What we do

Read below about our activities and mechanisms for supporting impactful research

Amplifying impact

CAMaCS operates as a single point of reference to support academics to establish and drive research towards impact with the long-view in mind. This can be done via multiple strategic approaches, for example:

Promoting strong pan-campus engagement, matching skill set to opportunity in the spaces of data-driven, mathematical and AI modelling, building teams and hosting discussion to explore some of the many interdisciplinary grant calls with fast turnarounds.
Supporting dialogue with industry and pursuing different forms of research collaborative relationships, whether via PhD funding, long-term collaborative project funding, consultancy contracting, or other forms of knowledge exchange.

CAMaCS has two flagship schemes to add value to impact facing research:

Innovation Research Associates (InRAs):InRAs are a new type of researcher working to support multiple projects in the space of “impactful research”. InRAs serve as a research intermediary for hand-in-hand impact driven research collaborations between academics and external partners. This provides the gift of time and research support that would otherwise come as relatively costly investment. Through their principal role in undertaking quantitative/AI modelling, as well as acting as a scientific intermediary between mathematical/AI researchers and other academics/stakeholders/partners, InRAs are included in grant proposals and industry-funded projects.
Impact Fellowship Scheme (IFS):CAMaCS recognises that there are times in the lifecycle of impact delivery which need the specific focus of academic leads, e.g. “getting impact over the finish line”. The IFS is a robust scheme that will allow colleagues to bid for time buy-out at critical junctures along the pathway to impact. Details of this scheme will follow soon.

Problem formulation and knowledge exchange

Problem formulation and knowledge exchange

We are open to creative approaches for supporting impactful research. Our 'Thinkubators' and 'Impact Labs' have so far proven to be fruitful mechanisms for fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. You can read more about these activities below:

Thinkubators

'Thinkubators'

Industrial and societal challenges require interdisciplinary knowledge and engagement. Problem-formulation or 'sandpit' workshops with mathematical sciences have proven efficacy.

Our Thinkubator “input the challenge, output the question” approach formulates a technically precise series of questions within the framework of a full knowledge exchange, where a traditional “question and answer” approach may overlook valuable research avenues.

Each Thinkubator is designed bespoke for each challenge partner. However, they follow our core structure, which has been shown to give the best results.

Impact Labs

'Impact Labs'

An Impact Lab is a dynamic workshop designed to create a clear roadmap for translating research into real-world impact. Tailored for projects that are complete or nearing completion, the session brings together key players - the project team, academics, InRA members, and impact and funding experts - to collaborate and innovate.

After a concise project overview, participants brainstorm actionable strategies that may lead to new funding opportunities or industry partnerships, ensuring that the research delivers measurable and practical benefits.

Training and public engagement

CAMaCS incorporates the perspectives of external partners into undergraduate courses, postgraduate training, and CDTs. Graduate students are encouraged to work on CAMaCS projects as part of their PhDs as well as through special internships, building on a firm foundation already laid down by the MathSys and HetSys CDTs as well as the Mathematics, Statistics and Computing Sciences CDTs.

CAMaCS complements externally facing engagement activities across participating departments through an outreach programme to market the value of Warwick Mathematical and Computing Sciences research to the public and to potential project partners. This involves working with staff and students to create videos, curate a social media identity, write blog posts, enter competitions, write case studies, design reusable outreach content, and to organise public lectures and events.

Details of training available for PGR students, delivered by our Innovation Research Associate Dr Kat Phillips o fKatDoesMaths, will be published here soon.

How can we work together?

When a company or academic reaches out for collaboration, our Programme Manager and members of our core management team will start by taking a quick look at whether the collaboration could be mutually beneficial. If we feel the project falls outside our area of expertise or does not have a clear impact pathway, we will suggest alternative solutions. If the collaboration looks promising for both parties, we bring in the rest of the CAMaCS team to explore the idea further. This deeper conversation usually leads to one of two paths:

- Thinkubator event: we might organise a full-day workshop where we work together to transform the partner’s problem into a clear mathematical question. By the end of the day, we come away with a roadmap of potential avenues to solve the problem. If funding is not available immediately, we put the project on hold while we actively look for the right resources. If there is direct funding available immediately, we move forward with the project delivery.

- Joint grant application: alternatively, we might decide to collaborate on a grant proposal. If the grant is approved, we then move forward together to deliver the project.

All projects are delivered with the support of one or more Innovation Research Associate (InRA) or Innovation Research Intern (InRI) support. These CAMaCS postdoctoral researchers have abroad range of expertise and a passion for interdisciplinary work. Beyond traditional academic research, they focus on monitoring the pathway to impact by assisting with publications of research work or developing research software when needed and ensuring that the project delivers societal benefits.

Towards the end of a project, we then host a two- to three-hour in-person Impact Lab workshop dedicated to mapping out the pathway to impact. This shorter workshop typically results in one of two routes forward:

- Agree clear actions towards impact: we establish specific, actionable steps to achieve impact, with regular check-ins with the lead academic(s)to monitor progress. This ensures that all necessary evidence and metrics are in place for a potential REF impact case study.

- Identify funding for further research: if the current project does not cover all the work needed for full impact realisation, we propose a follow up project. This new project will re-enter our workflow through the joint grant application step of the process and continue until we reach the outcome of clear, agreed upon actions for impact.

Our workflow: