Design Innovation academics awarded AHRC funding
Dr Sharon Prendeville (PI) and Dr Laura Santamaria (CoI) have received £250,000 of funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) for their project which will explore the role of design in creating social change.
The research project aims to investigate the political aspects of design framing practices focusing on sustainability issues and how this is relevant to creating social change. The research project is entitled “Progressing the Sustainability Field: A New Approach to Framing Practices in Design for Social Change” [AH/T002875/1]
The project will work in partnership with UK-based citizen activist groups interested in social mobilisation including ECHO (who address diversity in social innovation through peer-to-peer exchange), and Citizens UK (who address social issues through citizen-led democratic processes), amongst others. The study will collaborate with these partners using participatory methods to develop a novel design approach (framework and tools) to facilitate strategic decision-making in these types of organisations.
The research grant has been awarded as part of the AHRC’s Early Career Researcher standard grants scheme.
On receiving the funding, the principal investigator Dr Sharon Prendeville said:
“I am delighted that the AHRC acknowledges the novelty and importance of the research agenda that we are developing at the Institute for Design Innovation, at the intersection of design, politics and sustainability, and we look forward to sharing the results of our study as the project gets underway”
Dr Sharon Prendeville and Dr Laura Santamaria are both lecturers within the Institute for Design Innovation.
The Arts and Humanities Research Council funds world-class, independent researchers in a wide range of subjects including contemporary research in design and effectiveness.
Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2020 QS World University Rankings and top in the country for its student experience in the 2018 THE Student Experience Survey.
Loughborough is in the top 10 of every national league table, being ranked 4th in the Guardian University League Table 2020, 5th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020 and 8th in The UK Complete University Guide 2020.
Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.
Specialising exclusively in postgraduate-level study, Loughborough University London is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers cutting-edge master’s and PhD degrees, as well as business collaboration, research and enterprise opportunities.
The seven specialist institutes at Loughborough University London include: Design Innovation, Digital Technologies, Diplomacy and International Governance, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, International Management, Media and Creative Industries, and Sport Business. Close industry partnerships with a wealth of leading businesses and creative organisations means teaching and learning is informed by real-life challenges and driven by true industry pressures.