In this session you will be walked through the strategy and initiatives happening in Research Culture at Lancaster.

Professor Malcolm Joyce, Interim Pro-VC for Research & Enterprise will open the session, followed by presentations from the Professor Stijn Mertens, Academic Director of Research Culture and Dr Amy Mayfield, Research Culture Manager

Join the panel discussion to hear perspectives from each of the faculties on creating a flourishing and inclusive research culture at Lancaster.

Chair: Dr Dee Hennessy, Creative Engagement Manager, RES

Panel Members:

• Professor Ian Gregory – Associate Dean for Research | FHASS

• Professor Maria Piacentini – Associate Dean for Research | LUMS

• Professor Corina Sas - Assistant Dean for Research Enhancement | FST

• Professor Jo Knight - Associate Dean for Research Enhancement | FHM

Refreshments will be served in the Margaret Fell Lecture Theatre foyer. Take this opportunity to chat with colleagues and browse the exhibitions.

This session will explore how creating a positive and healthy research culture enables research excellence.

Becky Gordon, Head of Research Quality and Policy

Guest speaker – TBC

Browse the interactive and engaging exhibitions in the Margaret Fell foyer space:

• Technicians and Research Culture – find out about the vital role technicians play in contributing to research culture and how the Research excellence Culture Action Plan (ReCAP) and the Technician's Commitment Action Plan relate to each other. There will be case studies, photos and information about the 2025 Technician Awards.
• Reimagining inclusive and community centred research – an interactive exhibition showcasing current progress and engage the broader research community in a dialogue about inclusive and community- centred research. The exhibition will have three components:

1. Inclusive Research Practice: Principles, Opportunities, and Challenges - insights gathered through interviews and focus groups with marginalised and disadvantaged communities. We will share a set of evolving principles of inclusive research, along with common challenges and emerging opportunities.
2. The CREDIT Toolkit: Supporting Community-Engaged Research – the Community REsearch Digital Toolkit (CREDIT) is a resource to support research practices involving communities as active collaborators - such as citizen science, participatory research, and other community-involved methodologies.
3. Graphic novel (draft) - based on researcher and community narratives shared through focus groups and interviews and capturing the diverse experiences and perspectives of researchers engaging in community-centred work.

• Chalk Magazine – Chalk champions good research, combining intelligent writing and beautiful design to tell interesting stories about history, culture, science and nature. This exhibition will showcase the Chalk project and an opportunity to meet the editors- Will Garbett and Amy Louise Smith, both postgraduate researchers at Lancaster.

A light sandwich lunch will be served in the Margaret Fell Lecture Theatre foyer. Another opportunity to chat with colleagues and browse the exhibitions.

Generative AI can support research in many ways. However, there are several conundrums that are worth discussing before using generative AI as a research tool. Join us for a lively conversation which may inspire your research practices!

You bring the opinions, and we’ll bring the hot beverages and sweet treats!

Facilitators:

Dr Heather Shaw, Lecturer | Psychology

Dr Sam Finnerty, Senior Research Assistant | Psychology

Location

Library Events Space A385

Register : Cuppa Conundrum: Using AI in Research

In this session you will:

• Explore different ways to evaluate products, services and interventions including how economic value is assessed.

• Discover how you can use your existing research skills to contribute to a wide variety of funded evaluation projects.

• Learn how our Health and Care Evaluation Facility builds partnerships across the university and beyond to create new opportunities and attract funding.

Facilitators

Dr Hebatallah Ali, Senior Research Associate | Medtech Economist (FHM)

Dr Elisavet Christou, Lecturer | Management and Organisation Studies (LUMS)

Gemma Coupe, Evaluation Faculty Manager| RES

Dr Amanda Seims, Evaluation Fellow | RES

Location

People and Organisational Effectiveness (POE) training rooms 1&2

Register: Strengthen Your Research Portfolio: Generating Value and Diversifying Income Through Evaluation

Join us for this session showcasing how LUMS research creates impact through collaboration with industry and government, and through engagement with real-world challenges. Featuring active projects in LUMS, the event highlights our “virtuous circle” approach, linking academic excellence with industry, government, and regulatory impact in a dynamic business and management school ecosystem.

Facilitators

Professor Grzegorz Pawlina, Director of Research Enhancement | LUMS

Professor Maria Piacentini, Associate Dean for Research | LUMS

Location

Bowland North Seminar Room 23

Register: The Virtuous Circle: Research with Impact Across Industry and Policy

Discover how cultural partnerships are sparking innovative engagement with research. Hear from Lancaster University researchers collaborating with artists and cultural organisations, enabled through IAA funding, on projects including Light Up Lancaster. Discover the mutual benefits of these partnerships, how to get started, and what this approach could mean for your own research.

Facilitators

Jamie Hodges, IAA Partnership Development Manager | RES

Dr Nathan Jones, Senior Lecturer | LICA

Bethan Marriott, Engagement and Events Manager| RES

Jess, Shaw, Public Engagement Manager | RES

Sarah Tooze, Faculty Engagement and Partnership Manager | RES

Location

LICA Building - Imagination Studio A36

Register: Illuminating Arts in Research: Developing a Collaborative Model for Researcher - Artist Partnerships

Open Research is encouraged by the University and is increasingly mandated by research funders. If you’re wondering how Open Research can apply to your research and benefit you as a researcher, such as through allowing larger audiences to access your work, this session is aimed at you. The session will feature an interactive activity allowing you to map where Open Research might benefit your work in the research life cycle and how the Library can support you to do this.

This will be followed by a short pitch from Dr Jess Pepper: “Relaunch of ReproducibiliTea: Refreshing Open Science journal clubs”. ReproducibiliTea is an international journal club focussed on furthering our understanding of open science practices. This pitch will be used to gauge interest in arranging regular meetings across faculties at Lancaster, welcoming everyone from PhD students to professors.

Facilitators

Tom Morley, Research Culture and Open Monographs Lead | Library

Dr Jess Pepper, Senior Research Associate | Psychology

Location

Library Events Space A385

Register: Open Research: What’s in it for me?

Fellowships come in all shapes and sizes, and identifying the best one for you, can appear daunting and confusing. This session provides an overview different fellowships available across all career stages, to help you navigate the complex and changing landscape of opportunities. We will highlight internal selection processes, the support provided throughout the application process, and you’ll hear from people who have successfully applied for fellowships, as they share their experiences of applying for, then undertaking their fellowships; how the experience has shaped their career, and what they learned along the way.

Facilitators

Dr Odette Dewhurst, Senior Research Development Manager | RES

Dr Mandy Dillon, Senior Research Development Manager | RES

Constanze Vageler, Senior Research Development Manager | RES

Location

Confucius Centre - Roundhouse B02

Register: Fellowships

This hands-on workshop uses a storyboard canvas to help academics/research staff/PhD students explore and overcome personal, practical, and emotional barriers to research. Through visual mapping and guided reflection, participants identify challenges, unlock enablers, and commit to meaningful action—making progress on papers, proposals, or projects feel more achievable and less overwhelming.

Facilitator

Dr Allie Clifton, Research Development Officer | RES

Location

People and Organisational Effectiveness (POE) - training rooms 1&2

Light refreshments are provided and you are welcome to bring your lunch.

Register: Breaking down barriers to research progress: developing research proposals

Showcasing activities across Lancaster University that aim to protect and respect research time, we will explore what happens if we do not protect and respect time for research. After the showcasing we will collaborate to develop bespoke action plans for individuals and teams, and we will construct 10 top tips that will be shared with all attendees.

Facilitators

Dr Jemma Kerns, Senior Lecturer/Director of Research | Lancaster Medical School

Dr Hannah Stewart, Senior Lecturer | Psychology

Location

Library Events Space A385

Register: Protecting and Respecting Research Time

Browse the interactive and engaging exhibition in the Library Exhibition Space:

Reimagining inclusive and community centred research – an interactive exhibition showcasing current progress and engage the broader research community in a dialogue about inclusive and community- centred research. The exhibition will have three components:

1. Inclusive Research Practice: Principles, Opportunities, and Challenges - insights gathered through interviews and focus groups with marginalised and disadvantaged communities. We will share a set of evolving principles of inclusive research, along with common challenges and emerging opportunities.
2. The CREDIT Toolkit: Supporting Community-Engaged Research – the Community REsearch Digital Toolkit (CREDIT) is a resource to support research practices involving communities as active collaborators - such as citizen science, participatory research, and other community-involved methodologies.
3. Graphic novel (draft) - based on researcher and community narratives shared through focus groups and interviews and capturing the diverse experiences and perspectives of researchers engaging in community-centred work.

Local governments face huge challenges tackling issues such as climate change and health inequalities in their region.

Through collaborating with local government researchers can play a valuable role in helping to address these challenges.

But how to get started?

This workshop will explore the experience of engaging from the researcher and local authority perspective. By attending you will realise the value of and gain practical tips on engaging with local government.

Facilitators

Professor Heather Brown | Health Research

Liz Harper, Local Authority Research Practitioner | Westmoreland and Furness Council

Dr Amelia Simpson, Research Associate | NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration, Blackpool

Location

People and Organisational Effectiveness' - training rooms 1&2

Register: Impactful research- working with local government

In this session, run by and for research-only staff group leads, we will discuss key issues facing our community, in particular, how to manage our (career) development and support each other in these challenging times.

The session will include:

• Collating concerns and resolutions that the research-only staff leads can advocate for.

• Sharing ideas and resources for (career) development.

• Reflecting on your next steps to support your development.

• Increasing awareness of faculty researcher development groups.

• Opportunities to chat with other research-only staff and build community.

Facilitators

Dr Linda Cusworth, Research Fellow | Co-chair Research Staff Network

Dr Cara Molyneux, Senior Research Associate | RCAD Chair- LUMS

Dr Emma Putland, Senior Research Associate | Co-chair Research Staff Network

Dr Margaret Sandars, Faculty Research Project Manager | RCAD Chair- FHM

FST TBC

Location

Library Events Space A385

Register: Research-only staff – what can we do to support our own development?

The PhD experience can be very isolating, and yet community and collaboration form a fundamental part of research. This session aims to draw together experience with reading and research groups, identifying areas of best practice and what to avoid. Feedback and thoughts from this session will go on to form part of an open educational resource which empowers and supports PhD students to create research and reading groups.

Facilitator

Chris Sanderson, Postgraduate Researcher (PGR) | FHASS

Audience

Postgraduate Researchers

Location

Confucius Centre - Roundhouse B02

Register: How can we inspire PGR Communities? Co-Designing an open resource to support building community

This workshop explores challenges in sustainability communication in university settings. Participants will share experiences from teaching, research, and outreach contexts, and engage with recent research on agency in sustainability reporting. The session will conclude with a co-creation of practical recommendations for improving sustainability reporting in universities.

Facilitators

Mark Ryan, Postgraduate Researcher | Marketing

Dr Yingnian Tao, Senior Research Associate, Reimagining Research Practices | Psychology

Location

Confucius Centre - Roundhouse B027

Register: Who speaks for Sustainability and Inclusion? Reimagining agency on University reporting

The launch of the Unsecurities Lab 2 report features an immersive screening of LUMI—a climate-fiction film about AI-led cryosphere restoration —alongside expert commentary and a synthetic dialogue from Lab transcripts. Showcasing Security Lancaster’s innovative use of the Data Immersion Suite, the event reveals how immersive art can probe emerging techno-ecological security challenges.

Facilitators

Dr Nathan Jones, Senior Lecturer | LICA

Location

Data Immersion Suite

Register: The Data Immersion Suite – Launch of Unsecurities Lab 2 Report

Browse the interactive and engaging exhibition in the Library Exhibition Space:

Reimagining inclusive and community centred research – an interactive exhibition showcasing current progress and engage the broader research community in a dialogue about inclusive and community- centred research. The exhibition will have three components:

1. Inclusive Research Practice: Principles, Opportunities, and Challenges - insights gathered through interviews and focus groups with marginalised and disadvantaged communities. We will share a set of evolving principles of inclusive research, along with common challenges and emerging opportunities.
2. The CREDIT Toolkit: Supporting Community-Engaged Research – the Community REsearch Digital Toolkit (CREDIT) is a resource to support research practices involving communities as active collaborators - such as citizen science, participatory research, and other community-involved methodologies.
3. Graphic novel (draft) - based on researcher and community narratives shared through focus groups and interviews and capturing the diverse experiences and perspectives of researchers engaging in community-centred work.

The story is not the map, it's an invitation to imagine mutual connections, possibilities, and potential for you, your research, and non-academic partners.

Discover shared values and visions in order to write your next chapters.

Facilitator

Sharon Summers, Postgraduate Researcher (PGR) | LICA

Location

LICA Building - Imagination Studio A36

Register: Stories that Connect

You are invited to participate in a new “Sustainable Research Practice: An introduction” in person training, followed by the opportunity to provide feedback. The training introduces sustainability concepts and then focuses on environmental considerations for research.

Not able to attend on the day? Email v.seymour@lancaster.ac.uk for a link to review an alternative format

Facilitator

Dr Valerie Seymour, Education Fellow, Reimagining Research Practices | RES

Location

People and Organisational Effectiveness (POE) training rooms 1&2

Register: How can we undertake research with a greater consideration of sustainability?

Curious about what a "zine" is? Get creative in this workshop by crafting a single-page zine on your research or an area of interest. You will be introduced to the decolonial relevance of zines and zine making as a practice. You will leave this workshop understanding the potential of Zines as an accessible, engaging and inclusive way of communication.

Facilitators

Dr Sunita Abraham, Lecturer | Politics, Philosophy and Religion

Meg Ritchie, Postgraduate Researcher | Sociology

Location

Library Events Space A385

Light refreshments are provided and you are welcome to bring your lunch.

Register: Crafting Inclusive Academic and Professional Practice through Zines

Browse the interactive and engaging exhibition in the Library Exhibition Space:

Reimagining inclusive and community centred research – an interactive exhibition showcasing current progress and engage the broader research community in a dialogue about inclusive and community- centred research. The exhibition will have three components:

1. Inclusive Research Practice: Principles, Opportunities, and Challenges - insights gathered through interviews and focus groups with marginalised and disadvantaged communities. We will share a set of evolving principles of inclusive research, along with common challenges and emerging opportunities.
2. The CREDIT Toolkit: Supporting Community-Engaged Research – the Community REsearch Digital Toolkit (CREDIT) is a resource to support research practices involving communities as active collaborators - such as citizen science, participatory research, and other community-involved methodologies.
3. Graphic novel (draft) - based on researcher and community narratives shared through focus groups and interviews and capturing the diverse experiences and perspectives of researchers engaging in community-centred work.