The SGSSS Collaboration and Impact Showcase 2024 took place on 22 May at V&A Dundee. The Collaboration and Impact Showcase is a highlight in the SGSSS calendar that brings together university and external partners from across our network who support our work, as well as SGSSS students. It is also where we present the annual Impact Award to students who, through their research, have made a demonstrable contribution to society and the economy.
This year’s event was themed ‘Grand Challenges – an SGSSS Vision’, and the evening began with a chance for guests to chat informally over canapes while viewing the shortlisted entries to our Impact Competition 2024 and an interactive visualisation of our Challenge-led Pathways approach to studentships.Guests then enjoyed a panel discussion with the theme of ‘Grand Challenges – an SGSSS Vision’.
The panel was chaired by Prof Alan Marshall and five panelists. Including SGSSS funded students Zain Kurdi from University of Edinburgh and Madeleine Clarkson from University of St Andrews and two invited external guests, Prof Bruce Guthrie, Director of the Advanced Care Research Centre at University of Edinburgh and Dr Audrey MacDougall Chief Social Researcher and Head of Central Analysis Division at the Scottish Government.
The evening finished with the presentation of our Impact Competition Winners.
The Impact Competition gives PhD students across Scotland a chance to reflect on how their research can make a meaningful difference and celebrates “the demonstrable contribution that excellent research makes to society and the economy”. PhD researchers submit examples of the impact that they have created or plan to create through their work. It is open to all social science PhD students in Scotland, no matter how their research is funded.
Approximately 40 students applied to the Impact Competition in 2024, and seven students were shortlisted across the categories “planned impact” and “achieved impact”. The finalists created videos and posters which were put to a public vote and SGSSS received over 800 public votes and were seen almost 2000 times promoting the impact of social science PhD research in Scotland to a large audience. The Collaboration and Impact Showcase audience watched the finalists’ videos, before the winners were announced and their awards were presented by Professor Bruce Guthrie.
Winner Planned Impact: Shona Shinwell, University of Dundee
Shona’s project Health Outcomes following childbirth for women who use opioids: An administrative data study will enhance our understanding of long-term postnatal outcomes of women who use opioids during pregnancy. The research will provide policymakers and service providers with the evidence required to inform the development of policies and guidelines to improve outcomes for women who use substances both during their pregnancy and postnatally. Improving the health of women, in turn, has the potential to improve outcomes for their children and wider families.
Planned Impact Shortlisted:
Simon Gittins, University of the West of Scotland
Sofia Johansson, University of Aberdeen, Forestry and Land Scotland.
Winner Achieved Impact: Anna Bovo, University of Edinburgh
Anna’s work, “Nurses’ embodied experience of emotion when caring for patient-related, emotionally overwhelming events: trauma-informed inquiry” has been able to offer a bottom-up change to nurses’ realities, giving them the chance to be heard in their embodied experience of practice. The research explores emotions in acute contexts of care, where nurses are constantly witnessing life-threatening events. Post-pandemic times are now revealing the profound impact that emotional and physical exhaustion can have on nurses, which can have consequences on their long-term well-being and capacity to hold on to the profession. By opening a dialogue with stakeholders in NHS, Lothian Anna created impactful change in nursing practice at the local level, aiming now to reach an international audience to showcase the qualitative output/data that has been produced as a building block for the development of a niche of future knowledge within the nursing field and beyond.
Achieved Impact Shortlisted:
Aidan Flegg, University of Glasgow, Scottish Human Rights Commission
Effie Marathia, University of Dundee
Lauren Rogers, University of Edinburgh
The winners each receive a £500 prize, which could support their ongoing impact—huge congratulations to our winners and to all the shortlisted candidates.
