Developing Business-Aware Academics announces three new partners at annual event
Springer Nature, Cancer Research UK and Cancer Research Horizons were welcomed to the project at an event at The Shard in London
The Developing Business-Aware Academics (DBAA) project welcomed new strategic partners Springer Nature, Cancer Research UK and Cancer Research Horizons to the project at their annual evening reception hosted in collaboration with the Institute for Collaborative Working and Warwick Business School at The Shard in London on the 2nd of July.
The event, ‘Unlocking the potential of academic research for impact and innovation’, brought together more than 70 senior leaders from 40 organisations across academia, business, non-profits, and policy organisations to explore new ways of working to transform research into action for economic and societal impact.
Graphic illustrations of the event by James the Scribe: www.jamesthescribe.com
An inspirational call to action from Lord Jim Knight brought home the urgency of improving interactions between industry, academia and government in the light of the government’s new Industrial Strategy.
A lively panel discussion, chaired by David Payne, who leads the science journal Nature’s careers editorial team, brought diverse perspectives that converged on the need for doctoral and early-career researchers to gain practical business experience, as well as access to networking and training, to build the skills, confidence and contacts to connect with non-academic organisations.
DBAA’s new partnerships with the academic publisher, Springer Nature; the medical research charity, Cancer Research UK (CRUK); and CRUK’s translational arm, Cancer Research Horizons (CRH), will help to drive forward the design and testing of new initiatives, building on the project’s growing evidence base to better understand the enablers and motivators for researcher engagement beyond academia.
Daren Howell, Vice President, Nature Research Intelligence said: “Our partnership with DBAA will explore innovative ways to monitor and measure research impact, and support researchers to thrive amid a rapidly-changing research landscape.”
Dr Marjolein Schaap, Research Careers & Culture Programme Manager at Cancer Research UK said: “Working across boundaries, disciplines or sectors will enrich the skills and experience of our researchers and drive impactful cancer research. Therefore, we are excited to work with DBAA through collaborative events, networking and training as we explore the best ways to support our researchers to engage with industry – and other non-academic organisations.”
Dr Alessia Errico, Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Programmes Lead at Cancer Research Horizons said: “Promoting an entrepreneurial culture within the academic sector is hugely important for us, to ensure maximum potential for translation of new cancer research innovations to the clinic. We are looking forward to working with DBAA to explore new and innovative ways of embedding this culture in our research teams.”
Professor Alison Truelove, Project Director of DBAA at the University of Exeter Business School, said: “Our new partners, both leaders in their fields of academic publishing and medical research respectively, are crucial additions to the DBAA project. Together we will draw on each other’s expertise and networks to explore strategic and practical approaches to break down barriers to researcher engagement beyond academia.”
Springer Nature is one of the leading publishers of research in the world supporting researchers to uncover new ideas and share their discoveries, health professionals to stay at the forefront of medical science, and educators to advance learning.
Cancer Research UK is the world’s largest independent cancer research charity, working to make cancer treatment more effective, more accessible, and kinder to patients across the world.
Cancer Research Horizons takes cutting-edge innovations from the lab bench to the bedside, translating them into effective tools, treatments and diagnostics for people with cancer.
Developing Business-Aware Academics is a four-year (2023-2027) £5m Research England project, based at the University of Exeter Business School and working in collaboration with the Chartered Association of Business Schools and a network of academic, business, policy and non-profit partners. The project’s initiatives seek to encourage mobility of people and ideas, boost the economy, and enable a healthier, more sustainable and socially-just future for all.
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