Research in Practice: fostering impact, culture and engagement
Student placement project
- Project supervisors
- Department
Research, Grants and Academic Engagement
- Maximum number of student placements available on the project per academic year
Three
- Level of study
Open to PhD and MA/MSc students
- Deadline for Expressions of Interest from students
8 January 2027 (17:00)
Project description
Placements will provide hands-on experience of research engagement within an Independent Research Organisation (IRO), supporting key programmes including Research Routes and History and Archives in Practice.
Through these initiatives, students will develop an understanding of how research can be made engaging, accessible and impactful for different audiences, and how Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museum sector organisations connect research, practice and public participation.
Students will contribute to the delivery of engagement activities that communicate research ideas to researchers, students, practitioners and wider public audiences. The student will gain experience of translating complex research into accessible formats and exploring how events and engagement can foster dialogue, participation and knowledge exchange. In collaboration with the Research Impact, Culture and Engagement team as well as colleagues in Marketing, they will support the delivery of research communications across varied platforms.
Students will be responsible for developing creative evaluation methods to capture participant experiences, evidence impact and identify opportunities for improvement. They will analyse feedback, share findings and recommendations, which will subsequently inform the development of an Engagement Charter for The National Archives, supporting a strategic, evidence-based approach to inclusive and impactful research engagement across the organisation.
Activities include:
- Hands on experience running events and producing digital content
- Development of creative evaluation tools
- Evaluation report
- Opportunity to develop and deliver an engagement initiative based on their own area of interest (with support from Marketing)