University of Salford, School of Science, Engineering & Environment.
Description
Unimaker Salford was a dynamic two-day conference that brought together leaders, educators, and innovators to explore best practices, strategies, and tools shaping the future of makerspaces, powered by the Morson Group STEM Foundation. With the theme “Innovative Learning Spaces: Unlocking the Impact of Maker Spaces,” the conference explored how makerspaces influenced curricula, digital strategies, student engagement, the maker community, and entrepreneurship. It shared lessons from makerspaces and highlighted their role in fostering collaboration within universities and beyond.
A programme of speakers and panels spotlighted makerspace case studies that transformed curriculum design, entrepreneurial activity, skill development, and community engagement across makerspace education. These sessions were complemented by roundtable discussions, designed to spark interdisciplinary conversations inspired by the speaker and panel topics, followed by Q&A sessions. They provided a valuable opportunity to network, share insights, and learn from other makerspace systems and programmes.
Unimaker was established by Dr. Peter Mylon, Senior University Teacher in Multidisciplinary Engineering Education at the University of Sheffield. He led the iForge Makerspace, the UK’s first student-led facility, and founded Unimaker to highlight innovation and skills in academic makerspaces.
A timetable of the conference is available on our Unimaker 2025 Agenda website
British Society for Rheumatology Annual Meeting 2025
Apr 28, 2025
Location
Manchester, UK
Description
In April 2025, Professor Yeliz Prior was an invited presenter at the British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) Annual Conference, the UK’s flagship event for rheumatology professionals. She presented findings from the process evaluation of the WORKWELL Trial, a national randomised controlled trial of a vocational rehabilitation programme for people with inflammatory arthritis. The presentation shared insights from therapists and line managers on the delivery and implementation of the intervention, highlighting its value in supporting job retention alongside the challenges of embedding it within NHS services.
Professor Prior also presented the results of the UK Rheumatology Occupational Therapy Capabilities Framework Scoping Survey, which captured the clinical roles, training needs, and development priorities of occupational therapists across the UK. The findings are now informing the co-development of a national capabilities framework to support consistent, high-quality care and workforce development in rheumatology services.
These presentations showcased the collective leadership of the Clinical Rehabilitation research theme at the University of Salford, with contributions from Dr Simone Battista, Dr Jen Parker and wider collaborators. The work highlights a strong interdisciplinary commitment to advancing AHP-led care, service improvement, and workforce transformation in rheumatology and musculoskeletal health.
PPIE Community Engagement – Increasing Inclusion in Digital Health Research
Apr 15, 2025
Location
Broughton Hub and Eccles Library
Description
In April 2025, Professor Yeliz Prior and Dr Cristina Vasilica led two public engagement events in Salford (at Broughton Hub and Eccles Library) to strengthen public and patient involvement in digital health research across the School of Health and Society. The sessions were designed to connect with communities often underrepresented in research, particularly individuals living with musculoskeletal conditions and mental health challenges.
Over 100 local residents attended, including people with long-term health conditions, carers, health professionals, line managers, and small business employers. The events provided a welcoming space for participants to share their lived experiences of managing health in the workplace, accessing support, and navigating digital resources.
Insights from these conversations are now shaping how researchers co-design and deliver digital tools that are accessible, culturally relevant, and grounded in real-world needs. Attendees emphasised the importance of inclusive language, flexible formats, and support for those with limited digital access or health literacy.
This work reflects a strong commitment within the School to embedding PPIE in research and ensuring that digital health innovation reaches and reflects the diverse communities it aims to support
Building an Inclusive Research Culture: ESRC Leadership Network Programme
Mar 10, 2025
Location
Online
Description
Building an Inclusive Research Culture
10th of March, 13:00 – 15:00
This is the final event of the ESRC Leadership Network programme. Hosted by the University of Salford, this special 2-hour online session will explore strategies for creating inclusive research projects and hear from a range of Salford academic research leaders. The agenda for the event is as follows:
1.00 pm – Introduction,
Dr Udeni Wijayasiri, Programme Manager, ESRC Research Leadership Network.
1.05 pm – Equity, diversity and inclusion in University leadership
Dr Pradeep Passi, Pro Vice Chancellor Social Justice and Equity
1.30 pm – Building an inclusive culture across the research lifecycle: Experiences of Salford research leaders
1.30-1.50 - Embracing EDI in Cardiac Surgery Research for Greater Impact
Professor Bhuvana Bibleraaj, Professor in Nursing/Surgical Practice, University of Salford
1.50-2.10 - Practical things to consider when engaging people and communities
Professor Michelle Cornes, Professor of Health and Social Policy Inequalities
2.10-2.30 - Promoting inclusion in research
Professor Vanessa Heaslip, Professor of Nursing and Healthcare Equity
2.30-2.50 - Intersectionality and EDI in Research: Potential Challenges and Opportunities of the Digital
Professor Ben Light, Professor of Digital Society
2.50 pm – closing remarks
Dr Udeni Wijayasiri, Programme Manager, ESRC Research Leadership Network
Amazonia Brazil UK Workshop - Global problems, local solutions: developing an integrated framework towards sustainable fisheries and aquaculture
Jul 22, 2024
Location
Bragança, Pará (State chosen to host the UN climate summit, COP30, in 2025)
Description
The four-day workshop (which included discussions, round tables, a trip to a local Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging company, G Pesca) relied on an interdisciplinary and engaging environment. All participants worked together to discuss problems and develop solutions. The workshop ended with a roundtable discussion at the Federal Institute of Pará, IFPA, campus of Bragança attended by representatives from 9 municipalities and 8 institutions, as well as dozens of students, teachers and the general public. The Federal institutions present were: the Superintendence for the Development of the Amazon (SUDAM), the Federal Institute of Education (IFPA) and the Federal University of Pará (UFPA). The State Government was represented by the State Secretariat for Agricultural and Fisheries Development (SEDAP) and the Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Company of the State of Pará (EMATER – Municipalities of Bragança and Capanema). The Municipal institutions were represented by the Environment Secretariat of Bragança and the City Hall of Muaná (Ilha do Marajó). Mr. Raul Gomes, leader of the fishermen association All together in the same canoe (bringing together several cities on the island of Marajó, in the Municipality of São Sebastião da Boa Vista), who presented local challenges at the very beginning of the workshop, presented his feedback on the discussions which took place during the four days of the workshop.
The SEDAP Fisheries Engineer, Ediano Sandes, presented the results of the surveys on the shrimp crisis obtained from interviews with fishermen in the Marajó and Tocantins regions, enriching the discussions. In addition, Ms. Paola Gomes, representative of the Fisheries Secretariat (Secretaria de Pesca), from the Prefecture of Muaná (Marajó Island) gave her testimony on how abundant shrimp were in the past and the unfortunate current situation, in which fishermen are unable to catch enough shrimp to feed themselves. The roundtable has been transmitted live online, to reach an even broader audience (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFxVSddhWgs,134 views Streamed live on Jul 25, 2024).
The newly formed network (all 26 official workshop participants, plus members of local organizations who joined the final discussion roundtable) and local communities are now connected with a WhatsApp group (previous acknowledgement and permission of data sharing) and will be available to use a network website (in progress) to favour regular exchange of info, grant calls, students and expertise and best practise.
Six community workshops employing the Photovoice technique were conducted as part of the ENSEMBLE research project.
Location
1. Church of the Ascension, Ascension Rd, Salford M7 1AG.
2. Lombardy Court Sheltered Housing Retirement Living Complex, Lombardy Court, Salford M6 5JF.
3. Ordsall Community Arts Centre, 2 Robert Hall St, Salford M5 3LT.
4. FoodCycle Salford Angel Cent
Description
Six community workshops were conducted as part of the photovoice phase of the ENSEMBLE research project. These workshops aimed to introduce the project to local participants, recruit community members as co-researchers, and provide training on the photovoice technique—including guidance on capturing and submitting photos. The sessions also facilitated data collection through photography and included interpretation and reflection workshops, where participants discussed the photos and shared their narratives.
The organisation of these workshops was supported by several local community groups and centres, including Church of the Ascension in Lower Broughton, Lombardy Court Sheltered Housing Retirement Living Complex, Ordsall Community Art Centre, The Broughton Trust, and the FoodCycle Salford Angel Centre.
Through these workshops, a database of over 150 photos was generated. The interpretation workshops gathered valuable community insights linked to the images, enriching the research and helping transition the project into its second phase. Moreover, these activities established strong local networks involving over 15 community groups, fostering community connections and building trust—essential foundations for participatory research and ongoing collaboration.