April 2026 Our call for partners to trial DBAA initiatives closes on 1 May, and it’s been exciting to see such a high level of interest from the higher education community. This is a pivotal moment for the project, as we start to build momentum in testing the effectiveness of embedding researcher t
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April 2026

 

Our call for partners to trial DBAA initiatives closes on 1 May, and it’s been exciting to see such a high level of interest from the higher education community. This is a pivotal moment for the project, as we start to build momentum in testing the effectiveness of embedding researcher training and networking into existing innovation ecosystems. Our early trials indicate strong potential for our evidence-informed approaches to drive the transformation of research into action, and we’re looking forward to working collaboratively with partners over the coming months to scale up and further test the models.

Our two new case studies this month demonstrate the power of research to make meaningful contributions to society. We highlight a research collaboration that has put teenage relationship abuse on the government’s agenda, and another that supports sustainable beekeeping by combining social and ecological research.

This month, we are also asking for your help to identify other inspiring researchers for our case studies, capturing real-world examples of successful collaboration and impact across disciplines and career stages.


We’re also excited to share details of an upcoming academia–finance networking event in partnership with the British Antarctic Survey. This will bring together academic researchers with the sustainable finance industry to accelerate meaningful change for people and planet.


We hope this update informs, inspires and encourages you to get involved.


Best wishes,
Alison
Professor Alison Truelove
Director, Developing Business-Aware Academics
University of Exeter

 

Last chance! Call for partners to trial researcher training and networking

Expressions of Interest close at midnight on 1 MAY 2026

Partner with us to pilot DBAA researcher training and networking, supporting postgraduate and early‑career researchers to turn ideas into action, and helping shape an evidence‑led blueprint for business‑aware academics.

Find out more

 

Connecting insights for a sustainable future: an academia-finance industry networking event

4 June, The Shard, London, 2-8pm

Call for industry attendees


From Antarctica’s rapidly evolving climate and eco-systems to the cascading global risks they trigger, environmental data now play a crucial role far beyond science. Environmental insights shape how industries assess risk, plan for the future, and invest responsibly.

 

To bridge these domains, and provide an opportunity for knowledge exchange in a supportive environment, we are partnering with the British Antarctic Survey to bring together academic researchers working with Earth-system data and professionals from the finance industry at a networking event in London.


We are now calling for industry attendees to join this unique opportunity to explore how environmental intelligence - from climate risk modelling to space weather forecasting - can support insurance, reinsurance, the sustainable finance industries and green investment.

 

  • Discover British Antarctic Survey environmental data products with the potential to inform risk models and accelerate innovation;
  • Connect with natural scientists with expertise in environmental data collection and analysis; 
  • Demystify foundational research, discover new perspectives and explore sources of collaborative funding. 

 

Please contact dbaa@exeter.ac.uk for full details.

 

Two new case studies

Dr Fay Kahane: Supporting
sustainable
beekeeping through social and ecological research

Dr Fay Kahane has an academic background in biology, anthropology, and human geography, alongside 20 years of professional experience in UK ecology, which included advising the Welsh Government on Protected Species. Now based at the University of Exeter, she works with practitioners to address sustainability problems. Her PhD research with UK beekeepers bridges ecology and social science to better understand sustainable beekeeping practices.

Fay’s interdisciplinary research combines ecological monitoring with insights from the beekeeping community. Working closely with both commercial and hobbyist beekeepers across Cornwall, Fay tracks colony health, hive weight and management practices, while also analysing guidance produced by beekeeping organisations, government agencies, academics and industry bodies. 


By layering this evidence with local knowledge from beekeepers themselves, her research builds a rich, detailed understanding of beekeeping practices and identifies practical pathways towards sustainability – balancing healthy colonies, productive honey yields, and environmental stewardship.

Find out more

Dr Ruth Weir: How a research collaboration put teenage relationship abuse on the government’s agenda


Dr Ruth Weir works with policing partners to improve understanding and responses to teenage relationship abuse. After identifying a gap in how abuse experienced by under-16s is recognised within policing practice, she collaborated with senior police officers to address the issue.

Together they established the National Working Group on Teenage Relationship Abuse, bringing together academics, police practitioners and individuals with lived experience. The group conducts research in partnership with police forces to understand how cases involving under-16s are currently recorded and managed, and where opportunities exist to strengthen support and safeguarding. 


Workshops with those who have lived experience also inform the group’s recommendations, ensuring proposed changes reflect real experiences of teenage relationship abuse.

By combining academic research with practitioner insight, the group is contributing evidence to national policy discussions and helping shape guidance aimed at improving how young people experiencing abuse are identified and supported.

Find out more

Opportunity: Researcher case studies 

Share your experiences of engaging beyond academia


We are seeking researchers to feature in our case study series. The series highlights inspiring researchers discussing their careers and sharing tips on how they engage beyond academia to transform their research into action.  

 

We are now collecting new case studies from researchers across all institutions, disciplines, and career stages – including PhD candidates. 

  

Why take part?

  • Raise your profile through the national DBAA project  
  • Generate LinkedIn-ready content to support your professional visibility  
  • Showcase the reach and impact of your engagement activities  
  • Contribute to research on the drivers of non-academic engagement  

While not all case studies are shared publicly, all case study transcripts form part of the DBAA project evidence base and are analysed to answer specific research questions, for example about the characteristics and backgrounds of academics that successfully engage beyond academia.  

 

Nominate yourself or someone else

If you know a researcher who would be a great fit – or if you’d like to take part yourself – please contact DBAA@exeter.ac.uk  with ‘Case study’ in the subject line and include brief details about the nominee’s research engagement with non-academic organisations. We look forward to hearing from you!   

Get in touch 

 

What we're reading

There's so much amazing work being done across the sector around supporting PGRs and ECRs and encouraging industry engagement. Here are some of our favourite articles from the last month:

  • The policy system needs more social science: this article over on Wonkhe from Rita Gardner, the CEO of the Academy of Social Sciences, called for structural changes within the government to make better use of social sciences research. The article argues that, while 80% of recent ARIs relate entirely or largely to the social sciences, evidence from those disciplines often “falls between the cracks.”
  • Quarterly Update: the newest Industrial Strategy quarterly update was released this month, covering January – March of this year. Among the key successes highlighted during this period were £500m of funding for research and innovation in the creative industries, and the launch of the world’s largest corporate partnership between IonQ and the University of Cambridge.
  • If the world needs more entrepreneurs, why aren’t more female students choosing that path?: this article explores ways to tackle the gender divide in participation in entrepreneurship in the UK. It calls for more inclusive entrepreneurship curricula and more diverse success stories, and we couldn’t agree more! You can find the stories of researchers from all walks of life who are successfully collaborating beyond academia or commercialising their research over on our case studies archive.
  • Foundations for Growth and Competitiveness 2026: this recent report explores growth and competitiveness across OECD countries. The findings for the UK include “sluggish” growth, “weak productivity gains,” and “stagnated” labour utilisation. The report recommends, among other things, that all countries should: strengthen links between universities and labour markets to increase productivity and adaptability; increase public support for R&D and implement stronger business-university collaboration; and aim for better coordination between innovation policies to support that collaboration.
  • Felt outcomes not fine words: Why universities need a public value story: this excellent article by Sophie Duncan and Paul Manners over on Wonkhe argues for the importance of viewing impact as more than just research dissemination. Instead, we should view impact as the partnerships and genuine connection between academia, the public, and industry.

 

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