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Engagement and Impact Awards

Aims of the Engagement and Impact awards

  • Recognise and reward teams and individuals who are committed to engagement for impact as part of their research  
  • Celebrate collaborative ways of working  
  • Promote and share innovative and high-quality research engagement approaches   
  • Share challenges and successes to foster learning and inspire other researchers and professional staff   

These awards aim to shine a light on all those involved in contributing to the success, whatever their role.  Different types of engagement (e.g. policy, public, patient, business) with research do not always sit neatly apart but often combine to achieve change. For that reason, public, policy, and business engagement with research could form part of the story in any of the award categories. Similarly, improving equality, diversity and inclusion as part of research endeavours is integral to the way we work at Leeds and so cuts across all the categories – this could equally be about improving inclusion of underrepresented researchers in engagement practices, including underrepresented groups in research methodologies, as well as empowering others in the wider community.   

We value research impact in all its forms, whether introducing new ideas, changing how we do things, or building people’s capacity to engage and benefit from our research. As such, the awards seek to encourage and reward engagement with research leading to all forms of impact and every category is as important as the others.   

Meet our Winners!

Engagement and Impact Award Categories

Building Partnerships and networks

This award recognises the importance of partnerships and networks to bring about change. It seeks to recognise the development of sustained collaborations with external organisations which might include businesses, government and/or the third sector (not an exclusive list). The focus is on developing shared objectives and linking engagement activities across organisational boundaries towards a common impact goal. Outcomes may include increasing organisational capacity, developing skills and expertise, and promoting open and inclusive approaches to collaboration. Partnerships and networks may be local, national, or international in scale.

Making a positive difference to society

This award recognises engagement that leads, or may lead, to positive changes to society. It also includes engagement that prevents harm for groups within society. Working with communities and groups, this could involve activities that enable this positive difference to happen. 

Widening perspectives

This award recognises activities where multiple views from different knowledge holders (including seldom-heard voices) are brought together to inform, reframe, or change public debate, and to inspire learning and sense-making that leads to empowerment.     

Finding a better way

This award recognises all the ways in which new thinking and acting, new products and knowledge, lead to creating and galvanising change and innovation. This also includes prompting dialogue, exploring risk, informing decision making, provoking challenge, scrutiny, and debate, and holding to account.

Caring for the future

This award recognises research impact that is likely to build over time leading to a fairer, safer, and more equitable world and healthier environment. Examples may include sustainability, climate action, poverty, education, equality, inclusion, and digital transformation etc. 

Submit your application for the 2024 scheme

Guidance for Engaged for Impact Awards

Application form for Engaged for Impact Awards