UCL Research Culture Seed Fund: 2024/25 recipients

The Seed Fund call launched earlier this year with the aim of supporting grassroots projects designed to foster a more positive research and innovation culture within UCL.

The call attracted nearly 200 applications, and following a highly competitive process, 29 projects have been selected to receive up to £2,000 of seed funding each, to support projects that will promote positive change at UCL.

Emma Todd, Director of Research Culture, said: "Research Culture is far from homogenous, with each department and research group having its own unique identity which informs the way things are done. While addressing systemic issues requires an overarching institutional approach, grassroots activities are also crucial. Positive changes initiated locally, even if small, can have a significant impact and, if proven effective, have the potential to be scaled across the institution.

“We’re excited to see the impact of the funded projects and extract the learning for the benefit of the wider research community."

Congratulations to all the UCL Research Culture Seed Fund recipients (listed below by the faculty/VP Office of the lead applicant, and the Roadmap theme they align with):

Research Culture Seed Fund recipients

Faculty of Arts & Humanities

Promoting Promotions Network: Advancing Fair Career Development in Arts & Humanities at UCL

• Lead applicant: Dr Simona Aimar
• Roadmap theme: 1

Knowledge Connect @ UCL – A podcast production from the Information Studies Department at UCL

• Lead applicant: Dr Photini Vrikki
• Roadmap themes: 3 and 4

Faculty of Brain Sciences

Embracing failures: a symposium on the merits of scientific projects that did not work out, to research and well-being

• Lead applicant: Roeland Heerema
• Roadmap themes: 3, 4 and 5

Enabling promotions for early career research staff: a behavioural science theory-based qualitative study of barriers and enablers at UCL

• Lead applicant: Dr Sadie Boniface
• Roadmap theme: 1

A pilot project to embed effective and ethical co-production with young people in mental health research at UCL

• Lead applicant: Madelaine Davies Kellock
• Roadmap theme: 4

Building Early Career Researcher Cell & Gene Therapy communities at UCL through a Cell & Gene Therapy Seminar Series

• Lead applicant: Dr Annalucia Darbey
• Roadmap themes: 3 and 4

Postgraduate and Early Career Researcher Training in Open Science and Co-production

• Lead applicant: Merle Schlief 
• Roadmap themes: 2, 4 and 5

Understanding barriers and enablers to diverse students completing their PhD studies at UCL – a behaviour change approach

• Lead applicant: Rachel Perowne
• Roadmap themes: 1 and 5

Faculty of the Built Environment (Bartlett)

Work/Life Hacks for Women in Academia

• Lead applicant: Dr Tse-Hui Teh
• Roadmap themes: 1, 2, 3 and 5

Health beyond disciplinary borders: Bridging barriers in communicating across disciplines

• Lead applicant: Dr Margarita Garfias Royo
• Roadmap themes: 3, 4 and 5

Faculty of Engineering Sciences

Were We Lucky or Did We Do Something Right? Understanding the Art and Science of Interdisciplinary Research

• Lead applicant: Ayse Allison
• Roadmap theme: 3 

Initiate ‘Tech LLIDER (Technician Learning, Leadership, Innovation & Excellence in Research) Network’ and establish a platform specifically designed for technical professionals to exchange ideas and knowledge at UCL

• Lead applicant: Dr Han Wu
• Roadmap themes: 1, 2, 3 and 5

Hosting a Replication Game at UCL

• Lead applicant: Dr Sandy Schumann
• Roadmap theme: 4

Student Training and Experience for Proposals program (1st STEPs program) pilot scheme

• Lead applicant: Harry Chapman
• Roadmap themes: 1, 2 and 3

Neurodiversity-inclusive guidance for the doctoral student journey in the Faculty of Engineering

• Lead applicant: Johanna Novales
• Roadmap theme: 5

Faculty of Life Sciences

The SAFE Labs Cultural Commitment

• Lead applicant: Dr Pip Coen
• Roadmap theme: 5

PD2PI - Promoting Dialogue for Postdoc Integration: Connecting Postdocs and Principal Investigators to build bridges towards structured mentorship

• Lead applicant: Dr Juliane Fagotti 
• Roadmap themes: 1, 3 and 5 

New Academics Group - Building a supportive and collaborative future for newly appointed academics at UCL

• Lead applicant: Dr Karolina Dziemidowicz
• Roadmap themes: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

UCL BIIG (BioImage Interest Group): Fostering networking and collaboration across UCL bioimaging communities

• Lead applicant: Dr Giulia Paci
• Roadmap themes: 3 and 4

Faculty of Maths & Physical Sciences

UCL Sociology Network PhD Group

• Lead applicant: Rokia Ballo
• Roadmap themes: 2, 3 and 5

Faculty of Medical Sciences

Inter-departmental lunches

• Lead applicant: Dr Stephen Patrick
• Roadmap themes: 3 and 5

‘How We…’  

• Lead applicant: Dr Emma Kelley
• Roadmap themes: 3 and 5

Faculty of Population Health Sciences

Research Champions

• Lead applicant: Professor Andrew Taylor
• Roadmap themes: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Faculty of Social & Historical Sciences

Demystifying UK Research Culture: For International Students and Staff in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS)

• Lead applicant: Professor Nicola Miller
• Roadmap theme: 5

IOE, Faculty of Education and Society

Working & Networking Retreats for Black Researchers '24-'25

• Lead applicant: Dr Kerry-Jo Reilly
• Roadmap theme: 5

Postdoctoral research funding in Social Sciences and Arts & Humanities: Insider Insights! 

• Lead applicant: Professor Richard Freeman
• Roadmap theme: 1

Office of the Vice-Provost (Faculties)

Introduction to Co-Production: co-producing co-production training for UCL

• Lead applicant: Sarah Barnes 
• Roadmap themes: 3 and 4 

Office of the Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation and Global Engagement)

Event to raise awareness of senior leaders around the barriers that women face when applying for research funding

• Lead applicant: Dr Laura Fenner 
• Roadmap themes: 2 and 5

Developing an online resource celebrating and facilitating impact stories and detailing the steps on the pathway to impact to enhance impact literacy in the Faculty of Population Health

• Lead applicant: Dr Jayne Watson
• Roadmap themes: 1, 4 and 5