Open research beyond academia

Open research practices involve extending collaboration beyond the academic community to include wider societal actors. This inclusive approach enhances the relevance and impact of research, fosters innovation, and ensures that diverse voices contribute to and benefit from research addressing a broader range of societal needs.

This page is designed to encourage and support researchers in fostering openness beyond academia by collaborating with communities, stakeholders, and the wider public.

What is engaged research?

Engaged research is a collaborative approach that actively involves stakeholders, such as community members, practitioners, policymakers, and external organisations, throughout the entire research process. It emphasises the co-production of knowledge by integrating stakeholder insights at every stage, from identifying research questions to implementing findings and evaluating outcomes.

Engaged research serves as an umbrella term encompassing concepts like participatory research, community engagement and citizen science. Its primary goal is to enhance the relevance and impact of research by aligning it with community needs, ensuring ethical practices, and fostering inclusivity. By actively engaging those most affected, it aims to create practical solutions to societal challenges and bridge the gap between academic inquiry and real-world application. This interconnectedness underscores the importance of inclusive practices and ethical considerations in modern research efforts.

Putting it into practice

Explore these internal and external resources to learn how engaged research practices, such as participatory research, citizen science, and responsible research, foster inclusivity and collaboration. The goal of this section is to empower you with the confidence to engage in at least one new open research practice.

Knowledge exchange

A collaborative process that translates research into societal and economic impact through activities and partnerships between universities and organisations.
The university is a signatory to the Knowledge Exchange concordat and is committed to its guiding principles.

Responsible research and innovation (RRI)

A transparent, interactive process where societal actors and innovators collaborate to ensure the ethical acceptability, sustainability, and societal desirability of research and innovation. Use the UKRI framework for RRI.

Co-production

Collaborative processes where researchers work alongside non-academic stakeholders, with diverse types of expertise, to generate research questions, knowledge and solutions together. Learn about the importance of this type of collaboration with the University’s co-production network, toolkit and blog resource.

Patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE)

By public involvement we mean research being carried out ‘with’ or ‘by’ members of the public rather than ‘to’, ‘about’ or ‘for’ them. This research will directly impact them. Use the NIHR guidance for researchers to help you plan, resource, and support your PPIE activities.

Policy Engagement

This type of engagement seeks to bridge the gap between academic research and practical, real-world policymaking, aiming to create evidence-based policies that address societal challenges more effectively. Watch this webinar aimed at academic researchers which focuses on practical information and advice within the UK context.

Public Engagement

Describes the myriad of ways in which the activities and benefits of higher education and research can be shared with the public. Engagement is a two-way process, the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement has created a wealth of resources to support high-quality public engagement practice and policy.

Participatory research

Encompasses collaborative approaches to research that actively involve diverse stakeholders, especially those affected by the issue being studied, in the entire research process for the purpose of action or change. Find out more about participatory methods.

Citizen science

A way for groups of people to participate in research activities, including: crowdsourcing data, collaborating with communities in designing research, or contributions to analysis of large datasets. This open-source book is an introduction for anyone who wants to learn more.

Open Educational Resources (OERs)

OERs are learning, teaching, and research materials in any format and medium that reside in the public domain, or are under copyright but have been released under an open license. These licenses permit no-cost access, re-use, re-purposing, adaptation, and redistribution by others. Discover how to create your own OERs.

Training and development opportunities

Engaging with different audiences and stakeholders is a skill. With the right tools, training, and support, you can build the expertise needed to create meaningful connections and drive open, impactful, and engaged research beyond academia. Below is a curated list of key resources to guide you on this journey.

Open to everyone

National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) offers a range of training opportunities to support the development of high quality engagement work.
This NIHR MOOC available via Futurelearn entitled "What is health research?" is good for sharing with your external partners and volunteers. Providing an introduction to what research is and the role of volunteers.
NIHR Learn: Offers free, accredited learning programs and is accessible to anyone working for or supporting the NIHR, NHS, UK universities, or other publicly funded organisations. We recommend exploring the INCLUDE project online course, which offers interactive content to improve the inclusion of under-served groups in research.
Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN) host a variety of masterclasses and other events that researchers can attend to develop their policy engagement practice, alongside a large resource section on their website including blogs, case studies and reports.

University of Leeds specific resources

The Engaged Research Team on MS Teams is a hub to discover training and development opportunities to those based at the University of Leeds, sign up and check in regularly.
The Public engagement with research sharepoint outlines the support for researchers, including the Be Curious Associates and Fellowship training programme, public events calendar and main contacts.
Policy Leeds is a cross University initiative to support research teams with policy engagement. Explore the blog series, policy briefs, and learn more about the Policy Engagement Kickstart programme, our collaborations with Leeds City, and upcoming events.
OD&PL provide a number of programmes and resources to support colleagues to develop their research impact, including tailored coaching, online courses and the flagship Building Impact Momentum programme.
Contact email for more information and support: [email protected]

Examples of good practice

Citizen science in biodiversity research

Open lunch webinar recording exploring citizen science, with speakers from UCL to put it into the perspective of the LERU 8 pillars of open science and a case study from the School of Biology here at Leeds.

Link to the full YouTube recording

Encouraging healthy and sustainable diets through cross-sectoral partnerships

The Leeds Institute for Data Analytics hosted a cross-sectoral workshop bringing together 20 delegates from academia, industry, charities, and local government to discuss "Encouraging Healthy and Sustainable Diets through Cross-Sectoral Partnerships." Supported by the University of Leeds Engaged for Impact award, the workshop facilitated discussions on building effective partnerships in food systems research, focusing on consumer-driven challenges. Attendees, many meeting for the first time, shared valuable insights and expanded their networks, with plans to widely share the outcomes and visual materials to foster future collaborations and drive positive change toward healthier, more sustainable diets.

Find out more and view the workshop live scribing artwork here.

Act Early Holme Wood community-engaged data science to improve societal outcomes

The Act Early: Holme Wood initiative showcases a community-centered approach to research by engaging residents, practitioners, and data scientists in shaping the research agenda. This collaboration ensures that interventions are relevant to the community's lived experiences and promotes citizen science, empowering residents to actively participate in data collection and analysis. Regular feedback loops and accessible data visualisations foster ongoing dialogue among stakeholders, enhancing transparency and adaptability.

Mechanics of Life: Movement, Mobility and Me

The "Mechanics of Life" project is a collaboration between engineers from the University of Leeds, artists from Northern Ballet, and educators from Batley Girls’ High School that explores movement through dance by highlighting the human body as a complex machine. Through co-production, early-career engineers enhanced their creative confidence in workshops, leading to engaging learning activities for Year 8 students that integrate dance, education, and engineering. This initiative fosters interdisciplinary partnerships, challenges stereotypes, and creates innovative learning experiences.

Explore the gallery and school activities here.

Further resources and tools

There are numerous resources available to support your open research practice beyond academia, the following tools have been curated to help you take them to the next level.

The Centre for Social Justice and Community Action has also developed toolkits and guides for researchers embarking on, or considering, a community-based research project.
Participatory Research Oxford website brings together case study videos, insights from researchers and further reading to help develop more participatory processes and practices in research.
The Knowledge Equity Network host a range of online events open to everyone, sign up to their newsletter to keep updated on future developments.
RRI Prompts and Practice Cards are a freely available resource highlighting 16 aspects of responsible research that may be relevant to your research. The cards are based on the AREA framework and a useful tool reflect on RRI within your research.
How does Arts and Humanities research influence public policymaking? Excellent publication, full of case studies and advice for researchers at various career stages working in Arts and Humanities disciplines.
The Centre for Cultural Value is a national research centre that works to enhance the impact of arts, culture, and heritage by making research more accessible.
The White Rose Libraries OER Toolkit offers guidance and tools for creating accessible, high-quality educational materials to promote open and inclusive education. The University of Leeds library also contains a quick guide to creating your own OERs.
Brigstow Institute Toolkits support you in navigating co-production or interdisciplinary research, including ways to facilitating serious discussions and foster the development of partnerships and research ideas.
Become a STEM Ambassador volunteer to get support, training and advice on how to inspire young people into STEM.