc 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact We hosted an event for early career researchers entitled 'Accelerating your impact through applied research roles in startups', to share learning and perspectives about non-academic career pathways.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/accelerating-your-impact-through-applied-research-roles-in-startups-t...
 
Description Information Session on Zinc R&D in Boston 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact The PI hosted a small-group event in Boston, sharing an overview of Zinc's work.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Judging panel for ARC social science accelerator 
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 PI invited to be on the judging panel for the ASPECT-led ARC social science accelerator, supporting social science innovations.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://aspect.ac.uk/about/aspect-funded-projects/arc/
 
Description Judging panel for Alzheimer's Society Dementia Hero Award for Innovation 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Member of research team on judging panel, supporting Alzheimer's Society's process for awarding an innovation prize
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Judging panel for KCL IoPPN digital therapeutics event 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Member of research team on judging panel, providing feedback (on routes to commercialisation, scale and adoption) to academic innovators working on translational research ideas.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Longevity Leaders Panel Discussion 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact PI was invited to contribute to a panel discussion on funding, as part of the Longevity Leaders annual conference.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.lsxleaders.com/longevity-leaders-congress
 
Description Panel discussion focused on careers for researchers in ageing 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact 47 early career researchers in the field of ageing research attended this event co-hosted by Zinc and the British Society of Gerontology. One FLF team member was a panellist, sharing experience of different career paths.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Panel discussion for OIST postgraduates and postdocs 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact PI was invited to chair a discussion on academic/scientific entrepreneurship, hosted virtually by the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Panel discussion on the transition from early career researcher to entrepreneurship 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact We facilitated a virtual panel discussion, as part of the ASPECT annual conference, focused on the transition from academia to entrepreneurship (featuring four panellists from a range of social science backgrounds). 136 signed up, of whom 64 joined the session.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://aspect.ac.uk/resources/webinar-recording-the-case-for-working-in-start-ups/
 
Description Presentation at Praxis Auril Conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Member of research team participated in panel discussion and Q&A about research careers outside academia. Purpose was to increase and enhance awareness and understanding among university professional service staff of the range of ways in which research can be used to leverage impacts via commercial markets.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.praxisauril.org.uk/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=437
 
Description Presentation for ADVANCE CRT PhD Students 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Member of research team presented to ~100 PhD students in the ADVANCE CRT - a Science Foundation Ireland Centre for Research Training focused on Future Networks and the Internet of Things. Presentation was a 60-minute introduction for students to early-stage, mission-focussed innovation. Intended to help them understand how their skills and expertise might be used in that context.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.advance-crt.ie/
 
Description Presentation to Social, Behavioural and Design Research Programme ECR network 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Presentation to Social, Behavioural and Design Research Programme ECR network, giving an overview of an entrepreneurial approach to research and innovation in order to help researchers think through how they can direct their work to develop successful products or services.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Series of roundtables with health funders focused on ECR mobility 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Supporters
Results and Impact Two roundtable discussions, jointly facilitated by Zinc and the Dunhill Medical Trust, focused on new ways of supporting ECR mobility and development.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022,2023
 
Description Talk at The Foundation event 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact The PI was invited to give a talk to a group of business leaders, focused on behavioural science-led innovation.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/elusive-recipe-customer-led-tech-foundation-forum-6-april-dawson/?tra...
 
Description Talk at digital health event in Galway 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact The PI was invited to give a talk at a digital health conference hosted by the University of Galway.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwqFn6E_YUQ&list=PLymPPtvLBpurlx9M9FM9xyiffAGSQuUNd&index=11
 
Description Talk at the ASPECT showcase to South African Universities 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The PI was invited to give a talk as part of an ASPECT showcase event at the LSE, with an audience of stakeholders from South African Universities.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Talk to UCL Institute of Sustainable Resources 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Member of the FLF team delivered a talk and lecture to UCL Institute of Sustainable Resources masters course on Sustainable Innovation and Entrepreneurship, followed by Q&A session.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Talk to UCL School of Management for Climate Scenarios 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Member of the FLF team gave a talk on the role of venture builders and the space of mission-focussed innovation in the UK, as part of an event held as part of UCL's School of Management scenarios week.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description University College Dublin postdoctoral networking event 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Member of research team gave brief careers presentation to postdocs
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.ucd.ie/researchcareers/t4media/Flyer%20Postdoc%20Career%20Day%202705.pdf
 
Description Videos sharing learning from 'taboo health' programme 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact We released two short videos summarising some of the learning from our recent programme on taboo health issues, produced in partnership with The Liminal Space.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6JeodLB-AE&feature=youtu.be
 
Description Zinc SPARK event in Cardiff 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact A member of the FLF team travelled to Cardiff to host an event sharing learning from Zinc on how mission-driven startups provide a route to research impact
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022