Creating an inclusive and supportive research culture in PsyCen – Research and Knowledge Exchange Awards 2024

In my role as Reader in Applied Health Psychology, I work with both clinical staff, patients and third sector partners in a range of NHS settings (Radiotherapy, Oncology, Speech and Language). I design, implement and evaluate complex health care interventions by applying psychological theory to improve patient care.

I aim to be collaborative within my own research programme, recently evidenced by a successful £1.5m National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) bid to develop and evaluate an intervention for stammering, where I worked with colleagues in Speech and Language Science and in so doing enhancing research culture and performance within this group.

The Centre for Psychological Research (PsyCen) group supports projects dedicated to improving psychological wellbeing for different communities in conjunction with a range of external collaborators and funders. The group contains over 70 members - Professors, Readers, Senior Lecturers, Senior Research Fellows, Post-Doctoral Research Fellows, Research Associates and Postgraduate Research Students.

I have been Director of PsyCen for the past four years and one of the main aims of my leadership was to develop the local research culture into a more inclusive and supportive space where diverse perspectives and projects are promoted.

I work closely with the Director of Research and the programme and initiative leads to promote a successful environment where both early career and more established researchers are nurtured and supported. The Centre for Psychological Research (PsyCen) funding has been the catalyst for - and has pump-primed - a wide range of research projects and the development and delivery of larger research grants.

In recent years PsyCen has hosted a wide variety of internal and external speakers, ranging from PhD students to established Professors, contributing to a vibrant research culture. The PsyCen leads run writing retreats and a range of supporting internal and external initiatives aimed at networking, collaboration across programmes and externally and develop funding bids (always with REF 2029 in mind).

I have also secured some internal funding to refurbish our shared social space on Calverley building level 4, including new IT kit to support hybrid research events and team meetings. This space has been so important in enabling our positive research culture – many ideas and collaborations have been generated there!

We also know that PsyCen is important to our undergraduate students, and they are particularly excited to be taught by staff who are research active.

With this in mind we have secured funding for a PsyCen research apprentice to work within our programmes to develop research competencies and gain experience to enhance their employability (or continue with a postgraduate degree at LBU).

Further, our PsyCen Health and Wellbeing lead Dr Siobhan McHugh and colleagues have secured NIHR funding for three undergraduate students to become research interns on projects within PsyCen and across the university (Obesity institute and Speech and Language). These appointments aim to enhance the symbiotic and mutually fruitful relationship between teaching, learning and research which is essential for the development of excellence.

A highlight of the year is the annual PsyCen away day which offers the team valuable updates into diverse research activities and successes of the group this is a supportive day, and with all PsyCen events is always combined with a bit of fun (which I think is the key to PsyCen’s success).