Impact UK Location: Glasgow

REF impact found 208 Case Studies

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Africa in Motion: Enhancing Public Awareness of African Cinema in Scotland, the UK and Internationally

Summary of the impact

The Africa in Motion Film Festival (AiM), based in Glasgow and Edinburgh, directly emerged from research led by David Murphy and a community of postgraduate students at the University of Stirling. The festival has attracted new audiences for African cinema (over 20,000 spectators since 2006) and contributed to wider debates about it amongst the general public, NGOs, as well as cinephiles in Scotland and more widely. In particular, two projects on the `lost classics' of African cinema allowed neglected films to be discovered both by a general audience and influential film critics/journalists.

Submitting Institution

University of Stirling

Unit of Assessment

English Language and Literature

Summary Impact Type

Cultural

Research Subject Area(s)

Studies In Creative Arts and Writing: Film, Television and Digital Media
Language, Communication and Culture: Cultural Studies
History and Archaeology: Historical Studies

An innovative approach to cooling underground railways through the application of sustainable ground source geothermal engineering.

Summary of the impact

This case study demonstrates how research into ground source geothermal cooling has benefited a public service organisation (London Underground Ltd (LUL)), an international engineering consultancy (Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB)) and the safety and comfort of staff and users of the London Underground.

Impact includes:

  • Implementation of the cooling method at Green Park and Oxford Circus stations in 2012;
  • Inclusion of the cooling approach within LUL's £500m Victoria line upgrade (2013);
  • Additional revenues of £500k (PB) and new contract research for LSBU (£500k);
  • A new commercial capability in design and analysis of ground water cooling (PB);
  • Creation of a specialised professional level post (PB);
  • A 2012 Rail Business Award for environmental innovation (LUL);
  • International adoption and significant interest in the cooling method.

Submitting Institution

London South Bank University

Unit of Assessment

General Engineering

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Engineering: Environmental Engineering, Interdisciplinary Engineering
Built Environment and Design: Building

Applications of threaded-fastener research leading to improved plant and transportation safety

Summary of the impact

This case study outlines how research into the frictional behaviour of nuts and bolts (threaded fasteners) has found commercial applications and contributed to the improved safety of transport systems, industrial plant and equipment. A number of significant impacts have developed from a long-term research association between this UoA and the company Bolt Science, based in Chorley, Lancashire. Drawing on UCLan-based research, training materials have been developed by Bolt Science and delivered globally to encourage the safe and correct use of threaded fasteners in the engineering industry. Bolt Science have drawn on research conducted at UClan to inform a major accident investigation by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch as well as solutions to problems in other engineering applications.

Submitting Institution

University of Central Lancashire

Unit of Assessment

General Engineering

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Chemical Sciences: Analytical Chemistry
Engineering: Mechanical Engineering
Medical and Health Sciences: Clinical Sciences

Augmented digital representations of cultural heritage enabling interactive virtual museums

Summary of the impact

Research at Sussex has enabled the development of interactive virtual museums, which include the Church of Santa Chiara in the Victoria and Albert Museum`s Medieval and Renaissance Galleries, and Sierra Leone digital collections both online and also recently exhibited at the British Museum. These developments apply Internet, XML, 3D visualisation and database technologies in novel ways. Impacts of the research are social and cultural, through support for social cohesion and the public`s greater awareness and understanding of their cultural heritage; impacts are also in the area of public services, by enabling 2017memory institutions` to improve their service delivery by increasing the global reach of their exhibits and the depth of their engagement with visitors.

Submitting Institution

University of Sussex

Unit of Assessment

Computer Science and Informatics

Summary Impact Type

Cultural

Research Subject Area(s)

Studies In Creative Arts and Writing: Film, Television and Digital Media
Language, Communication and Culture: Cultural Studies
History and Archaeology: Curatorial and Related Studies

Biocompatible polymer coatings for the long-term implantation of biomedical devices in humans

Summary of the impact

Biomedical devices that need to be implanted into the body typically experience the so-called foreign-body reaction: proteins adhere to the surface of the devices, leading to rapid loss of function and, eventually, to a requirement for replacing the device. Between October 2006 and September 2011, The University of Reading, in collaboration with the UK SME BioInteractions Ltd., developed and evaluated a range of new polymers for coating implantable biomedical devices, especially coronary stents and catheters. The result was a coating system that can deliver a drug controllably over a pre-defined period, leading to the commercial biomaterials platforms AdaptTM and AssistTM. This work resulted in capital investment by Biointeractions Ltd and a substantial increase in their research staffing.

Submitting Institution

University of Reading

Unit of Assessment

Chemistry

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Chemical Sciences: Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry
Engineering: Biomedical Engineering, Materials Engineering

Biopta: Delivering Drug Testing in Human Tissues to Big Pharma

Summary of the impact

Biopta is a profitable, award-winning company spin-out from Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU). Established in 2002, to deliver commercial products and services developed by university employees, it employs 19 staff across its Glasgow and Beltsville (Maryland USA) offices. It specialises in the provision of instruments and services monitoring drug effects in ethically donated, healthy and diseased human tissue, and counts eight of the top 10 major pharmaceutical companies as clients. To date, Biopta has provided early stage testing on more than 400 new drugs, designed to treat conditions such as high blood pressure, asthma and irritable bowel syndrome, determining their efficacy and potential side effects.

Submitting Institution

Glasgow Caledonian University

Unit of Assessment

Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Cardiorespiratory Medicine and Haematology, Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Medical Physiology

Centre for Enabling Technology Generates Economic Impact on a Worldwide Scale

Summary of the impact

The Scottish Centre for Enabling Technologies (SCET) operates as a core element of UWS's Knowledge Exchange Strategy. Formed in 2008 to redress the effects of increasing offshoring in the UK IT industry (high-valued jobs being sourced outside the UK), SCET has assisted over 175 companies with short-term project interventions in creative technologies (database, web and mobile applications) since its formation. SCET's activities have been evaluated, and economic impact has been shown to exceed £80m. Companies report increased investment in innovation by £4.6m, 200 new products or processes introduced, almost 500 new jobs created, 940 jobs safeguarded and 9 new companies formed.

Submitting Institution

University of the West of Scotland

Unit of Assessment

Computer Science and Informatics

Summary Impact Type

Economic

Research Subject Area(s)

Information and Computing Sciences: Computer Software, Information Systems
Studies In Human Society: Policy and Administration

Changing clinical guidelines and government policy on VTE prevention among women

Summary of the impact

Approximately 25,000 people in the UK die each year from venous thromboembolism (VTE); furthermore, VTE affects 1 in 100,000 women of childbearing age and causes one-third of all maternal deaths. Thrombophilia, pregnancy and the use of oral oestrogens can all place women at increased risk of VTE when compared with other individuals. University of Glasgow researchers quantified the probability of VTE among at-risk women and analysed the benefits and cost-effectiveness of thrombophilia screening. Their research is cited in the recommendations and evidence bases of leading national and international clinical guidelines. This work also galvanised an overhaul of VTE prevention policy within NHS Scotland by emphasising the need for regional health boards to implement and audit standardised in-house protocols and provide accessible patient information on VTE.

Submitting Institution

University of Glasgow

Unit of Assessment

Clinical Medicine

Summary Impact Type

Health

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Cardiorespiratory Medicine and Haematology, Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine, Public Health and Health Services

Child protection, sexual abuse and welfare: raising awareness, shaping policy and changing practice in youth sport.

Summary of the impact

The research on which this case study is based has:

(1) Contributed significantly to raising awareness of child sexual abuse in sport within the international community, particularly in relation to the abuse of boys, and to the development of a European agenda for the prevention of sexual violence in sport;

(2) Enhanced the ability of the Rugby Football League (RFL) to meet its national obligations in relation to safeguarding children and established the first longitudinal evaluation which monitors the development of child protection and safeguarding in sport;

(3) Facilitated the RFLs engagement with the international sports and child welfare community.

Submitting Institution

Edge Hill University

Unit of Assessment

Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services

Childsmile transforms child dental health

Summary of the impact

University of Glasgow researchers have played a pivotal role in developing and evaluating the pioneering Childsmile oral health improvement programme. By the late 1990s, more than 50% of 5-year-olds in Scotland showed evidence of dental decay. Since implementation of Childsmile in 2006, this has decreased to 33% and, within this population dental decay in children from the most severely deprived backgrounds has experienced a striking reduction (from 79% to 55%). In 2011, Childsmile was formally incorporated into the primary care dental contract and subsequently in 2012, into the universal child health surveillance programme in Scotland. Since its introduction Childsmile's community-based, preventive approach has revolutionised dental healthcare from birth for all children up to 12 years of age in Scotland resulting in delivery of Childsmile to over 730,000 children per year.

Submitting Institution

University of Glasgow

Unit of Assessment

Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy

Summary Impact Type

Health

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Dentistry, Public Health and Health Services

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