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All too many IT projects fail, as many as 80%. To improve systems design in the public sector, Wastell has undertaken a sustained programme of action research, the main fruit being a design and innovation methodology, known as SPRINT. Its deployment has generated impressive benefits, e.g. a recent project produced an innovative set of tools for improving safeguarding in healthcare. Wastell's research has also highlighted the dysfunctions of the Integrated Children's System (ICS), a national IT initiative in social care. The research directly influenced the redesign of the ICS, feeding into the Munro Review of Child Protection, and has guided subsequent design work on IT for social care.
Peter Johnson's research on collaboration and autonomous systems has been adopted by the MoD Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, through both collaborative research and his appointment to advisory roles. This has led to impact on defence and security policy and strategy, with a primary focus on "Humans in Systems". Specific points of impact are:
a) In Cyber Influence & Stabilization, Johnson's Life-Story research provided a conceptual framework for collecting and organizing information on people and groups to support stabilization efforts in unstable regions;
b) In Human Capability Science & Technology, Johnson's Autonomous Systems and Human-Computer Interaction research influenced the strategic direction, requirements setting and allocation of resources on the £11.6M Human Capability Research Programme;
c) In the organisation of DSTL's engagement with research, Johnson's advice and involvement resulted in the development of, and commitment of resources to, a formal Visiting Scientist scheme.
Our research in complex user interface design for environments where there is need to support a high cognitive overload as well the need to support variability of user interface design has led to impacts on the design of products and services in two organisations addressing the domains of crisis management software and nuclear power plant industry. In the former case, research arising from our investigations of user behaviour in complex systems has been applied by adopting our Variable Uncertainty Framework (VUF) into the software product `VSL Planner' developed by VSL Systems AB and the `XVR' product developed by E-Semble Systems. The XVR product has recently been sold to the London Fire Brigade. Related to this, our research on complex task analysis, specifically in abnormal situations resulted in a second conceptual framework that extended the Task Complexity (TACOM) methodology that has been used to inform and guide the Korean Atomic Energy Institute in their work on designing and implementing modern control rooms for atomic power stations in South Korea. The safety critical nature of these interfaces means the potential impact of this work is very high, as any failure could have catastrophic consequences.
Research undertaken between 2002 and 2012 at Birkbeck has helped establish a participatory approach to cyber-physical computing as the predominant methodology for the construction of mobile and pervasive computing systems. Cyber-physical systems intimately interlink material entities and their information representations as existing on the Internet. Our specific research contributions in systems architecture, privacy protection and human dynamics have demonstrated how the user's activity can be exploited as the core ingredient in building such systems. Our research has resulted in the implementation of applications that are used to monitor biodiversity across the globe, to assess and support Parkinson's disease patients in the UK, to improve the well-being of office workers in London, to engage the public in a debate about the costs and benefits of pervasive computing, and to inform legislatures in the UK and the US.
Green and Lilley's research on the management of innovation within creative organisations, with a specific focus on people-centred and socio-technical systems design of digital technology, has benefitted two companies significantly through two knowledge-transfer partnerships. One company — Bulb - more than doubled its staff numbers from 8 to 18 and increased turnover from £700,000 to £1.2 million. This research contributed to the basis for a new company — CrowdLab - now worth £1.5 million. Both companies have been short-listed for a number of awards, one recently winning the 2013 Leicester Mercury Innovative Company category. The School has embraced the University's Knowledge Exchange provision to respond effectively to the Government's economic development agenda which has placed HEIs `centre stage' to deliver private-sector led innovation and economic recovery.
Over the last 15 years the Medical Applications Group (MAG) has engaged in applied research into the use of product design techniques and technologies in medical procedures. Their work has directly led to better, safer, faster, more accurate and less intrusive surgical procedures. The group has worked with surgeons at NHS hospitals all over the UK to deliver well over 2,000 medical models for surgical use during the period. A number of hospitals have adopted MAG's techniques, meaning that the Group's research has improved the dignity, comfort and quality of life of around two and a half thousand people since 2008 whilst saving the UK tax payer many thousands of pounds.
[Throughout this template, references to underpinning research are numbered 1-6; sources to corroborate are numbered 7-15]
Dunne, Raby, and their colleagues' research into Critical Design at the Royal College of Art (RCA) since 1997 has influenced the methods and ideas of design practice through inclusion in major design exhibitions, conferences, expert collaboration with companies, and coverage in the press, TV and film. Moreover, it has had impact on cultural life and public discourse, by enhancing public understanding of major issues and challenges posed by science and technology for individuals and society, through design research and exhibitions in major international museums, and inclusion in public museum collections.
A University of Nottingham research programme on rail human factors, in collaboration with Network Rail, has delivered significant impact to practitioners and professional services within the industry. New tools for workload management and efficiency are now routinely used as part of Network Rail's ergonomics toolkit and are supporting the fulfilment of the company's National Operating Strategy. Risk analysis tools have also contributed to Network Rail's programme providing enhanced asset information.
These tools have also been taken up by international train operators in Australia and the Netherlands.
The Advertising Communications Research Group (Adcoms) consists of 9 staff and research students including Paul Springer Senior Lecturer 2001-2005 Principal Lecturer 2005-2009, Professor 2009-present and Gloria Moss, Senior Lecturer 2006-2009, Reader 2009-2013 Professor 2013. Adcoms champions two fundamental issues: 1) digital formats require different approaches to mass communications; 2) gender bias is inherent in the creation and reception of designed digital communications. Outputs have impacted on: perspectives of communications (eg Springer, Ads to Icons, 2007; Moss, Gender, Design & Marketing, 2009; Springer, P & Carson, M. Pioneers of Digital, 2012); practice (e.g. Creative Campus Initiative branding, 2010; positioning of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, 2013); thought leadership (e.g. referenced by DCMS policy 2012; keynote addresses for ProMediaTech, UKTI/Moscow, 2009; the China Advertising Association, Guangzhou 2006; expert presentation at the Global Diversity and Inclusion Conference, Barcelona, 2013 (Moss).
Research needs to engage with global environmental challenges more effectively. How to achieve this has been the focus of studies by academics at Newcastle with their expertise recognised in the appointment in 2003 of Philip Lowe and Jeremy Phillipson to lead the £26million Rural Economy and Land Use Programme (Relu), funded by three Research Councils, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Scottish Government. The Directorship allowed Lowe and Phillipson to experiment with innovative processes for the conduct of research in 94 projects funded under the programme, in particular through instigating ideas of interdisciplinarity and co-production, and to develop techniques for assessing the efficacy of such methods. The insights gained from this effort have had significant and widespread impact on science policy and on organisations responses to environmental challenges such as government departments and agencies (DEFRA, Scottish Office and Food Standards Agency, for example), PLCs (including Wessex Water and M&S), environmental Trusts and more.