Supporting you to deliver purposeful societal impact
Warwick Impact Labs bring together staff, students, industry partners, and community organisations to address some of society’s most pressing challenges.
Inspired by the internationally recognised Impact Labs model established by Taylor’s UniversityLink opens in a new window, this initiative further embeds transdisciplinary, purpose‑driven practice into the heart of Warwick’s teaching and research culture.
Join the community
Whether you have an existing project idea or simply want to explore potential opportunities, we welcome colleagues from all disciplines and services.
For a no‑commitment, exploratory discussion, please contact:
Parmjit Dhugga, Head of Skills (Student Opportunity)
Why get involved?
Grounded in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Warwick Impact Labs offer an environment where staff can connect their expertise with real‑world impact, influence policy and practice, and contribute to meaningful societal transformation.
1. Collaborate across disciplines and sectors
Impact Labs provide a platform for staff to work alongside colleagues from other departments, students, businesses, NGOs, and civic partners. These collaborations support richer inquiry, practical innovation, and shared solutions to complex issues.
2. Enhance teaching with experiential, purpose‑led learning
Impact Labs allow you to embed live, socially relevant projects into your teaching, giving students opportunities to apply their learning while developing critical life skills such as leadership, empathy, and resilience.
3. Amplify the real‑world impact of your research
The Impact Labs model integrates education, applied research, and advocacy. This creates a natural route for academic colleagues to translate research into community engagement, policy development, commercial innovation, or public awareness campaigns.
4. Build purposeful partnerships
With an emphasis on long‑term collaboration, Impact Labs help staff build networks with organisations whose missions align with their own areas of expertise, strengthening both research pipelines and societal relevance.
5. Shape the next generation of changemakers
Your involvement helps equip Warwick students to become thoughtful, capable contributors to global challenges such as health, sustainability, poverty, digital inclusion, and community wellbeing.
Impact Lab thematic areas
Warwick Impact Labs draw inspiration from a globally recognised set of thematic domains, enabling wide academic participation across disciplines. Example themes include but are not limited to:
Active Ageing – Promoting independence and improved quality of life for older adults.
Digital Health & Medical Innovation – Advancing accessible, affordable healthcare solutions.
Education for All – Supporting inclusive learning for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.
Eradicating Poverty – Addressing basic needs, empowerment, and economic resilience.
Sustainable Tourism – Encouraging responsible, ethical development in tourism.
These themes create broad entry points for Warwick staff across STEM, social sciences, arts, humanities, business, and medical fields.
How staff can participate
There are many ways for staff to become involved, regardless of discipline or experience with community‑engaged work:
Co‑design or lead an Impact Lab
Embed an Impact Lab activity into an existing module
Partner with industry or community lab collaborators
Supervise or mentor student project teams
Contribute expertise to policy, advocacy or public engagement initiatives
Participation is flexible and can be scaled to your interests, time, and priorities.
Benefits for academic staff
Create impact‑driven research outputs with real-world beneficiaries.
Enhance the student experience through live projects and authentic assessments.
Strengthen funding bids with collaborative, SDG‑aligned impact narratives.
Grow interdisciplinary networks across Warwick and beyond.
Support Warwick’s strategic commitments to inclusion, civic impact and global engagement.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What are Impact Labs?
Impact Labs are collaborative projects that bring together any combination of Warwick UG, PGT, or PGR students, plus academics, external partners and community stakeholders to address societal challenges aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They integrate education, research, and advocacy to co‑create practical solutions. Please note that all Impact Labs must include students whose skills development is one of the main reasons for offering these project opportunities.
2. How do Impact Labs benefit staff at Warwick?
Staff can use Impact Labs to develop innovative teaching approaches, expand interdisciplinary collaboration, connect with external partners, support applied research, and contribute to meaningful societal change.
3. How can Impact Labs be embedded into my teaching?
Impact Labs can be integrated as projects, assessments, modules, or co‑curricular activities. They offer a flexible framework for experiential and purpose‑led learning.
4. What support is available to help me incorporate an Impact Lab into my curriculum?
The Skills team provides guidance on lab design, resources, partner engagement, funding opportunities, and student support. Staff can receive help at all stages, from idea development to delivery and evaluation.
5. Are Impact Labs suitable only for certain disciplines?
No. Impact Labs are intentionally transdisciplinary, enabling contributions from all departments, arts, social sciences, STEM, business, health, and more. Many societal challenges require cross‑disciplinary perspectives.
6. What types of themes or challenges do Impact Labs focus on?
Examples include Active Ageing, Digital Health, Education for All, Food Security, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Liveable Urban Communities, and Sustainable Tourism. Labs can also be developed around new SDG aligned themes relevant to staff expertise.
7. Do I need external partners to run an Impact Lab?
External partners are encouraged and are likely to be key to ensuring a societal benefit outcome. Impact Labs can involve community organisations, NGOs, industry partners, local government or other educational institutions. The Skills team can help facilitate connections.
8. What are the expectations for staff delivering an Impact Lab?
Staff shape the challenge, guide students through inquiry and project delivery, collaborate with partners, and support reflection on impact. The approach encourages facilitation rather than traditional instruction.
9. How do Impact Labs enhance student learning and development?
Students gain teamwork, leadership, project management, research skills, and practical experience while contributing to solutions that benefit society. They also build portfolios that enhance their employability personal development.
10. How is impact measured within an Impact Lab?
Impact is evaluated through societal outcomes, partner feedback, student learning gains, sustainability of project outputs, and alignment or critical engagement with relevant SDGs.
11. Can Impact Labs support my research or knowledge exchange activity?
Yes. Impact Labs often generate community‑focused research opportunities, applied research data, KEF‑aligned outputs, and pathways to policy influence or public engagement.
12. Are there funding opportunities available for staff?
Yes. The Skills team provides access to funding and practical support for staff who wish to launch new Impact Labs or expand existing ones. Details will become available here on the Impact Labs website once DAE Philanthropic funding allocations are announced in October 2026.
13. How much time is required to run an Impact Lab?
The commitment varies depending on scale and format. Labs can be short‑term interventions, term‑long modules, or ongoing research‑and‑engagement projects. The Skills team can help you design a model that fits your workload.
14. Can I collaborate with colleagues from other departments?
Absolutely. Interdisciplinary collaboration is central to the Impact Labs model. Staff are encouraged to co‑design and co‑deliver labs across departments and faculties.
15. How do I start developing an Impact Lab?
Contact the Skills team to discuss your interests, potential challenge themes, project design considerations and available support. We will help you shape a proposal and explore opportunities for partnerships and funding.
