Impact UK Location: Northern Ireland

REF impact found 312 Case Studies

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2) Intra-State Conflict

Summary of the impact

Research carried out by the Department of Sociology at the University of Aberdeen into the nature and extent of communal division in societies emerging from conflict — particularly in Northern Ireland — has directly benefitted policy makers and community leaders through personal briefings and exposure on influential electronic media. The research findings have also benefitted action groups, peace practitioners, churches and other civil society groups in Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka and elsewhere through workshops and training materials; and they have raised awareness and understanding and stimulated debate through the purposeful use of online media outlets.

Submitting Institution

University of Aberdeen

Unit of Assessment

Sociology

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Studies In Human Society: Political Science
History and Archaeology: Historical Studies
Philosophy and Religious Studies: Religion and Religious Studies

Addressing the Health Inequalities of People with Intellectual Disabilities (ID)

Summary of the impact

Research undertaken at the Centre for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities(CIDD), has significantly impacted upon:

  1. The identification of health inequalities through improved health surveillance.
  2. The development of a network of Health Facilitators linked to GP Practices to promote health screening/annual checks.
  3. The development of accessible information to assist people with ID in making positive lifestyle choices and access healthcare services.
  4. The development of health promotion interventions targeting secondary health conditions for people with ID.
  5. The translation of this research into pre/post multi-disciplinary education.
  6. The preparation of regional, national and international policy guidelines.

Submitting Institution

University of Ulster

Unit of Assessment

Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy

Summary Impact Type

Health

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services

Addressing the Past: History, Film and Public Memory

Summary of the impact

Challenging simplistic depictions of Ireland's revolutionary past, Fearghal McGarry's research has facilitated greater public understanding of the causes and consequences of political violence in Ireland. Through impacts arising from an innovative collaboration with a documentary film-maker, as well as through the influence of his research on public discourse, cultural life, civil society and education, McGarry's work has enhanced public understanding by extending the range and quality of historical evidence, contributing to a more meaningful public engagement with both history and commemorative processes within the context of post-conflict Northern Ireland and the current `decade of centenaries'.

Submitting Institution

Queen's University Belfast

Unit of Assessment

History

Summary Impact Type

Societal

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

Adoption of behavioural roadside training programme improves children’s road crossing skills.

Summary of the impact

In a series of training studies on children between the ages of 5 and 12 years, a research team at the Department of Psychology successfully demonstrated that substantial improvements in roadside decision-making and behaviour can be achieved in children as young as 5 years. Based on their findings, the team developed and evaluated a training intervention (Kerbcraft) aimed at improving children's pedestrian skills through practical roadside activities which was formally adopted by the UK government. Since 2008, the majority of 5-7 year old children in the UK have received formal pedestrian skills training using Kerbcraft either in its full or adapted form. Kerbcraft now plays a key role in the UK Government's road safety strategy and has been cited as an example of best practice by the World Health Organisation and safety agencies across Europe, the US, Australia and in developing countries such as Ethiopia and Bangladesh.

Submitting Institution

University of Strathclyde

Unit of Assessment

Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services

A major randomised trial of screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms, and initiation of a UK national screening programme-Thompson

Summary of the impact

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a major cause of death in older men, in the UK and elsewhere. A large UK trial led by the University of Cambridge evaluated the long-term benefits of ultrasound screening for AAA in men aged 65-74 years. This provided the basis for the introduction of a UK national AAA screening programme in men aged 65; this was announced in 2008, initiated in 2009, and achieved full coverage of England in 2013. Similar screening has started in Sweden, New Zealand and in parts of Italy, and is being actively discussed in Denmark, Norway and Finland.

Submitting Institution

University of Cambridge

Unit of Assessment

Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care

Summary Impact Type

Health

Research Subject Area(s)

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

PHYS01 - A New Paradigm for Exchange Bias in Polycrystalline Films

Summary of the impact

A new procedure for the measurement and characterisation of polycrystalline exchange bias systems has been developed which has impacted significantly the manufacture of computer hard drive read-heads by companies such as Seagate Inc and Western Digital Corp. The new measurement procedure has enabled a typical 40% increase in the thermal stability of the antiferromagnetic materials used in computer hard drive read heads. The procedure has also improved the manufacturing process of the read-heads giving increased material performance and has resulted in a ~25% improvement in the resolution of detecting a bit.

Submitting Institution

University of York

Unit of Assessment

Physics

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Chemical Sciences: Analytical Chemistry
Engineering: Materials Engineering
Medical and Health Sciences: Cardiorespiratory Medicine and Haematology

Applications of Novel Speech and Audio-Visual Processing Research

Summary of the impact

Research in robust speech enhancement and audio-visual processing has led to impact on a range of different fronts:

(i) Collaboration with CSR, a leading $1 billion consumer electronics company, has shaped its R&D research agenda in speech enhancement, has inspired ideas for new product improvements, and has helped establish Belfast as an audio research centre of excellence within the company.

(ii) Our technology has changed the strategic R&D direction of a company delivering healthcare monitoring systems, with potential for multi-million pound savings in NHS budgets.

(iii) Audio-visual speech processing research has led to a proof-of-concept biometric system, Liopa: a novel, robust and convenient person authentication and verification technology exploiting lip and facial movements (www.liopa.co.uk). A start-up company is in an advanced stage of being established to commercialise this product. The product and commercialisation strategy was awarded First Prize in the 2013 NISP Connect £25K entrepreneurship competition in the Digital Media and Software category. The first commercial partner for Liopa has been engaged.

(iv) A system-on-chip implementation of a version of our speech recognition engine, which was developed through an EPSRC project, was awarded first prize in the High Technology Award in the 2010 NISP £25K Awards competition, and contributed to the founding of a spin-out company, Analytics Engines (www.analyticsengines.com).

Submitting Institution

Queen's University Belfast

Unit of Assessment

Computer Science and Informatics

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Information and Computing Sciences: Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing, Information Systems
Engineering: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Applied religious history: understanding the past to inform the future

Summary of the impact

This case study assesses the impact of a series of knowledge exchange and public engagement projects undertaken in London and Northern Ireland between 2009 and 2013. These projects have made innovative applied use of a substantial body of research into modern British and Irish religious history conducted in the Unit.

This activity has:

  • achieved greater historical literacy among religious practitioners
  • raised awareness of the importance of religious archives
  • informed the Church of England's policy and strategic thinking for the future
  • provided substantial online resources for local research and `history audits' and supported their use
  • enhanced understanding among practitioners in Northern Ireland of the historical and religious dimensions of conflict in the province.

Submitting Institution

Open University

Unit of Assessment

Theology and Religious Studies

Summary Impact Type

Cultural

Research Subject Area(s)

Language, Communication and Culture: Literary Studies
History and Archaeology: Historical Studies
Philosophy and Religious Studies: Religion and Religious Studies

Apprehending Modern Poetry

Summary of the impact

The work of poetry critic, Professor Fran Brearton, has impacted upon the media (particularly BBC) representation of, and understanding of, modern poetry, in Ireland and Britain. Through shaping radio broadcasts, the research also impacts on educational resources at all levels (School and HEIs) as well as providing a general cultural benefit, to poetry readers specifically, and to a general audience, thereby bringing current trends in research out to a wider public. The research has also led to broadsheet newspaper writing on contemporary poetry which is then utilised by publishers and literary event organisers (as a PR/marketing resource and external authoritative critical validation of their product) to promote and enhance the work of living writers. It has enabled and facilitated literary events that have themselves had impact beyond the academic sphere, through collaborative initiatives with external organisations as well as with individual artists.

Submitting Institution

Queen's University Belfast

Unit of Assessment

English Language and Literature

Summary Impact Type

Cultural

Research Subject Area(s)

Language, Communication and Culture: Cultural Studies, Literary Studies
History and Archaeology: Historical Studies

Assurance of Durable Concrete Structures Using Novel Testing Technologies Developed at QUB

Summary of the impact

By ensuring the durability of notable concrete structures in China, such as the Bird's Nest National Stadium Beijing, Dayawan Nuclear Power Station, Harbin-Dalian Railway Bridges, Qingdao Bay Bridge and Beijing-Tianjin Railway Bridges using Autoclam Permeability System and Permit Ion Migration test, developed by Queen's University Belfast (QUB) and sold by a QUB spin-out Amphora Non-destructive Testing Ltd., the savings in future repair costs are estimated to be hundreds of millions of Chinese Yuan (RMB) (the repair expenditure for the three-year period 2009-'11 was RMB 10.2 billion).

Research on permeability and diffusivity testing of concrete on site since 1993 has led to the incorporation of both the Autoclam and the Permit in a corporation standard issued by the Central Research Institute of Building and Construction (CRIBC), China and the test protocol of Permit in a Chinese railway standard.

The training of construction professionals (including more than 200 senior managers from the Chinese construction industry) since 2008 has impacted on improved sales of Autoclam Permeability System and Permit Ion Migration Test, securing around £500k commercial income, and generating new employment in the UK. Since 2008 these test instruments have been sold to 12 countries.

Submitting Institution

Queen's University Belfast

Unit of Assessment

Civil and Construction Engineering

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Engineering: Civil Engineering

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