Institutional Context
Summary
Originally established as a School of Science and Art in 1891, BNU has been transforming lives for 130 years. BNU is proud to make a difference because of the education we provide, our research, and the positive impact we make to the environment and in our communities. We deliver an education that works for all, regardless of background or circumstance, and provides skills for life, to meet the global challenges of the 21st century.
Since 2016, BNU has undergone a major transformation and rebrand, prioritising impactful research and knowledge exchange alongside education and investing substantially in its staff, students and facilities to support its mission in becoming a research-informed institution.
Institutional context
Knowledge exchange (KE) enriches our inclusive, learning community and continually improves our enquiry-based education. Our ambitions focus on developing our institutional KE activities, catalysing BNU in making a positive impact on both our communities and the environment. We visualise BNU becoming a highly connected, permeable, student and customer-focused, business-oriented, strategically aligned and impactful institution, aligned to the needs of our strategic partners.
BNU’s strategy, Thrive 2028, enables us to assess the value of our work through impact on students, staff, stakeholders, communities and strategic partners. The plan was developed through a series of facilitated workshops and focusses on multiple aims and priorities, which together, enrich and improve our innovation and KE activities. The education we provide will be flexible, inclusive, enquiry-based, employer-informed, and designed around the needs of all our students. We aim to develop our position as an innovative, teaching-oriented University, delivering sector-leading and life-changing educational and employment outcomes, and deliver research and innovation that impacts and enhances lives and society and underpins our educational offer.
https://www.bucks.ac.uk/about-us/how-our-university-operates/policies-and-strategies
Thrive 2028 is underpinned by four Strategic Priorities: Support Students to Succeed, Deliver Knowledge and Skills, Become a Fit and Agile Organization and Support our Places and our Partners, which aim to ensure that the University is better able to compete in the markets in which it operates – that it thrives, grows, develops, is successful, healthy and strong.
https://www.bucks.ac.uk/research
Our revised Research and KE Strategy was launched at the end of 2022 with the following key objectives and associated methodology/resources to facilitate our development and KE aspirations.
KE Objectives:
1. Build capacity in distinctive engaged research through increased and widened public and stakeholder engagement and follow a roadmap that will deliver Research Degree Awarding Powers (RDAP).
2. Develop the number and significance of our external research and knowledge exchange partnerships to maximise access to external funding, support knowledge exchange and the KEF and further enhance our own research portfolio.
3. Maximise the synergies between research, our curriculum, and our teaching, contributing to future TEF submissions by ensuring that our academics integrate our research impact into our curriculum.
4. Increase the sustainability of Bucks research and knowledge exchange by encouraging and incentivising our staff to engage in knowledge exchange activity, including consultancy, on behalf of the University
BNU’ s Innovation and Knowledge Exchange Manager (IKEM) works together with the research and enterprise team to achieve our KE ambitions and objectives. IKEM works collaboratively to expand upon relationships with new and existing partners, some of which include: Thames Valley Police; Buckinghamshire NHS Healthcare Trust; West London Mental Health NHS Trust; Buckinghamshire Council; Chiltern Landscape Partnership; Wycombe Museum; Ad Astra Teacher Training Network; and the GRT communities. BNU has also identified civic leads within the CIVIC university network.
BNU will continue working with its Student’s Union, rated one of the top 3 in the UK (NSS 2020) and the post graduate research students, rated No 1 in the UK (PRES 2022) to provide support, guidance and encouragement to institutional academics to increase KE activity.
For further information, please send queries to admissions@bnu.ac.uk
Local Growth and Regeneration
Summary of approach
BNU is a University with local roots and global ambitions. BNU’s Thrive 2028 Strategy positions it as outward-looking, recognising that its value and strength will depend upon how well it values and strengthens the communities in which it operates. These will be local, regional, national or global, depending on the expanding geographical reach of the University. The university has established its relevance and public confidence. Playing a different and important role at each of these geographical scales, the University works to enrich the civic fabric of the community, supporting its people, raising and meeting aspiration, developing culture, and all the while promoting our values, mission and strategic vision.
Aspect 1: Strategy
Buckinghamshire is a significant wealth generator for the UK economy, contributing over £1.63 billion to the UK economy in 2022. BNU’s beneficial impact is estimated to be £129 million annually, with £79 million contribution toward the local economy, reflecting the economic activity of the university’s staff and alumni.
BNU is committed to collaboration, working closely with key strategic partners to achieve its wider goals and fulfil its purpose and promise. We work with other higher education providers in key regional and national alliances, seeking to establish influence and the promotion of our strategic interests. We work with franchise and validation partners to ensure strategic alignment including excellent student outcomes and rebalance the source of our student numbers. We work in step with employers and industry, understanding their challenges and ensuring that our education, research, impact, enterprise and knowledge exchange are oriented to providing them with solutions. We reach out actively to engage with our communities, opening our doors to build awareness, trust and confidence. Lastly, we have created an active alumni community, supportive of our mission, and eager for lifelong association with the University.
Knowledge Exchange provides a means to ensure that BNU’s research is put to work on behalf of society, by pro-actively shaping the pathways from research to impact. Knowledge Exchange is an important contributor to BNU’s academic excellence and civic contribution priorities which are set out in the University’s Thrive 2028 strategy. BNU strives to deliver impactful research and teaching that encourages the innovation, leadership and vision needed to help our community thrive.
Exposure to real world problems outside of academia through mutual knowledge exchange often leads to longer term impactful relationships and increases the impact of research. Consultancy activity working with business and the community plays a key part in achieving our mission. We recognise and support creativity and entrepreneurship and, as sponsors of Buckinghamshire New Business of the Year Award and Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce - Commitment to the Community Award, we highlight how our civic role and responsibility is used more effectively as an agent to drive positive societal change.
Aspect 2: Activity
The University has embarked on a significant redevelopment of its principal campus in High Wycombe. The programme, a £16m investment in new facilities, will create a new centre for the campus, ensuring that students are at the heart of the University physically as well as functionally. We will create a three-story Atrium to accommodate receptions, shows, and graduation ceremonies, as well as provide quiet and calm social learning spaces. Technical workshops, supporting programmes in art, craft and design, have been repurposed and redeveloped at a cost of c. £1m to provide new, state-of-the art facilities.
This year also saw the completion of the 3rd floor of BNU’s Aylesbury Campus. With increasing demand for space to facilitate teaching in health and social care, this space has been redeveloped with c. £2m of capital funding from the Office for Students. This provides a step change in the technological base of the University’s knowledge exchange offer. It enabled the University to create a Centre of Excellence for Digital Health, working with its NHS Trust partners and the BNU Health and Social Care Academy, which the University helped to found.
The iconic landmark in High Wycombe, Brunel Shed, leased to BNU, will host permanent exhibitions highlighting research and enterprise successes and will also be the home of BNU’s Innovation Hub for students.
Our partnerships are a vital part of our success. As a university, we have excellent links with industry, associations and governing bodies. As a Placement Plus university, our partnerships help to enhance the way our students gain knowledge, skills and engage in activities at Bucks. The benefits our students bring to our partner businesses has also proved to be invaluable. You can read more about our valued strategic partnerships below.
https://www.bucks.ac.uk/about-us/our-valued-strategic-partnerships
To support local business and regeneration, we have published policies on preferential access to services and facilities such as our Bucks Health Tech and Digital Hubs and collaborate through long-established partnerships with local authorities and organisations such as Buckinghamshire Business First. At our two hubs, we provide a range of business support and community engagement services. It’s more than office space – it’s a supportive environment where you can develop ideas and reach your goals.
https://www.bucks.ac.uk/working-business/business-incubator-and-innovation
Buckinghamshire New University has received Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) funding to support a variety of projects that benefit Buckinghamshire’s economy and health sector, including its Health and Digital Business Hubs and the Bucks Health and Social Care Academy.
BNU’s Vice-Chancellor, Nick Braisby, chairs a county-wide group charged by Government that reports to the Buckinghamshire LEP Board and ensures that the skills taught in universities, schools and colleges match what local employers need for their businesses to thrive, both now and in the future. The Skills Advisory Panel (SAP) brings together local employers and education providers to address the county’s skills challenges, which include helping people who have lost their jobs because of COVID-19 to retrain or transfer their existing skills to another sector.
BNU has launched the Buckinghamshire Community Wellbeing Hub, a new joint project being delivered by Buckinghamshire New University and the Buckinghamshire Health and Social Care Academy (BHSCA).
Bucks Lifescience & innovation Centre - This innovative scheme was a collaboration between the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and Bucks New University, to establish two new business incubation and innovation hubs, one at Wycombe University campus and one at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, linking business to clinical research and healthcare services.
https://www.buckslep.co.uk/our-projects/local-growth-fund-projects/
Bucks LEP invested £1.64m of Local Growth Funding for the creation of a new bespoke education centre at Pinewood Studios for postgraduate and MA’s in Film and Creative related studies. The scheme will enable development of film and creative industries education and skills curriculum, with industry tailored courses in film, screen and creative media studies up to Level 4 and Foundation.
BNU has created the Centre for Advancement of Learning, Centre for Enhancement of the Environment and Innovation, Centre for Enrichment of Culture and Identity and Centre for Improvement of Health and Wellbeing with the aim to develop and accelerate the exploitation of BNU research and enterprise initiatives through the increased engagement with key stakeholders. This in turn will demonstrate the impact BNU's research has had and is having on society in the UK, both socially and economically. An initial £100,000 seed funding was made available to support 18 projects led by BNU academics
https://www.bucks.ac.uk/research/latest-projects-and-research
https://www.bucks.ac.uk/centre-advancement-learning
https://www.bucks.ac.uk/centre-enhancement-environment-and-innovation
https://www.bucks.ac.uk/centre-enrichment-culture-and-identity
https://www.bucks.ac.uk/centre-improvement-health-and-wellbeing
BNU provides accessible and appropriately promoted skills training for students who are expected to engage with non-academic partners. Examples include: the SU careers festival; skills and development sessions; University societies; professional body degree accreditation (e.g., Sports Therapy); and guest speaker lectures to encourage and promote career-building capacity
Buckinghamshire New University has partnered with Birmingham Enterprise Community to offer a free course on the sustainable and circular economy. The course has attracted more than 200 registrations from innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders who want to learn more about creating a sustainable future through business. Our ERDF- funded GLIDE programme also offers support for students wanting to establish and grow new enterprises and we have also recently signed an updated consortium agreement to extend our involvement as a partner institution involved in the MedTech SuperConnector scheme. In addition, the Research and Enterprise Directorate are working in partnership with the SU to launch an Enterprise Society this year. The participants on the GLIDE project have access to Amazon Web Services free of charge as a partnership with Amazon to support young entrepreneurs.
Aspect 3: Results
The current KTP programme at BNU is intended to revive the institution’s prior history of engaging with these partnerships which had in the past led to a series of projects developed with local business partners. Following the expansion of the team within the University’s Research and Enterprise Directorate to include a Knowledge Transfer Partnership Manager and an Innovation and Knowledge Exchange Manager, BNU is now witnessing an increased external engagement within the local community, both with local businesses and institutions increasing our research and enterprise impact, reputation and involvement within Buckinghamshire and the surrounding regions. BNU is also now represented to various local Chambers of Commerce and engages with the Buckinghamshire Unitary Authority through a range of partnerships and projects designed to ensure that we actively utilise our academic expertise to engage and participate in ways that benefit our external partners. BNU have recently been successful in two Knowledge Transfer Partnership applications and a KTP capacity building application with one more African Agriculture KTP successfully applied for in March 2023.
BNU’s KTP manager works exclusively to network and expand connections with SME’s and business in the local community. Through highlighting the expertise, knowledge, skills and facilities BNU has to offer to the local community, we will also seek to increase the number of institutional KTP’s we participate in.
BNU’s recent major transformation and rebrand prioritises impactful research and KE alongside education, investing in its staff, students and facilities to support its mission in becoming a research-informed institution. The rebranding of BNU in conjunction with the development of a new institutional website gives us a fresh image and further reinforces the positive progress BNU has achieved in quantifiable metrics such as the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), Research Excellence Framework and National Student Survey.
https://www.bucks.ac.uk/working-business/knowledge-transfer-partnerships
A partnership between Buckinghamshire New University, Creative Media Skills and Bucks LEP – the first of its kind in the in the UK – saw over 100 students in the past two years and applications increasing. An additional 1,400 sq ft has been acquired to expand degree and masters graduate offer.
https://www.bucks.ac.uk/alumni/glide-entrepreneurs-programme
BNU is a consortium member of the MedTech SuperConnector (MTSC) accelerator programme, led by Imperial College London, that provides funding, training, advice and access to industry networks. The MTSC allows Early Career Researchers to connect with peers from other academic institutions and facilitates the networking opportunities participants need to fast-track the translation of their MedTech research discoveries. The MTSC programme is now on the sixth cohort of grant funding allocations and, as part of this cohort, BNU has received an MTSC award to support the development of a mobile application that captures professional development whilst promoting mental wellbeing and reflection. The work funded through the MTSC demonstrates the potential to transform the health and social care landscape through translating research into innovative medical technologies.
The delivery partners include Bucks New University, Imperial College London, Queen Mary University of London, the Francis Crick Institute, Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music, The Institute of Cancer Research, and Royal Veterinary College.
https://medtechsuperconnector.com/partners/
BNU’s Head of School of Art, Design & Performance, Sri-Kartini Leet was appointed as commissioned artist for Amersham Museum, as part of a three-year partnership between Essex Cultural Diversity Project and Farnham Maltings, funded by the Rothschild Foundation. The aim of the commission is to work with adults aged 30 and under, to creatively capture and present recollections and stories about Amersham from a diverse range of local people who have been born since the museum opened in 1991.
BNU has become the Official Higher Education Partner of the Wycombe Wanderers football club, with a new three-year partnership that will offer students wide-ranging educational benefits and strengthen collaboration on civic engagement initiatives in the local community. The partnership will lead to more pathways into the football industry for BNU students, some of whom already engage with the football club in the sports therapy department, with casual employment opportunities also available for students.
https://www.bucks.ac.uk/news/bnu-and-wycombe-wanderers-score-new-three-year-partnership
Public & Community Engagement
Summary of approach
BNU aims to be a catalyst for change, enriching local and global communities through community engagement. We are proud of our diverse and inclusive University community, working to remove barriers and provide transformative education for all. Our external engagement aligns with our University strategy, Thrive 2028, emphasizing connection, customer focus, business orientation, strategic alignment, and impact. Building partnerships and alliances, both locally and globally, is a crucial part of our strategy.
Aspect 1: Strategy
BNU’s overarching aim is to be a recognised catalyst for change with our community engagement work. We will do this by:
Strengthening the University’s voice and staff participation to raise BNU’s profile and instil public confidence in our institution, research and community programmes through our civic activities.
Capturing and monitoring the myriad of civic engagement activities across BNU to assess the impact generated from these stakeholder relationships, and identify where contacts need to be repaired, reignited or even established.
Launching a stakeholder engagement index to measure and track the favourability and impact of our civic engagement work with key influencers to inform our strategy and action plans.
Procuring a new stakeholder relationship management system to interact with key civic engagement audience groups, including alumni, businesses, charities, NGOs and the public sector.
Identify and promote high-quality P&CE activities.
Equality, diversity and inclusion is key to our strategy. This underpins how we respect and value others and champion an inclusive community that transforms lives.
https://www.bucks.ac.uk/about-us/what-we-stand/championing-equality-diversity-and-inclusion
Buckinghamshire New University focuses on building skills through public and community engagement. We involve the public, community organizations, and professionals in collaborative projects, work-based learning, community outreach, knowledge exchange, and CPD initiatives. This contributes to the development of a skilled and empowered community.
Figure 1 – BNU’s Engagement Map
Governance
The Communication and Civic Engagement Committee oversees the university's public and community engagement strategy.
The Research and Enterprise Committee monitors research performance, identifies priority areas, and supports public and community engagement.
The University Research Ethics Panel reviews the Ethics Framework, promotes ethical research practices, and considers equality, diversity, and inclusion policies.
The Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee provides strategic direction for creating an inclusive culture, fostering diversity, and sharing evidence-based practices in EDI internally and externally.
Aspect 2: Support
The key staff roles that will lead and support public and community engagement are:
Director of VC Communications & Civic Engagement
Head of Civic Engagement & Communications
Director of Research & Enterprise Directorate
Innovation & Knowledge Exchange Manager
Deputy VC – (Research & Enterprise & Schools)
Impact Centre Leads from the Centres for Advancement of Learning, Enhancement of the Environment and Innovation, Enrichment of Culture and Identity, and Improvement of Health and Wellbeing.
Additional staff supporting BNU’s public and community engagement activities are:
Civic Engagement Officers, Research Facilitators, Communication Officers and appropriate school academics.
Our staff members are currently funded through various sources: HEIF, Innovate UK, Buckinghamshire Levelling Up Programme, UKRI – Research England. We place a strong emphasis on integrating community engagement into our existing activities and strive to enhance efficiency and productivity through effective coordination and partnerships. BNU actively seeks institutional awards that support our impact, innovation, and knowledge exchange agendas, as well as individual applications to Research Councils, other agencies for research projects and programs, or centres for doctoral training funding. We will also actively pursue bids to external funding schemes that align with our vision. As opportunities arise, we will continue to seek external funding to support and expand our Public and Community Engagement across the University.
BNU offers various formal and informal awards that highlight and showcase exemplary public and community engagement activities. Formal awards include: The BNU Impact Awards; the Students Union Awards; Excellence in Learning and Teaching Awards; and Partnership Awards.
BNU Impact Awards, Civic Impact Category celebrates outstanding colleagues that champion our DRIVE values and high level of positive impact on one or more population demographics at local or national level through collaboration with new or existing external partners.
Our collaborations with the Clare Foundation, Buckinghamshire Business First, The Oasis Partnership and Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce facilitate the work and partnerships between key stakeholders, partners, businesses, and charitable organisations to facilitate positive change in Buckinghamshire.
BNU successfully retained its Gold Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Accreditation award in a national scheme which recognises sustainable and ethical businesses. BNU was awarded the highest Gold Accreditation as “visible testimony of its excellence” in CSR, following an independent assessment by an accreditation panel. The University was rated across four areas: environment; philanthropy; community and workplace.
BNU is part of the panel that judges the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Awards - Commitment to the Community category where the achievements of businesses, charities and inspirational individuals throughout the region are recognised.
BNU is a partner in Study Higher, part of the National Collaborative Outreach Programme, which targets students from areas where progression to higher education is low. BNU takes part in joint ventures with our partners – Oxford Brookes University, The University of Reading and The University of Oxford.
BNU’s volunteering policy gives all staff two days paid leave each year to support charities of their choice. Charities which continue to benefit from this initiative include the Samaritans, Hounds for Heroes, One Can Trust, Blood Bikes, and local hospices. BNU Students' Union also promotes
volunteering to students and a total of 16,058 volunteering hours were logged in 2021-22 by BNU.
Aspect 3: Activity
Community and civic engagement
BNU supports the community in tackling food poverty by collaborating with Wycombe Food Hub. We have initiatives to assist students, staff, and the local community amidst the cost of living crisis. The Students' Union organizes regular volunteering at the local food bank, One Can Trust. Additionally, a Master's student in Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) works closely with Khepera Org, focusing on a healthier lifestyle. This includes online education on '360 health,' emphasizing sleep hygiene, and organizing follow-up consultations resulting in positive lifestyle improvements.
Volunteering our time to help others
The University's volunteering policy grants staff two days of paid leave annually to support charities. Beneficiaries of this initiative include Samaritans, Hounds for Heroes, One Can Trust, Blood Bikes, and local hospices. BNU Students' Union encourages student volunteering, resulting in 16,058 logged hours in 2021-22. We take pride in the impactful contributions of our University community to local communities.
Providing financial support
In 2021-22, over 500 students in need received £500,000 through our non-repayable bursaries.
BNU allocates £1.6m for the Big Deal, offering free recreation, sports, and skills development opportunities to all students, regardless of income.
Buckinghamshire New University is the main funding partner of BNU Students' Union, an independent educational charity focused on improving student life. We invest in the Students' Union to support their work in student development, community engagement, charity fundraising, volunteering, citizenship, and promoting fair trade, sustainability, social inclusion, and environmental practices.
Opening our doors to the community
In 2021-22, we held two free exhibitions celebrating Arts and Design and our Armed Forces, showcasing the talents of our staff and students to the High Wycombe community.
We are honored to host NDACA, the National Disability Arts Collection and Archive, featuring over 3,500 artworks. This commitment reflects our dedication to supporting achievement within the disabled community.
Outreach and widening participation
We continued our commitment to widening participation by collaborating with local schools and colleges. Across 217 BNU events, almost 3,500 school pupils participated. Throughout the year, we delivered over 1,200 hours of engaging activities, including taster days, careers events, and guidance sessions for students from Years 8 to 13, both virtually and in person.
In line with our widening participation efforts, we invited local school pupils to a Q&A session during Black History Month. Inspiring Black professionals from our organization answered their questions about combating racism and shared personal experiences.
External engagement
To support our healthcare expansion, BNU secured funds from the OfS for refurbishing the third floor at our Aylesbury campus. This will establish a Centre of Excellence in Digital Healthcare and a Health Clinic for the local community. The state-of-the-art facilities include an immersive virtual reality room, enabling various immersive environments and interactive patient scenarios. These changes facilitate increased external engagement, particularly with the local Buckinghamshire NHS Trust and Buckinghamshire Council. BNU actively engages with Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Buckinghamshire Council to drive the skills agenda and support their ambitions. We collaborate with local educational institutions to address skills needs, belong to the Arc Universities Group, and provide incubation spaces for entrepreneurs. The expansion of our health and social care programs, along with the Institute for Health and Social Care (IHSC), contributes to shaping the regional and national health and social care agenda. BNU's partnership with healthcare providers and FE colleges ensures the delivery of relevant work-based training and addresses the region's health needs.
National Disability Arts Collection and Archive
https://www.bucks.ac.uk/news/bnu-wows-thousands-young-people-bucks-skills-show
Aspect 4: Enhancing practice
BNU took the following steps to enhance institutional P&CE and support evaluation and reflection on practice:
The dedicated staff and department for P&CE are part of the Directorate of Civic Engagement which has a newly appointed Head of Civic Engagement and Communications
BNU Impact Awards for Civic Impact
Mapping and analysis of Public Engagement with Knowledge Exchange activities and support accross the university
Stakeholder relationship management system for all contacts linked to community engagement work.
Conducting a perception survey to learn what the public and trusted stakeholders think, know and want of us.
BNU’s P&CE strategy identified the following KPIs to evaluate the delivery of strategic goals:
Increase awareness of P&CE across the University and encourage participation (Aspect 1.1)
Improved leadership across the entire university directorates to actively promote and demonstrate commitment to P&CE (Aspect 1.1)
Raise the profile of BNU’s P&CE activities to the national and international research and innovation community. (Aspect 1.1)
Develop the best model for supporting P&CE at the institutional, divisional and departmental level. (Aspect 1.2)
Deliver capacity building and tolls to enhance knowledge to secure funding for P&CE (Aspect 1.3 & 1.4)
Align planning, executing and evaluating P&CE activities with best practice (Aspect 1.2)
Recognise and reward internally high-quality P&CE activities and encourage application to external awards (Aspect 1.5)
Increase opportunities for staff and students to get involved in P&CE activities (Aspect 1.1)
Aspect 5: Building on success
Figure 3 - BNU’s key governance and accountability mechanisms
Our strategic approach for P&CE aims to achieve significant progress towards each stated objective:
| Objective | HOW |
|---|---|
1. Increase awareness of P&CE across the University and encourage participation Goals - Business Development & Outreach |
Communications activities to academic, research and professional services staff across the University via newsletters, websites, meetings discussions at Divisional and Departmental committees and meetings, staff networks. |
2. Improved leadership across the entire university directorates to actively promote and demonstrate commitment to P&CE Goals - Advocacy |
Key senior staff to act as ambassadors for P&CE raising BNU’s visibility and promoting its importance, value and benefits; ensure P&CE is embedded into future strategic planning and decision making. |
| Include P&CE as part of BNU’s Innovation Funding (HEIF) strategy. | |
| Establish a P&CE Advisory Network. | |
3. Raise the profile of BNU’s P&CE activities to the national and international research and innovation community Goals- Business Development, Community engagement, Skills and knowledge Development, Local Regeneration, Volunteering |
Communicate consistent, clear messages to validate, support and celebrate P&CE across the University and enable staff to take part in P&CE conferences and workshops. |
| Consult with peer universities to share learning and best practice. | |
| Scope out the specific issues and ways to support BNU’s academics and researchers to undertake P&CE activities. | |
4. Develop the best model for supporting P&CE at the institutional, divisional and departmental level Goals – Skills and Knowledge Development |
Create a financial model for supporting P&CE at institutional level |
| Consult with communities, organisations and other HEIs to share learning and best practice | |
| Establish P&CE research grants | |
| Stakeholder relationship management system to interact with key civic engagement audience groups, including alumni, businesses, charities, NGOs and the public sector. | |
5. Deliver capacity building and tools to enhance knowledge to secure funding for P&CE Goals – Skills and knowledge development, Business Development |
Develop tools, resources and training to encourage and support staff apply for P&CE funding |
| Identify and address barriers in uptake of P&CE activities at institutional level | |
6. Align planning, executing and evaluating P&CE activities with best practice Goals - Skills and knowledge development, Business Development |
Identify and promote the best P&CE case studies at institutional level |
| Develop and deliver events and seminars for academics and PSE staff to share P&CE best practice | |
| Integrate P&CE and KE strategies | |
7. Recognise and reward internally high-quality P&CE activities and encourage application to external awards Goals – Community engagement |
BNU Impact Awards for Civic Engagement |
| Formal recognition and reward in job descriptions, appraisals and promotion criteria | |
8. Increase opportunities for staff and students to get involved in P&CE activities Goals – Community Engagement, Volunteering, Advocacy |
Raising BNU’s visibility and promoting its importance, value and benefits |
| Capturing and monitoring the P&CE activities across BNU to assess the impact generated from these stakeholder relationships | |
To better inform BNU’s P&CE strategy, we are seeking the public’s views and concerns about our research, P&CE activities and welcome the opportunity to benefit from fresh perspectives and insights through public debates; online consultations; panels and focus groups.
We are working with our communities to help define future research direction, policy or implementation of research outcomes and P&CE benefits through co-production of knowledge and public involvement.
We use perception surveys to learn what the public and trusted stakeholders think, know and want of us and the conclusions drawn inform our P&CE strategy.
Evaluation
We have completed the EDGE analysis to benchmark and improve our work and build awareness among staff, community and stakeholders. We are committed to repeating the analysis to monitor progress and gather evidence to enhance practice and community engagement.
We are conducting spot perception surveys with the public to fine tune our communication and awareness raising initiatives for P&CE.
BNU’s Reports and public information are listed below:
https://www.bucks.ac.uk/about-us/reports-and-public-information
Note You are currently viewing the latest version of this narrative statement. View the previous version as published in previous iterations of the KEF (KEF1 and KEF2)