The Psychology Early Career Conference

Student Research for Community Impact    

Today’s students are deeply committed to making a difference. As anchor institutions, universities have a unique responsibility to foster civic engagement by aligning their teaching and research with community needs. One effective approach is embedding community-based applied research into academic modules and helping students recognise the real-world value of their work.

​

For example, student teams conducting systematic reviews and live data collection on in-work poverty directly influenced a local authority’s Wellbeing Strategy, shaping new targets for living wages and worker support. Similarly, the Impact Lab Social Science Clinic provides VCSE and public sector partners with structured access to student expertise in service evaluation, digital storytelling, and systematic reviews. These projects offer students practical experience in research design, data analysis, and stakeholder collaboration, while partners gain evidence-based insights.

​

This session outlines how to integrate civic-focused research in the curriculum. It explores how to embed impact into student projects, co-design volunteer roles that align with learning outcomes and employability, and create sustainable partnerships. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies for building university–community collaborations, measuring student learning and social benefit, and broadening the scope of traditional research to include meaningful community impact.