Impact case studies

Doing research and discovering new knowledge makes us a university. Coupling the results of our research to our teaching and to our innovation and enterprise activities to deliver real-world impacts outside academia helps us deliver our mission as the University for Birmingham.

Effecting Endometriosis Policy and Clinical Guidance, Tackling Menstruation Taboos

UOA 3: Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy

Health researchers at Birmingham City University are helping address prevalent concerns in menstrual health, from informing the first UK guidance for endometriosis treatment to influencing public conversations about menstruation and stigma.

Improving healthcare outcomes for multiple and complex births

UOA 3: Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy

Research from the Elizabeth Bryan Multiple Births Centre has contributed to national guidance, improving outcomes for the estimated 95,000 babies admitted to neonatal units in the UK. Multiple birth pregnancies often come with a greater risk of delivery complications.

Is there a right way to learn to read? Embedding rhythmic activities into literacy tuition

UOA 4: Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience

Ongoing research at BCU exploring the relationship between the rhythm of spoken language and better reading outcomes has been utilised in a national reading scheme, empowering an estimated 12,000 children in the UK to improve their reading ability.

Mindful Construal Reflection: A novel intervention which promotes healthier eating habits

UOA 4: Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience

Researchers at BCU have developed novel interventions to help overweight people make the necessary lifestyle changes needed in order to lose and maintain weight.

Developing tools to support the dietary practices, health, and wellbeing of people with cystic fibrosis

UOA 4: Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience

Researchers at BCU developed several tools to help people with Cystic Fibrosis (PwCF) maintain healthy eating habits and stick to demanding treatment regiments.

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality interaction and quality of experience for industry and healthcare

UOA 11: Computer Science and Informatics

Academics from the School of Computing and Digital Technology have been researching new tools, methods, and approaches for providing improved Augmented and Virtual reality (AR/VR) applications. These tools and processes have been used across a variety of industries to improve product knowledge, user experience, virtual environment interaction and procedure training.

Optimising the retrofitting of energy-efficient systems using algorithms: saving costs and improving lives

UOA 11: Computer Science and Informatics

BCU’s research into the optimal design and manufacturing of a retrofit system for energy-inefficient houses, led to a project with Beattie Passive and other industrial partners to retrofit 3 houses and 12 flats.

Intelligent Music Production: saving time for experienced engineers, lowering barriers to entry for hobbyists

UOA 11: Computer Science and Informatics

Research by Dr Ryan Stables and Dr Jason Hockman has led to the development of intelligent audio software which makes the technical and creative process of audio mixing easier for both professionals and hobbyists.

Establishing Property Flood Resilience (PFR) in Flood Risk Management

UOA 12: Engineering

Research from the Water, Environment and Communities Group has been instrumental in the development of policies responsible for the uptake of measures which mitigate the damage and disruption of flooding, in thousands of UK homes.

Mobilising the Bio-economy: Transforming waste to energy processes and practices

UOA 12: Engineering

The Bioresource and Bioeconomy Research Group at BCU is supporting the development of sustainable, circular bioeconomies.

Financial and efficiency improvements from socio-technical digitalisation of costing and procurement in the built environment

UOA 13: Architecture, Built Environment and Planning

Research conducted by academics at BCU has helped overcome workflow challenges in the construction industry by digitising the supply chain, which allows contractors to cost work and purchase materials more efficiently.

Integrated Landscapes: Seeing the Bigger Picture

UOA 13: Architecture, Built Environment and Planning

Landscape architecture academics at Birmingham City University have partnered with a number of organisations, including West Midlands Combined Authorities, to establish a national park for the West Midlands that provides multiple benefits to the city, the landscape and its inhabitants.

Shaping entrepreneurial education pedagogy, practice and institutional policy in the UK, Europe, Africa and Asia

UOA 17: Business and Management Studies

BCU’s research on how to improve entrepreneurship education (EE) has shaped policy in institutions around the world. Their approaches have been utilised in educational institutions in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya, supporting over 1260 new start-up businesses.

Accelerating the Multi-Unit Leader and Service Chain Growth

UOA 17: Business and Management Studies

Research from BCU has provided a basis of programmes that developed a series of service chain multi-unit leaders and area managers.

Promoting Sustainable Performance (PSP) for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)

UOA 17: Business and Management Studies

Birmingham City University has had a profound impact on SME growth. Key to this has been its PSP diagnostic, which has made a substantial impact on West Midlands and international organisations.

INFLUENCING LEGAL PRACTICE AND REFORM IN THE UNITED STATES

UOA 18: Law

Research from the CALS (The Centre for American Legal Studies) has enhanced legal representation in US capital cases through underpinning both the contributions to amicus curiae briefs submitted to US courts, and teaching for Amicus’ US Death Penalty Training Programme.

PROMOTING HUMAN DIGNITY WORLDWIDE

UOA 18: Law

Research from Birmingham City University’s School of Law is applied worldwide to promote human dignity.

Enriching Crime Media – Informing content of television programmes through homicide research

UOA 20: Social Work and Social Policy

Criminology experts have conducted extensive research into the social, cultural and political factors behind homicide, resulting in a more accurate and expansive representation of the crimes in mainstream media.

Redefining Islamophobia and Influencing anti-Muslim hate crime policy in Britain

UOA 20: Social Work and Social Policy

Professor Imran Awan’s extensive research into anti-Muslim hatred has seen him provide expert advice to members of Parliament, social media giants and global consultancies, paving the way for a tougher, more informed stance on Islamophobia.

Improving health equality for incarcerated people through new harm reduction policy and practices

UOA 21: Sociology

Championing the use of harm reduction strategies and influenced prison policy, thus reducing the spread of drug-related illnesses in several prisons across Europe and Central Asia.

Decolonising education and influencing policy and public discussions on racism.

UOA 21: Sociology

Research carried out by Professor Kehinde Andrews demonstrated the need for systemic changes in education to address structural racism against people of African descent.

Removing barriers to musical participation in schools – a social justice issue.

UOA 23: Education

The Birmingham Music Education Group (BMERG) have conducted a series of influential studies, increasing access to music education for children across the UK.

Re-imagining and transforming teaching and learning in further education

UOA 23: Education

Working alongside key stakeholders across Further Education (FE), BCU’s research has not only improved teaching policy and practice in the sector, but also shed light on the transformative power of FE to improve the lives of students.

Stories of Sacrifice: increasing cross-cultural, cross-faith awareness and dialogue through a public exhibition and collaboration with the Armed Forces, Police and schools

UOA 27: English Language and Literature

Dr Islam Issa, a Senior Lecturer in English Literature at Birmingham City University, has increased knowledge and understanding around the contribution of Muslim soldiers fighting for the allies during WWI.

Developing automated linguistic analysis and annotation tools to support collaborative learning, professional translation, policy making and HE management decisions

UOA 27: English Language and Literature

The Research and Development Unit for English Studies is a corpus linguistic research group, working to uncover real-world linguistic patterns and trends.

Repositioning Chinese Contemporary Art in the Globalised Art World

UOA 32: Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory

Researchers in the BCU Centre for Chinese Visual Arts (CCVA) have been changing perceptions of Chinese art, influencing curatorial practices in the UK, China and elsewhere across the globe since 2007.

“We are not making art for the public, we are the public that makes art”

UOA 32: Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory

Research at BCU-hosted Eastside Projects has created significant impact with redefining the role of “publics” for commissioning artists.

Beyond the Physical: Visual Technologies and Contemporary Choreographic Practice

UOA 32: Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory

Prof. Ravi Deepres’ research has revolutionised contemporary dance practice, by inserting cutting-edge digital technologies into the choreographic process to create novel works for stage, screen, and exhibition.

From Archives to Stage: Enabling New Performances of French Music through Editing

UOA 33: Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies

French Music Research Hub at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC) have had international impact on cultural life by enabling 21 performances by 5 leading ensembles in 11 venues across 5 countries.

Building Creative Communities through New Music

UOA 33: Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies

BCU’s Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Composition Cluster is diversifying and broadening the participation of communities with contemporary music. The research has had an impact on the co-creation of new works between composer, academics, and a range of public groups in Birmingham.

Transforming choral experiences: expanding repertoire, enhancing cultural life, widening opportunities

UOA 33: Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies

Jeffrey Skidmore’s practice led research has significantly expanded the choral repertoire and challenged received notions of the classical choral canon, leading to increased understanding of the diversity of baroque music as cultural heritage, and of new forms of expression through the co-production of contemporary music.

Check Global: Improving digital literacy and strengthening citizen journalism and media activism in the Global South

UOA 34: Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management

Research from Dr Dima Saber and Dr Jerome Turner has informed projects which have equipped over 7,000 activists with the tools to counter misinformation online.

Changing approaches to programming and the audience experience at Cheltenham Jazz Festival

UOA 34: Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management

A five-year partnership with Cheltenham Jazz Festival (CJF) has resulted in several significant changes in their approach to audience engagement, festival programming and artistic commissioning.

Sodajerker: Generating new knowledge about songwriting and changing creative practice.

UOA 34: Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management

Dr Simon Barber has helped shine a light on the craft and methodology behind songwriting, while also establishing it as a rich area of study, through a globally acclaimed podcast and an exciting new research network.

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REF 2021

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REF 2021
Impact case studies

Doing research and discovering new knowledge makes us a university. Coupling the results of our research to our teaching and to our innovation and enterprise activities to deliver real-world impacts outside academia helps us deliver our mission as the University for Birmingham.

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