Meet the winners of the 2024 Societal Engagement Seed Fund. We're delighted to support a wide range of public engagement activities through this fund. Read on to discover more about each unique project.

The Tape of Life in Einstein's Garden at the Green Man Festival - led by Jamie Mathews

Throughout the weekend, our stall successfully engaged a diverse age group in discussions about ageing, lifespan, and the potential societal impacts of extended life. Children were enthusiastic about animals, lifespans, and interactive activities, while adults were struck by the idea that ageing isn't inevitable. Some adults were concerned about the socioeconomic implications of extended lifespans, whereas children expressed eagerness to live forever. The biologists in the team delved into scientific discussions, particularly with those with STEM experience. As well as being entertained by the cuteness of the kids, the team was impressed by their intelligence and enthusiasm. A survey exploring whether we should live longer yielded mixed responses, with 22 against, 17 in favour, and 8 undecided. Concerns about planetary strain and the significance of life's end were voiced, while proponents focused on deepening relationships and accumulating knowledge. Overall, the engagement quality was high, with varied discussions reflecting the diverse perspectives of the participants.

Co-design workshop: Self-management app for back pain - led by Alison McGregor

This project used co-design workshops to develop a conceptual framework for a mobile health app targeting chronic low back pain (CLBP) self-management. Engaging nine stakeholders, including patients, healthcare professionals, and app developers, we identified key challenges in current CLBP apps: Belief & Trust, Motivation, Safety, and Usability.

The workshops proposed practical solutions, such as enhancing app credibility, integrating motivational features, and ensuring user safety and data security. While the project successfully piloted a pioneering engagement activity, limitations in time and funding restricted the depth of exploration, particularly for underrepresented populations. Future research will focus on more inclusive recruitment and broader demographic representation to ensure equitable and widely applicable digital health tools. The project has strengthened our team’s engagement skills and opened new funding and collaboration opportunities, paving the way for further development of the CLBP app.

How can we engage young people in Dance, co-designed to benefit their social, mental and educational health? A pilot study. - led by Alice Gregory

Dancing creates joy, an essential ingredient for wellbeing, yet its potential in maintaining healthy communities remains unrecognised. While dance is already used to benefit individuals with Cancer, Dementia, and Parkinson’s, this project focused on teenagers and addressed the ongoing mental health crisis among young people.

The project piloted a co-design approach, empowering young people to create dance sessions that they would genuinely enjoy, with the goal of enhancing their mental wellbeing. Helix’s tried and tested co-design methods engaged three young participants through videos of different dancing styles, activities, and venues to spark inspiration. Although the Helix Centre uses co-design approaches to improve health, this is a relatively novel approach to creating dance. A key finding was the importance of an inspiring and skilled dance teacher, revealing gaps in school dance education.

The pilot demonstrated a positive impact on participants' wellbeing, generating early evidence for dance as a tool for youth mental health. The team has since applied for a major research grant to expand the study, built a research network, and shared findings at Imperial Lates and Great Exhibition Road Festival. The project has also expanded dance accessibility, launching a class for people with low vision alongside ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ stars.

This project has laid the foundation for future work in arts and health, advocating for dance as a valuable tool in fostering healthier youth communities.

Blueprint for partnerships between STEM units and schools - led by Sabine van Elsland

To celebrate the diverse people and careers in science and engineering during British Science Week, a team of Imperial scientists travelled to Bournemouth to host a Science Fair at St Luke's Church of England primary school and bring their work to the pupils with interactive activities. The team, consisting of PhD students, Lecturers and Professors, work across a variety of topics using mathematical modelling to study infectious disease outbreaks, biotechnology, vaccine immunology, equity and ecology. At the fair, children simulated a disease outbreak and experimented with the impact of interventions. They also played a card game learning about a wide range of infectious diseases, as well as an animal matching game to find out more about diseases and how they are transmitted.

During the day, each class visited the fair and at the end of the school day pupils had the opportunity to take their parents along. Pupils, parents and teachers showed their creative side using playdough to show what microbes could look like. This resulted in the most wonderful pieces of art. Over the course of British Science Week, each class also connected online with an Imperial scientist to speak about who they are, how and why they became a scientist, followed by a Q&A. The researchers were blown away by the curiosity of pupils and their questions about the world we live in.

Break the barriers: Advocacy and co-production in maternity care for Black, African, Caribbean and mixed-Black families - led by Sarindi Aryasinghe

Ethnic disparities in maternity care persist in England, particularly for Black, African, Caribbean, and mixed-Black heritage families, resulting in poorer care experiences and health outcomes. Co-production using an integrated care approach is increasingly recognised as being vital in tackling these issues. This PhD study explored how health professionals and community members from this ethnic group align on ways to improve maternity care in West London.

Between March and June 2024, five workshops brought together 54 participants, including NHS staff, tri-borough local authorities, voluntary sector groups, and community members who previously used maternity care at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Using the nominal group technique (NGT), attendees collaboratively brainstormed, prioritising 89 improvement ideas across 11 themes. Our findings showed NGT is an effective, democratic way of setting co-production priorities, and highlighted key differences in professional and community priorities. While all groups emphasised culturally responsive care and communication, communities placed greater importance on advocacy and mental health support— solutions that professionals prioritised less. Finally, involving community engagement experts and lived experience facilitators was crucial in establishing trust and buy-in of the prioritisation process.

The study has now been published in BMJ Quality and Safety (2024), and received £25,000 in funding from the University of Warwick to be replicated with NHS, city council, and community groups in Coventry. Over the next three years, the PhD project will focus on developing one of the top-prioritised ideas: co-producing a community advocate intervention to support Black, African, Caribbean and mixed-Black families with their maternity journey.