Research that makes a difference: Mark Holland wins Most Impactful Project Award
In December, we held our Staff Awards, where we recognised the outstanding achievements of colleagues across the University.
We are incredibly proud of the dedication and impact our staff make throughout the year—particularly Mark Holland from our Sports team, who won the award for Most Impactful Research Project.
Staff from Birmingham Newman University lead the evaluation of Research Better Together, a Birmingham- and Solihull-based programme designed to strengthen equitable partnerships between researchers, VCFSE organisations, and underserved communities.
The project supports collaborative, co-produced research development by investing in relationships, capacity building, and community-led agenda setting. Dr Adam Benkwitz, Kirsty Spencer, and Dr Mark Holland lead the evaluation examining how and why these partnerships work in practice, for whom, and in what contexts.
The evaluation focuses on power, trust, and meaningful engagement, generating evidence, learning, and practical resources to inform more inclusive approaches to research locally and nationally.
