Research impact

Research impact at Northeastern University London

At Northeastern University London (NUL) impact drives everything we do. As an agile, interdisciplinary campus within NUL’s’s global experiential research network, we are uniquely positioned to bridge academic inquiry with real-world change. Rooted in a tradition of global engagement, our research is guided by principles of equity, sustainability and public good, driving collaboration and innovation across disciplines and borders.

We actively align our work with Sustainable Development Goals, and as a UK university we are entering our first Research Excellence Framework assessment in REF2029. As we continue our period of substantive growth, impact remains at the heart of our research, teaching and engagement activities.

Our mission and vision

Our mission is to maximise the regional, national and international impact of our research. Our vision is of a sector working in partnership with society, collaboratively making a meaningful difference to real world problems.

Our approach

Our approach is based on four Ps:

Partnerships: We prioritise engagement as a central part of our mission, fostering dynamic, inclusive and sustainable collaborations across communities, industries and governments. Our approach emphasises mutuality, shared responsibility and meaningful engagement through co-production and co-creation of research. These partnerships are developed both within and beyond academia, ensuring relevance, accountability and equitable participation. They are actively facilitated and mobilised to support connected, community-engaged outcomes that benefit all stakeholders.

Purpose: We prioritise problem-focused research, addressing important, timely and complex issues for society. This is steered by real-world need, from local and regional issues to global challenges. Our impact is actively driven by cross-disciplinary working and with a clear goal to transform ideas into action.

Pathways: We embed engagement, knowledge exchange and impact into research from the proposal stage, ensuring that research is relevant, accessible and usable. We seek to remove barriers to engagement and use, and actively align our research, teaching and community-facing activities. We communicate our research and impact through activities such as:
• public talks and open-access publications
• policy briefings and advisory roles
• industry collaborations and innovation networks
• community exhibitions and school partnerships
• harnessing new digital tools and AI opportunities
• international media and digital platforms

People: We empower colleagues to make a difference through training and development, engagement opportunities and leadership.

Objectives

To drive further growth in research, knowledge exchange, engagement and impact, our key objectives are to:

• extend regional, national and international networks and partnerships to drive problem-focused, challenge-led and collaborative research
• embed a literate, healthy, responsible and sustainable impact culture within NUL
• maximise visibility, accessibility and uptake of NUL research to drive impact
• deliver on key sector impact agendas, including REF2029
• establish NUL as a hub for healthy, impact-literate practice within the research sector

Example of our impact

Expanding public access to history

Project title:  Digital Mapping of Black British Cultural Heritage

Webpage: https://cssh.northeastern.edu/nulab/mapping-black-london/

The Mapping Black London project brings together history, geography and digital technologies to produce interactive maps that unearth the long-range black presence in London, challenging mainstream accounts that often portray Britain’s multicultural history as a post-war phenomenon. 

Led by Professor Oliver Ayers (NUL) and Professor Nicole Aljoe (NU), Mapping Black London recentres and recovers the presence of people of colour across the city’s long history, demonstrating a multiracial heritage since at least Roman times. Mapping Black London offers new insights into this rich past, producing interactive maps, dynamic digital exhibits, curriculum material and other educational content that allows users to encounter and discover the varied contributions made by black people to the development of London.

Through extensive community engagement, this research is already demonstrating impact on:

school curricula: changes in how black history is taught in UK schools through the creation of bespoke curriculum components and interventions in teacher training

cultural institutions: changes in how cultural institutions and non-profits engage their audiences in black history using digital methods such as interactive touchscreens, outdoor pop-ups and virtual immersive experiences

artistic and creative practices: directly inspiring artistic performances and representations of important black Britons