Earlier this year, the University of Leeds International Women’s Day Symposium brought together researchers from across the University to deliver a series of co-production workshops focused on women’s health and wellbeing. It’s no secret that one of the big challenges in the research space can be maintaining momentum achieved through collaborative engagement, and using it to harness future progress when back in the ‘day-to-day’. At Magpie we love to help people move their ideas forward by breaking them down and building them back up using tried and tested frameworks and approaches. Magpie partnered with researchers from the University of Leeds to deliver a research impact workshop focused on collaborative engagement, stakeholder communication and turning academic research into real-world impact.
So that’s just what we did…
Magpie’s Becky and Michelle hosted a follow-up workshop to help symposium attendees develop the insights and ideas generated into clearer priorities, concepts, or next steps for policy, practice, or innovation. By harnessing our collective creative approach to driving innovation, attendees were encouraged to reflect on opportunities for creative development outside of the ‘academic bubble’ in areas such as:
- Entrepreneurship
- Marketing, communications and framing of key research topics
- Adapting communications to appeal different audiences
- Applying a creative approach to scientific work
- Making impact through research
We wanted to create a safe and open space where attendees could explore the visionary and very real potential of their own ideas in actionable steps. Through a mix of fast-paced creative challenges and deep-dive reflections, Becky expertly guided the group to strip their ideas back to the absolute core: Who is this for, and how will it genuinely change a woman’s life? The leads spent time mapping out their personal “circles of support” identifying allies, collaborators, and professional advocates across campus and their wider networks to get a clear picture of who can help drive their initiatives forward.
As part of the journey to step outside the ‘academic bubble’, attendees were also encouraged to reflect on more broader topic areas within their research, such as:
- How can this project be marketed/communicated outside of academia?
- How can this idea gain public buy-in and momentum?
- How can I creatively communicate the potential for impact in my focus areas?
By session wrap-up time, attendees had built a tailored, long-term roadmap for success and a brand-new network of peers ready to champion them. It was a powerful reminder of what happens when you give women the space, tools, and the community to back their own ideas.
It was incredible to see the room buzz with such focused, practical energy as these women held valuable time and space to map out real-world next steps for their own health initiatives. It felt like everyone valued and supported each other in their respective journeys and was equipped with the tools and community support networks they need to bring their own next steps to life!
Michelle Budd, Magpie Community Collaboration Manager
Thank you so much for delivering the session. It was a real pleasure to work with Magpie, and I thought the session was engaging, thoughtful, and very well pitched for the group, especially as people were at very different stages.
Hannah Campbell, University of Leeds Lecturer in Applied Human Physiology
I also really appreciated how you helped us move beyond the more clinical and academic ways of thinking that many of us are used to. Being entrepreneurial is very different, and I started to see a small shift in how people communicated their ideas as the session progressed.
The activities were fantastic, well-spaced, and got everyone talking. I also found the goal-setting activity really useful, particularly thinking about what we can do next week, over the summer, and beyond. It helped frame things as small, consistent steps rather than just sitting with an idea and never acting on it.
I would absolutely recommend Magpie to other academics in the future. The process of working with you was straightforward, professional, and collaborative, and the session added real value for the participants. I would love to work with you and Magpie again in the future.
Interested to find out more?
Our work in this space continues, if you’d like to explore how Magpie can support you to turn your ideas into impact, get in touch.
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