Call for partners to trial researcher training and networking

The Developing Business-Aware Academics project is calling for higher education partners to trial initiatives that support postgraduate and early-career researchers to develop the skills and mindsets to transform research into action. Funding is available to cover the costs of delivery.  

The call for Expressions of Interest is OPEN NOW and CLOSES 1 May 2026. 

DBAA initiatives offer evidence-based templates to support academic researchers to engage with non-academic organisations. The templates include a researcher workshop, and three immersive experiential initiatives – an exhibition experience, workplace visit and networking event. All initiatives are suitable for researchers with little or no experience of external engagement. 

Over the past six months DBAA has developed and trialled pilot initiatives to more than 200 postgraduate and early-career researchers. Each event has been evaluated and, while data from follow-up surveys is still being collected, a picture is starting to emerge showing how the researchers grew in confidence, competence and, importantly, how they built connections with non-academic organisations and started to explore pathways to transform their research into action. 

To scale our approach, we are now calling for HE institutions in England to trial DBAA templates in their own contexts and help to build an evidence-led blueprint for business-aware academics. 

Further information

Sign up to one of our Q&A sessions here or get in touch with the team at DBAA@exeter.ac.uk.