In November, Dr Firth will share this work across a series of prestigious events: as a keynote speaker at the Advance HE Assessment and Feedback Symposium (4 November); a keynote at the World Conference on Research in Teaching & Education (16 November); and as an invited panel member for Universities UK’s national event on Access, Participation and Student Success (20 November).

Together, these invitations highlight both the relevance and the impact of her research, which has already influenced assessment practice in more than a dozen universities. Her continued leadership demonstrates the Faculty of Humanities’ contribution to transforming assessment and enhancing the student learning experience across the higher education sector.

Evidence of sector use of this work to date : 

• University of Liverpool&�Բ�����;—&�Բ�����;Formal Flexible Assessment Guidance and Code of Practice define flexible assessment and parity/equivalency expectations. 
• Sheffield Hallam University — Public guidance on Assessment Choice (students choose questions/methods; emphasis on inclusivity and parity). 
• University of Glasgow&�Բ�����;—&�Բ�����;Flexible Submission Guidance adopted institutionally; reported reductions in extensionsand improved manageability. 
• Teesside University — LTE guidance on Flexible / Hybrid Assessment (choice and authentic formats aligned to hybrid delivery). 
• Loughborough University — Case study on student choice of assessment format (poster, vlog, infographic, etc.) to remove barriers. 
• University of Sussex — Case study on introducing optionality for accessibility and inclusion (student reflections). 
• University of Northampton&�Բ�����;—&�Բ�����;Assessment snapshot: optionality embedded and signposted across a programme to build assessment literacy. 
• University of York — Institutional workstream on assessment optionality; staff resources and funded projects exploring subject-specific cases. 
• UCL — Digital Assessment Team blog series on optionality, reflecting work with Manchester, York and Imperial in the QAA project. 
• Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) — Policy/guidance updates and staff hub referencing flexible assessment practice (plus public comms on assessment reform). 
• Newcastle University — Curriculum framework and learning-and-teaching resources highlight programme-level assessment design aligned with inclusive/flexible practice. 

Sector-level foundation / cross-institutional reference

• QAA Collaborative Enhancement Project – Optionality in Assessment (Firth et al., 2023): report and resources underpinning many of the above adoptions. 

January

January brought the fresh start of a new year to the University, and what better way to start off 2025 than with the University of 911����being ? In this month of resolutions, we also , to bring about change on the environmental impacts of the healthcare industry.

February

The second month of 2025 saw the University placed in the top 50 of the Times Higher Education Reputation Rankings, along with the news that an economic impact report had found UoM to be an economic and social powerhouse, generating £5.95 in productivity benefits for the UK, for every £1 spent on research activities. We also took some trips abroad, with President and Vice-Chancellor Duncan Ivison strengthening ties in Asia on a visit to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, and , with a visit to our partners in Kenya.

March

.

The University of 911����again looked overseas in March, as 911����and Austin became sister cities. Closer to home, to discuss the future of devolution across Greater Manchester

April

As spring came to campus in April, we celebrated the news ; we also were ranked in the , highlighting our commitment to translating our research into real-world benefit.

May

May was a big month for 911����Museum, as it was named European Museum of the Year, balancing globally-impactful academic research with community engagement and social responsibility. The University also , to improve access to economics in schools.

June

As we retained our leading global position in the QS Rankings, June was also an exciting month for fans of 911����City, with manager Pep Guardiola coming to the Whitworth Hall to receive an honorary doctorate degree from the University – hear about it in Pep’s words, . As well as announcing our partnership with the University of Cambridge -committed to accelerating inclusive growth and innovation collaboration - we also launched Unit M, our specialist function working to tackle productivity challenges and boost regional growth throughout Greater Manchester.

July

In July, to inspire some of Manchester’s future scientists, and saw the release of new book, ‘Building Towards the Bicentenary: A Campus History of the University of 911����1824-2024’, looking back across our fascinating 200-year history. A month of celebration, of course, for our graduates, as the bright July sun is blotted out in the Old Quad by tossed mortarboard hats! Here’s what a few of them !

August

Although most of our 44,000 strong student community were enjoying their summer breaks, there was a lot going on – this month saw a bestowed on University staff as well as more , and a

September

As we welcomed a new cohort of students to Manchester, as well as those returning, we also welcomed the news that we , and were . We enjoyed a very busy Welcome Week with our ‘freshers’ and – like us!

October

Autumn – and as the leaves turn brown in the Old Quad, we look back at the 75 years since Alan Turing developed his Turing Test, and ; our accreditations for supporting care experienced and sanctuary-seeking students were also renewed. Of course, we also launched our ‘From 911����for the world’ 2035 strategy for the coming decade, focusing the foundations and leaps that will make us a great 21st century university. 

November

November brought collaboration, with the University of , meaning graduates can relocate their studies on Oxford Road, for less! November also saw the to tackle the world’s biggest challenges, by driving transformative change across research, student support, innovation, and culture, while backing bold solutions to pressing problems. 

December 

And here we are! As we approach the end of the calendar year, and start turning our minds to the holidays, there’s still plenty to be proud of, – and the John Rylands Library And that’s not to forget our winter graduates – wrapped up warm, luckily, in their robes and caps! .

January

The year kicked off with surprising discoveries. Our scientists found that soap - the kind we use to wash our hands - could offer new insights into complex systems in the human body, including the lungs, and even pave the way for better therapies for conditions like respiratory distress syndrome. In materials science, our researchers designed a molecular trap with the potential to reduce water pollution from chemicals left behind by medicines and hygiene products in rivers and lakes. By the end of the month, analysis of samples from asteroid Bennu revealed fascinating clues about the origins of life and the early days of our solar system.

February

In February, our engineers found that the microarchitecture of fossil pterosaur bones could hold the key to lighter, stronger materials for the next generation of aircraft. A new atmospheric monitoring station was established at Jodrell Bank Observatory to improve the accuracy of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions estimates. Meanwhile, researchers at the  achieved a significant milestone in the field of quantum electronics. 

March

Scientists developed a hydrogen sensor that could accelerate the transition to clean hydrogen energy. A  from The University of Manchester’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research revealed that their ‘ successfully supported Massive Attack in delivering the lowest-carbon live music event of its kind. Elsewhere, launched a national-scale assessment of interactions between wind farms, supporting policymakers and industry leaders to support the journey to net zero.

April

Earth Science researchers found that estimates of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from volcanoes may have been significantly underestimated, while underwater avalanches, known as turbidity currents, were shown to be responsible for transporting vast quantities of microplastics into the deep sea. Physicists made a landmark discovery, uncovering the first clear evidence that matter particles, known as baryons, behave differently from their antimatter counterparts. Scientists part of CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) collaborations, were also honoured with the 2025 .

May

Researchers at the 911����Institute of Biotechnology demonstrated how genetically engineered enzymes can harness visible light to drive highly selective chemical reactions. Researchers also launched a new project with Equinor to understand how microbes in deep underground storage sites could impact the success of carbon capture and storage.

June

June was a month of celebration. became one of one of ten finalists to be awarded £100,000 in seed funding to develop his solution for this year’s , while four colleagues were honoured by the Royal Society of Chemistry for their outstanding contributions to the chemical sciences. Students from The University of Manchester’s Physics Society constructed a remarkable 30,500-piece Lego model of the iconic Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank, commemorating the observatory’s 80th anniversary. In new research highlights, Manchester astronomers revealed the first look from the world’s largest digital camera, and chemists created a molecular magnet that could boost data storage by 100 times

July

A new 'nose to diagnose’ study revealed promising progress in developing a non-invasive sampling method to detect early signs of Parkinson’s disease – up to seven years before motor symptoms appear - by analysing the chemical makeup of skin. Scientists also discovered hundreds of giant sand bodies beneath the North Sea that appear to defy fundamental geological principle, while new research provided unprecedented insights into the hidden forces behind devastating Alpine debris flows, offering hope for better protection against future disasters.

August

Over the summer, academics were awarded a major grant to lead a new programme that will transform the lifecycle of graphite in nuclear energy. Researchers uncovered a hidden pattern in birdsong that mirrors a core rule of human language, and for the first time, directly tracked the slow transformation of a dying star over more than a century. The James Webb Space Telescope also captured extraordinary new details in the heart of the famous Butterfly Nebula.

September

In September, we highlighted a series of workshops held by Chemists at the University for refugee children across Greater Manchester. Professor Zara Hodgson and Professor Jovica Milanović were elected by the  to its Fellowship. The Tyndal Centre makred its 25th anniversary and published a new report revealing that the UK now uses less energy than almost anyone anticipated 20 years ago.

October

A near-complete skeleton found on UK’s Jurassic Coast was identified as a new and rare species of ichthyosaur. Researchers also launched a new project to develop a pioneering technology to harness powerful wind in railway tunnels, turning them into renewable energy power stations. 

November

Scientists uncovered a surprising link between koala and Ice Age “marsupial lion”. A unique collaboration between academics, the government and the public found that reducing the UK’s energy demand could help the country reach its net zero target faster and at half the cost compared to relying mainly on supply-side technologies. A collaboration with Marketing 911����revealed that tourism in Greater 911����generated around 2.5 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent in 2023, with most emissions linked to how visitors travel to and from the region.

December 

The year concluded with major breakthroughs. Scientists finally closed the door on one theory for a long-standing mystery in particle physics, confirming there is no sterile neutrino with 95% certainty. The world’s most precise nuclear clock ticked closer to reality, astronomers captured the most detailed images ever taken of a jet launched by a young star, current housing and climate policies are failing to keep up risk from rising temperatures and soaring energy costs, and a 911����astronomer is set to build the most detailed and accurate model of the radio sky ever built.

Kicking off in December with the news that early access to support linked to better recovery after 911����Arena attack. Two new studies have found that people affected by the 2017 911����Arena terrorist attack showed improvement in mental health after engaging with dedicated support services.

In November, we showed how research on mice has shed new light on why the guts’ immune system changes after a stroke and how it might contribute to gastro-intestinal problems.

In October, our campaigning researchers celebrate law change on parental involvement in domestic abuse. Abusive parents will no longer have presumed access to their children following a change in the law and years of campaigning by victims’ groups and other experts, including University of 911����researchers.

In September, we showed that most women have positive experience of NHS maternity services. An independent evaluation of measures introduced by the NHS in 2019 to reduce stillbirth in England has shown that most women have a positive experience antenatal care, birth and labour.

In August we reported how decades of research informed NICE guidance on leg ulcer treatment. Research on venous leg ulcer treatments, doggedly pursued by two University of 911����academics since 1989, has greatly influenced NICE  issued that month.

July heralded our report on how our scientists discovered a genetic condition that causes paralysis following mild infections. Doctors and genetic researchers at The University of 911����discovered that changes in a gene leads to severe nerve damage in children following a mild bout of infection.

Data analysis by a University of 911����psychologist, published in June,  confirmed the suspicion that tennis players who take a bathroom break are likely to gain an advantage over their opponent.

In May we reported the worrying news that ex-service personnel with dementia may be slipping through gaps in support. from the University of 911����and McMaster University highlighted the experiences of UK ex-Service personnel with dementia living in their own homes, and the barriers they have faced in accessing support.

In April, one of our most illustrious scientists made the STATUS list of top life science influencers. Professor Ruth Itzhaki, who’s pioneering research has advanced our understanding of what causes Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), made  the prestigious  for 2025.

In March we learned that face-to-face GP appointments linked to higher patient satisfaction. GPs who conduct their surgeries in the flesh are more likely to have satisfied patients according to a study by our researchers.

In February, we reported on how Governments lack effective policies on fungal disease. Some Governments lack effective policies to tackle the global fungal crisis responsible for the deaths of around 3.5 million people per year, according to an international team of experts.

A study revealed in January links between head injuries and viruses in Alzheimer's Disease. Researchers from Oxford’s Institute of Population Ageing and the University of Manchester, and Tufts University found that head injuries, such as those induced in sports and the military, may re-awaken dormant viruses in the brain, triggering the onset of conditions including Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia.

Around 650,000 people in the region fall into the ‘justice gap’ because they cannot access legal aid or afford private representation.

The Justice Hub’s important work exposes lawyers of the future to the injustices faced by many and the importance of access to justice and helps to transform lives across Greater Manchester. 

The Awards, now in their second year, celebrate the regions’ lawyers, law students and legal professionals who are transforming lives through free legal advice and representation. 

• .

Now, researchers at The University of 911����working with Unilever, have created an AI-powered ‘self-driving’ laboratory that promises to change the way chemical innovation happens. 

Their new system uses physics-guided AI and is designed to learn efficiently by choosing only the most valuable experiments, cutting down the number of tests needed to reach reliable results. Instead of endlessly tweaking variables in the lab, it learns from every outcome, refining its models to predict what will work best next.  

This not only saves time and resources but delivers deeper insights into the underlying science. The resulting chemical processes can be developed faster, scaled more efficiently and designed with sustainability in mind – from cleaner consumer goods to greener manufacturing systems. 

As project lead Dr Dongda Zhang explains: “By advancing AI-powered self-driving labs, we help our industrial partners enhance digital maturity, embrace culture change and accelerate sustainable innovation – driving smarter, faster and cleaner manufacturing that benefits both industry and society.” 

Traditionally, discovering these materials has been a slow process of trial and error in the lab. Now, a team at The University of Manchester, led by Dr Qian Yang, are using artificial intelligence to speed things up. 

Their system doesn’t just crunch data –&�Բ�����;it learns the way physicists think about materials, helping to predict which ones are worth making and testing and even guiding their design and manufacturing. This way, AI acts less like a passive tool and more like an active ‘lab mate’, working alongside the researchers to unlock smarter and faster innovation. 

As Dr Yang explains: “Our work is building the materials foundation for the future. From lossless superconductors to clean energy catalysts, new quantum materials will underpin the next wave of scientific and technological progress.”

In addition to the latest Open Research news, events and resources from 911����and beyond, we share a round-up of the  in the Digest in 2025, and highlight the newly launched . 

• Check out the .
• If you’re not already signed up you can .
• If you’d like to contribute a thought piece, share some Open Research news, or invite participation in an Open Research event or initiative, please . 

Now, researchers at The University of 911����are taking this a step further. Led by Dr Jie Wang, the team have developed an AI-powered ‘digital twin’ of the human vascular system that makes patient-specific blood flow simulations faster, more accurate and more accessible for clinical use. 

By combining advanced computer models with machine learning, their system can quickly predict key indicators such as pressure and wall shear stress –&�Բ�����;measures that help doctors understand how blood moves and where risks may lie. Unlike traditional methods that require time-intensive, high-powered computing, this approach runs efficiently on the open-source AortaCFD app, paving the way for real-time, personalised insights. 

As Dr Wang explains, their long-term goal is to give clinicians a powerful tool for precision care: “Our work uses advanced computer modelling to create realistic “digital twins” of patients’ blood flow, allowing doctors to simulate and predict how blood moves through the body quickly and accurately.  

“By combining different modelling techniques, the research turns complex simulations into practical tools that help clinicians plan personalised treatments.  

“Future work will use AI methods, such as physics-informed neural networks (PINNs), to make these predictions even faster and more precise.” 

Gavin joined MIB in October 2025 as Professor of Chemical Biology. His research focuses on biomacromolecules – carbohydrates and nucleic acids – developing chemical principles and tools to tackle challenges in molecular science. The Miller group explores natural and mimetic biopolymers and small molecules, aiming to design and sustainably manufacture non-natural nucleosides and nucleic acid sequences. Projects span from bioresponsive polymer mimics for tissue engineering to automated glycan assembly and biocatalysis in flow, addressing pressing needs in infectious disease and industrial biotechnology.

Gavin’s return to 911����marks an exciting chapter for MIB, where he will continue pioneering chemical and enzymatic synthesis strategies to unlock new therapeutic and industrial applications.

Andrew Buller – Professor of Biological Chemistry

Joining MIB from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in January 2026, Andrew brings a distinguished track record in enzyme mechanism and protein engineering for stereoselective C–C bond formation. His research centres on pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes, which catalyse reactions through highly reactive intermediates. The Buller group has developed efficient catalysts for synthesising non-canonical amino acids – key building blocks for pharmaceuticals – and advanced multiplexed screening methodologies for enzyme evolution.

At MIB, Andrew will expand his work on PLP-dependent biocatalysis and explore genetically encoded artificial metallocofactors, including a groundbreaking cobalt-substituted haem system that opens new chemical possibilities. He is eager to leverage MIB’s world-class instrumentation for mechanistic studies and large-scale synthesis.

Roberto Chica – Professor of Enzyme Design

Roberto will join MIB in September 2026 as Professor of Enzyme Design. His research integrates computational and experimental approaches to create efficient artificial enzymes, with a focus on functional conformational dynamics. Roberto’s group has pioneered ensemble-based design strategies that reproduce the effects of laboratory evolution in silico, developed de novo enzymes using crystallographic guidance, and applied generative AI to customise minimal protein scaffolds. His innovations have enabled biocatalytic synthesis of D-amino acids and advanced multistate protein design.

At MIB, Roberto aims to build a unified, dynamics-aware platform for enzyme design, generating biocatalysts for diverse chemical reactions while training the next generation of scientists in computational protein engineering and biocatalysis.  

Driving the future of biotechnology

The arrival of Professors Miller, Buller, and Chica underscores MIB’s commitment to world-leading research in chemical biology, enzyme engineering, and computational design. Their work will accelerate innovation across healthcare, sustainable manufacturing, and industrial biotechnology, reinforcing Manchester’s position as a global hub for biotechnology research.

Professor Anthony Green, Director of the 911����Institute of Biotechnology said of the appointments:

Please join us in welcoming Gavin, Andrew and Roberto to the Institute.

We’re pleased to launch a new Open Research Spotlight series, focusing on the work of our . In the first instalment of the new series, Prof Ellen Poliakoff is in conversation with Open Research Librarian John Hynes, reflecting on the outcomes and impacts of her  so far. Prof Poliakoff co-directs the  investigating how our brains use sensory information, such as vision and touch, to create actions and interact with the world. Her  focussed on people with lived experience, for example, of their own or a family member’s health condition, who contribute to research by advising on, shaping or co-producing research (“public contributors”; see  about how to do this). She aims to share the principles of Open Research with public contributors. 

Why did you want to do a Fellowship? 

“As a lab, we have been involving people with lived experience of Parkinson’s and autistic people in shaping and advising on our research for more than 10 years. Involvement and co-production is an important , particularly in ensuring the research is relevant to those affected. We have also been trying to implement other Open Research practices, such as  and  and analysis via . Often when a public contributor begins their role, they are offered some general training on “What is research?” but there seemed to be a gap in the training offered about Open Research.  

What did you do during your Fellowship? 

The first stage of my Fellowship involved doing a (pre-registered) piece of research into what public contributors already did (or did not) know, and would like to know, about Open Research and the different kinds of Open Research practices (DOI: ). I worked with BEAM lab co-director and chair of  Professor Emma Gowen, and collaborator (and former PhD student) Dr Jade Pickering, who had championed Open Research during her PhD. I also collaborated with public contributors -Anne Ferrett, Peter Baimbridge and Graham Hanks who contributed their lived experience of caring and autism, as well as their prior experience as public contributors to research. 

What challenges did you face? 

My first challenge was a ‘chicken and egg’ situation – how could I ask people what they know about Open Research when they might never have heard the term, or know it by another name? Descriptions of the practices can also be quite difficult to follow, even for other researchers, and full of jargon. With advice from my public contributors and collaborators, I created clear definitions of different practices, such as , , and . I also created a fictional mini story for each practice, illustrating how a researcher might carry it out. Participants could choose to listen to a recording if they preferred less reading (a great suggestion from one of our public contributors). We were then able to ask people questions about each practice, having explained what it was. 

My next challenges were to find public contributors to take part, and to decide what term to use. I needed to make sure that those who took part had been a public contributor, rather than taking part in research as a participant. This can be confusing as surveys and focus groups can be used to shape research, as well as being part of a research study. Furthermore, there are many different terms used within different fields or institutions, such as patient and public involvement volunteer, co-production officer, service-user etc. I settled on ‘public contributor’ and made sure to define it. We also recruited via gatekeepers (charities or researchers who worked with public contributors) and encouraged them to translate the name into the right terminology for their contributors. 

A final challenge was finding time to do my Fellowship. It wasn’t possible to relinquish many of the responsibilities of my main job, but the financial support from the Fellowship meant that two brilliant recent PhD students from our lab – Dr Hayley Shepherd and Dr Ying Bai – could work with me on the set up and analysis of the survey. 

What did you find out? 

The participants in our survey, who had a range of lived experience, were passionate about the benefits of co-production. The term ‘Open Research’ wasn’t familiar to many of them, but they rated many practices as both familiar and important after the definitions and mini stories. Many of their comments were very insightful, such as the quote I’ve used in the title of this piece, and some described the balance between the benefits of science (making research more efficient) and possible risks (such as sharing data). In fact, some of their concerns were very similar to those raised by researchers. Some of the practices, such as pre-registration, were not as well understood and it was encouraging that participants said that they learnt more about Open Research during the survey (one participant even got in touch to thank me for such an interesting experience!). Finally, more than 70% were interested in further training about Open Research. 

I shared our findings at the  and have submitted it as a journal article, so others can make use of my findings. For me, “practicing what I preach” was important - working with public contributors and pre-registering our analysis plan on the OSF. It reminded me of the extra time and effort involved in doing these things properly, but it was rewarding to see our public contributors benefit from seeing this and begin to take their knowledge and experience forward in their other roles.  

What will you be doing next with the project and Open Research generally? 

The next stage of my project is to create an online training resource to explain different Open Research practices to public contributors. The vignettes and definitions made for the survey will feed into this. The resources will be made openly available online, for sharing by researchers and charities working with public contributors. They may also be useful in wider teaching about Open Research. Ultimately, I hope that we can encourage more projects to embrace Open Research by both researchers and public contributors being better informed. 

Taking on this role also inspired me to share Open Research with others in my field. I have taken on the role as Open Research Officer for the  and I am co-editing a special issue of Journal of Neuropsychology on co-production.” 

The Office for Open Research is committed to recognising 911����researchers working to progress and embed Open Research practices within and across disciplines. The , funded via the University's , is one of the ways that we enact this commitment. We’re currently confirming the appointment of our third cohort of Open Research Fellows, and look forward to sharing details of the successful candidates and their projects in January. We’ll also be showcasing the work of our previous cohorts through this new Spotlight series, so check out the  and our  to keep updated. 

The researchers aim to develop AI tools that can understand the differences between multiple versions of prints throughout history, allowing scholars to understand how early imagery was made and circulated, along with the practices of printers and their workshops. 

The team consists of (Professor of Italian and Director of the John Rylands Research Institute at the University of Manchester);  (Professor of Computer Science and Head of Engineering Research at the University of Manchester); (Head of the Digital Development Team at the University of 911����Library);  (Senior Software Developer in the University of 911����Library’s Digital Development Team); (Senior Researcher in Digital Humanities at the University of Oxford); (Royal Society Research Professor and Professor of Computer Vision Engineering at the University of Oxford); and (Software Engineer at the University of Oxford).

Professor Richard Curry, Vice-Dean for Research and Innovation in the University's Faculty of Science and Engineering, said: "It's fantastic news that the Manchester-led project Envisioning Print with AI Computer Vision, has been selected for this Schmidt Sciences award. This project is an exemplary, highly interdisciplinary collaboration between humanities researchers and computational experts, and its cutting-edge mixed methodologies will shape future innovation  with real-world impacts in line with the University's 911����2035 ambitions."

Wendy Schmidt, co-founder of Schmidt Sciences, added: “Our newest technologies may shed light on our oldest truths, on all that makes us human – from the origins of civilization to the peaks of philosophical thought to contemporary art and film, Schmidt Sciences’ Humanities and AI Virtual Institute (HAVI) is poised to change not only the course of scholarship, but also the way we see ourselves and our role in the world.”

Schmidt Sciences has awarded $11 million to 23 research teams around the world who are exploring new ways to bring artificial intelligence into dialogue with the humanities, from archaeology and art history to literature, linguistics, film studies, and beyond. As part of the Humanities and AI Virtual Institute (HAVI), these interdisciplinary teams will both apply AI to illuminate the human record and draw on humanistic questions, methods, and values to advance how AI itself is designed and used.

Schmidt Sciences is a nonprofit organisation founded in 2024 by Eric and Wendy Schmidt that works to accelerate scientific knowledge and breakthroughs with the most promising, advanced tools to support a thriving planet. The organisation prioritises research in areas poised for impact, including AI and advanced computing, astrophysics, biosciences, climate, and space – as well as supporting researchers in a variety of disciplines through its science systems program.

Each programme brings together academic and industrial expertise to deliver high-quality doctoral training, with a strong emphasis on collaboration, innovation, and real-world impact.

The three awards are:

BioProcess: Biocatalysis and Protein Engineering Centre for Sustainable Synthesis

Led by at The University of 911����and co-developed with AstraZeneca, BioProcess will offer training in biocatalysis, protein engineering and biomanufacturing with a specific industry focus. The programme will be delivered by a consortium of academic and industrial partners including the Universities of York and Bristol, and a network of multinational companies from across the pharmaceutical, chemical and biotechnology sectors.

Students will be based in one of the three universities and will spend a minimum of three months working on industry placements to gain experience in a commercial setting. Training will span four scientific pillars: design and discovery of new enzyme chemistry, laboratory automation and AI for accelerated protein engineering, assembly of enzyme cascades and cell factories, and realising biotransformations at scale. The programme builds on the success of the , which has already graduated 36 students and commercialised over 1,000 biocatalysts to date.

BioProcess aims to equip this new generation of researchers with the technical and transferable skills needed to contribute to the UK’s bioeconomy, while fostering a collaborative and inclusive training environment.

BioAID: AI-Driven Enzyme Design for Industry Biocatalysis

BioAID, led by Queen’s University Belfast, with co-leads including from the , and the Universities of Edinburgh and Bristol, will equip students with specialist knowledge in artificial intelligence and enzyme science to accelerate sustainable biomanufacturing.

The programme responds to the growing demand for scalable, AI-enhanced enzyme solutions in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, agri-tech and clean energy. Students will receive training in machine learning, protein design and synthetic biology, supported by national computing infrastructure and hands-on laboratory experience.

BioAID is designed to be interdisciplinary from the outset, with projects co-supervised across biosciences, AI, and engineering. Students will follow a structured training programme centred on three integrated scientific themes:

• AI-Powered Enzyme Discovery (e.g. metagenomic mining and structure prediction)
• AI-Guided Enzyme Design (e.g. active site tuning using ML tools)
• AI-Enhanced Enzyme Applications (e.g. scalable biocatalysis in clean manufacturing) 

The programme will deliver significant societal and economic benefits by embedding AI-driven enzyme innovation within the UK’s bioscience talent pipeline.

CODE-M: Control and Design of Bioengineered Microbial Cells and Systems

CODE-M will train PhD researchers in microbial bioengineering, with a focus on applications in biomedicine, clean growth, food systems, and environmental solutions. Led by and at The University of Manchester, in partnership with the University of Liverpool, the programme will produce a cohort of highly-trained, highly employable bioengineers that will reinforce the UK’s position as a leader in green and biobased solutions. 

Students will develop microbial biotechnologies that tackle global challenges, including improving health, driving clean growth, creating resilient food systems, and delivering environmental solutions. Training will be supported by advanced facilities including biofoundries, genomics platforms, and high-performance computing, and will be built around three themes:

• Bottom-up design for bioengineering microbial cells and systems
• Top-down control for bioengineering microbiomes
• Disruptive technologies for microbial bioengineering

The programme includes hands-on rotation projects, enabling skills training, and placements with industry and national institutes. CODE-M also places a strong emphasis on responsible research and innovation, equality and inclusion, and student-led activities such as stakeholder symposia and outreach.

• More information:

Building capability in the north-west

Together, these three programmes represent a significant investment in the north-west and UK’s biotechnology training landscape. They will help to build a pipeline of skilled researchers equipped to tackle complex challenges in sustainable manufacturing, health, and environmental resilience.

Each programme has been designed to align with UKRI’s doctoral investment priorities and national strategies including the UK Bioeconomy Strategy, Net Zero Strategy, and AI Strategy. By embedding industry collaboration, interdisciplinary training, and inclusive practices, these awards will support the development of a diverse and capable research workforce.

Applications for the first cohort of studentships are expected to open in 2026, with further details to be announced in due course. 
 

You can find out more at the call launch taking place on Monday, 12 January, 3:20-4:30pm, at the Nancy Rothwell Building (Blended Th1 (GA.056). 

The aim of this call is to pump-prime projects which will lead to an increase in successful interdisciplinary research through external research funding applications.  Applications are invited to align with a research platform and one of their priority areas:  

•  priority areas include ; ; .
•  priority areas include , , , ,  and .
• priority areas include , , , , and .
• Healthier Futures priority areas concentrate on the causes, consequences, and ways to address health inequalities. Healthier Futures focuses on the determinants that empower or inhibit people from leading  in  and engaging equitably with . Please note that applications should have addressing health inequalities as the main driver of the research challenge. 

Call guidance will be available on the  from 6 January.

Call deadline:  4pm, 13 March 2026

For inspiration, visit:

• February 2025: Scott Taylor –&�Բ�����;
• March 2025: John Hynes –&�Բ�����;
• April 2025: 
• May 2025: Murilo Marinho –&�Բ�����;.
• June 2025: Andrew Porter and Fred Breese –&�Բ�����;
• July 2025: Ciaran Talbot –&�Բ�����;.
• September 2025: John Hynes –&�Բ�����;
• October 2025: Fred Breese –&�Բ�����;.
• November 2025: Steve Carlton –&�Բ�����;.
• December 2025: Ellen Poliakoff - .

Our final Digest of the year will be published this Thursday 18th December, so if you’re not already signed up,  now to receive it straight to your inbox.

If you’d like to contribute a thought piece to a future edition of the Open Research Digest, please . 

BISA Climate Negotiation Simulation 2025: Reflections on Representing Saudi Arabia

By Odette Prior and Ned Vines Booth, final year students of the BSocSc Politics and International Relations. 

December 2025

Last Monday, we had the opportunity to represent the University of 911����at the , hosted at Chatham House. The event recreated the dynamics of UNFCCC negotiations in a post-COP30 world, challenging each delegation to represent a different state. We were assigned Saudi Arabia, a role that initially raised a few eyebrows, but ultimately offered one of the most instructive experiences either of us has had in climate politics.

Preparing to speak on behalf of a major oil producer at a climate conference required thorough research and careful positioning. With help from students experienced in Model UN and guidance from our academic lead, we examined Saudi climate policy, negotiation strategies, and COP procedures. As our research deepened, it became clear that Saudi Arabia’s stance is more complex than the caricature often presented. It is both acutely vulnerable to climate impacts and heavily reliant on fossil fuel revenue to finance its transition. Understanding this tension helped shape our strategy and interventions.

Arriving at Chatham House, after navigating London’s rain with less diplomatic composure than intended, we joined the other delegates for early introductions. Once the simulation began, the agenda-setting debate quickly demonstrated how challenging consensus can be. After more than an hour of discussion, the chair intervened to move things forward. When negotiations turned to emissions and climate finance, we engaged more actively, ensuring that our contributions reflected Saudi Arabia’s priorities, such as maintaining eligibility for climate finance and avoiding explicit references to fossil fuel phase-outs. As debates intensified, several accusations directed our way required rapid written responses, which we coordinated through an increasingly chaotic shared Google Doc. Throughout this period, none of our red lines were crossed, and we had managed to soften several commitments in line with Saudi Arabia’s position. In that moment, it almost felt good being the complicated villain! 

The simulation offered a full spectrum of negotiation activities: moderated debate, unmoderated caucuses, drafting amendments, and navigating the delicate art of coalition building. We were surprised by how many states were willing to work with us which was proof that interests, not reputations, tend to drive diplomacy. One amendment we coordinated gained promising support before being voted down, a reminder of the unforgiving nature of consensus rules. By the end of the day, only one amendment (proposed by Iran) passed, which felt like an accurate reflection of the slow pace of real climate negotiations.

Despite limited progress on paper, the experience was highly rewarding. It strengthened our research and public-speaking skills, deepened our understanding of state positions in climate diplomacy, and highlighted the importance of strategic cooperation. Conversations with BISA staff and Chatham House programme members at the end of the day also offered valuable insight into careers in international politics and policy research.

We later learned that some BISA staff had nominated us for an award which was an encouraging gesture, even if it didn’t survive the final round of decision-making. In a simulation about climate diplomacy, it seemed fitting that outcomes ultimately hinged on coalition dynamics.

Professor Sharon Clarke, Organisational Psychology, Alliance 911����Business School explains:

“While we often think of regulation as a technical or procedural task, human psychology plays a central role in the way decisions are actually made on the ground.” 

Our project brought together inspectors and regulators from across the UK to understand how these “blind spots” emerge — and what can be done to manage them. Through workshops, reflection exercise and practical tools, participants explored strategies for questioning their own assumptions, examining emotional responses and creating team environments where challenge and alternative viewpoints are genuinely welcomed.

The work revealed something important: managing bias isn’t about eliminating human judgement, but about supporting it. Regulators told us how valuable it was to step back, reflect and recognise the thinking patterns shaping their decisions. The research also highlighted that meaningful change requires ongoing practice, not one-off sessions. 

This collaboration has helped strengthen regulatory decision-making by making space for awareness, openness and critical thinking. 

This work matters because it highlights how psychological biases can quietly influence regulatory decisions in safety-critical sectors. By helping regulators recognise and manage these “blind spots”, the project strengthens the quality, consistency, and fairness of oversight. The insights and tools developed through the research support more transparent decision-making, encourage healthier challenge within teams, and ultimately contribute to safer outcomes for the public and the environments regulators protect.

Read the full blog: Managing Psychological Blind Spots.

Flow matching is a generative modelling technique that learns to transform random noise into meaningful data by following smooth trajectories. Think of it as a more flexible and efficient cousin of diffusion models. This approach has become a backbone for many modern generative models across different domains - from image generation to, in this case, synthetic tabular data.

The collaborative environment at AMLab fostered innovative discussions that refined the methodological framework and strengthened the international research network between the Department of Social Statistics and the University of Amsterdam. Working at one of Europe's leading machine learning research labs provided a unique environment to engage with cutting-edge computational and quantitative research, especially in synthetic data generation.

The findings from this work are now available as a preprint on , representing a significant milestone in advancing generative models for tabular data, especially to provide privacy-preserving and high-quality synthetic data. This collaboration exemplifies the Department's commitment to fostering global academic partnerships and contributing methodological advancements to the broader machine learning and statistical community.

Two award winners were announced on the evening:

Anne Boyd Rioux took The PFD Prize, an annual award for the most promising piece of fiction from the MA Creative Writing dissertation, as chosen by the leading London literary agency, . The winner receives a cash prize and the opportunity to work with an agent at PFD to develop their writing towards publication. 

Anne is a former English professor from New Orleans and a biographer specializing in American women writers. She is the author of three non-fiction books and the popular Substack newsletter Audacious Women, Creative Lives.  She is currently working on her upcoming first novel A War of Her Own, based on the real-life story of the New Yorker writer Kay Boyle. Trapped in France during WWII with her abusive husband, the artist Laurence Vail, and his ex-wife Peggy Guggenheim, she fell in love with an Austrian refugee who needed rescuing as much as she did. Many years later, however, the consequences of her decisions during the war continue to reverberate through the lives of her children.

Kieron Fairweather, Associate Agent at PFD added:

The MA Poetry Prize went to Ellie Grant. Ellie is a neuroqueer poet. She takes inspiration from childhood, the pockets of green in her local London, and the pockets of dark in urban places where green things tend to grow. She placed second in the The University of 911����Micropoetry Competition in 2024 and was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize 2025.

Ellie commented:

The editorial team for this year’s anthology consisted of Samantha Graham, Tom Pyle and Dylan Stewart:

Samantha commented: "So many hours of work have gone into producing this Anthology, both from myself, Tom, and Dylan and from our peers whose brilliant writing is featured within it, and I couldn’t be prouder of the book that we have collectively created. Overseeing and managing this project has been the highlight of my postgraduate experience and I’m so glad to have been able to celebrate the completion of it at the launch event last month."

Tom added: "Being part of the editorial trio for The 911����Anthology 2025 has been a challenge and a privilege. Seeing the work that it takes to get a book to print, having complete creative control over the process but most importantly being able to showcase the range of talent from the writers in this MA cohort; people who we’ve sat in workshops with and watched develop throughout the year. To have this book as a marker in the sand feels appropriate and, personally, gives me a lot of satisfaction."

Past contributors to The 911����Anthology have gone on to become successful established authors: Beth Underdown’s debut novel, The Witchfinder’s Sister, was a Richard and Judy bestseller; Alys Conran was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize for her debut novel, Pigeon; Nat Ogle, author of In The Seeing Hands of Others, was shortlisted for The White Review Poet's Prize; Joe Carrick-Varty’s collection, More Sky, was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize; Thomas D. Lee’s novel, Perilous Times, was a Sunday Times bestseller; Jessica Moor was named one of the ten best debut novelists of 2020 by Observer New Review, and was also shortlisted for the Desmond Elliot Prize.

Now, researchers led by Dr Tim Tang at The University of 911����are using artificial intelligence to unlock fresh insights. By training AI on computer simulations that mimic the ocean in fine detail, the team have uncovered a new mathematical equation that describes when and how waves break. 

Unlike traditional ‘black box’ AI, which makes predictions without showing its reasoning, this method provides interpretable results by human beings. It has revealed that, in deep water, the wave breaking can start from a speed difference between the surface and bulk of water underneath, which creates a small “waterslide”. Similar to landslide, the water at surface running down is likely to trigger a full energic breaking. 

The new equation could help scientists model the ocean more accurately and simulate breaking waves more efficiently, with applications ranging from advancing offshore renewable engineering to climate forecasting. As Dr Tang explains: “Wave breaking is one of the last unsolved puzzles in ocean science. By combining AI with physics, we’re not just improving our models –&�Բ�����;we’re uncovering new insights about the ocean wave itself.”

Isabella's master's thesis from Queen’s University in Canada focused on how peer support levels and problematic social media use of youth in military families differed from non-military-connected youth. This project used the largest Canadian dataset with responses from military-connected youth themselves, the HBSC survey. Youth in military families have unique experiences that can shape their health outcomes, which is why this research is important. 

Isabella was awarded the Colonel Russell Mann Military, Veteran and Public Safety Families Research Award for my research “Online communication and problematic social media use among military-connected youth in Canada”. This award recognises high-quality Canadian research that deepens the understanding of the health, resilience and lived experiences of military, Veteran and public safety families.

To address this challenge team, led by Dr Mahdi Saleh, have designed a deep learning model that ‘cleans’ brain signals (EEG) in real time, running on small, low-power wearable devices. By filtering out unwanted noise and interference, the technology delivers clearer, more reliable readings without the need to send sensitive brain data to remote servers. 

This breakthrough is the first to show that advanced AI for EEG monitoring can work on compact, wearable devices. Whilst each device offers trade-offs between speed and power consumption, the research proves that real-time, portable and secure brain monitoring is possible. 

As Dr Saleh explains: “This turns hospital-level monitoring into an everyday reality, helping people with epilepsy now and unlocking a future of smarter healthcare.” 

Beyond epilepsy care, the innovation could pave the way for next-generation health devices and brain-computer interfaces, where privacy, portability and real-time performance are essential. 

This work was supported by the EIC Pathfinder RELIEVE Project. 

Her research focuses on designing realistic digital materials –&�Բ�����;like cloth, hair, and fur –&�Բ�����;that behave naturally under changing light and movement. Traditionally, achieving this realism meant simulating every bounce of light, a process that demands huge amounts of time and computing power. Instead, Dr Montazeri’s approach uses AI to learn how light interacts with different materials, creating lifelike textures far more efficiently. The result is digital content that looks and feels real but can be generated in a fraction of the time. 

“As digital experiences become more immersive, how real things look matters more than ever,” she says. “By combining AI with advanced rendering techniques, we can make virtual worlds more convincing and engaging for everyone.”

Since its launch in May 2025, the Guide has seen strong and growing engagement, with an estimated 750 unique users between June and November 2025 alone. This positive uptake suggests that the Guide is valued by researchers and support staff seeking clear, up-to-date information on Open Access publishing options.  

911����feedback is supporting development

Feedback shared during the pilot has been instrumental in shaping the Guide’s development. Every suggestion and comment has been carefully considered and shared with the supplier, , and the supplier’s commitment to actively using 911����users’ feedback to enhance the platform was an important component of our decision to subscribe to the platform for the year ahead. Work is already underway to improve data transparency, publisher listings, and the accuracy of journal information. Further usability enhancements are planned, including the most effective presentation of journal information, as well as exploration of some potential new features. 

We’d like to thank to everyone who has taken the time to provide feedback so far, and encourage you to share your experiences and suggestions via the feedback form; your voice is vital to the ongoing improvement of the Guide. 

A quick reminder of what the Open Access Journals Guide offers: 

• A searchable, up-to-date directory of journals with Open Access options;
• Clear information on publisher agreements and eligibility;
• Guidance on compliance with funder requirements;
• Support for making informed publishing decisions. 

Further information 

• Check out the .
• Share your thoughts on the Guide’s usefulness or any issues you experience via our .
• For more on the guide’s background and recent developments, please see our previous blog posts:
  • New Open Access Journals Guide.
  • Open Access Journals Guide trial extended.
• Find out more about our . 

Associate Dean for Business Engagement, Civic & Cultural Partnerships , Professor Richard Allmendinger introduced the nominees from each school.

The winners, announced by Maggie Gale, were: 

Alliance 911����Business School 

• Prof Jian-Bo Yang & Prof Dong‑Ling Xu, for their KTP with Kennedys to develop and embed an intelligent data driven fraud prevention and detection service for insurance claim handling, utilising modern machine learning, text analytics and semantic technologies. 

School of Arts, Languages and Cultures 

• Prof Eithne Quinn, for work on racial bias in the judicial system enabled through a Simon Industrial & Professional Fellowship project undertaken by Keir Monteith KC, which  has received significant media coverage and follow-on projects in related areas. 

School of Social Sciences 

• Prof Emma Barrett for a Simon Industrial & Professional Fellowship with Limina Immersive “Building a safer Metaverse: Exploring the challenges faced by industry in developing safe, secure and ethical immersive experiences”.  The project supported a successful £80K SPRITE+ funding bid for a deep dive expected to result in a step change in our industry engagement around XR and fostered new cross-disciplinary and external collaborations. 

School of Environment, Education & Development 

• Dr Emma Shuttleworth For collaborating with key stakeholders, including the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Groundwork Greater Manchester, to lead KTPs that have developed a data-driven framework for innovative sustainable water management in the Irwell catchment and optimised the long-term financial health of the Groundwork Trust. 

At the end of the Awards ceremony Richard Allmendinger announced the launch of a seed-funding call for academics across the faculty to submit bids for up to £7k to support early-stage development of collaborative projects with partners. Full information on the call available .

The full list of nominated projects: 

Alliance 911����Business School 

• Dr Arijit De, Associate Professor in Management Science  For his work in establishing Maritime Engineering and Management as a new cluster theme at UoM, including work with Port of Dover, DFDS, Ship & Bunker, Sealand and Smart Green Shipping building a substantial portfolio of research in maritime, port, and freight logistics with these partners, a REF Impact Case 911���� in freight and maritime logistics is in development.
• Prof Yu-wang Chen, Professor of Decision Sciences and Business Analytics  KTP – - the largest KTP awarded by Innovate UK.
• Dr Pedro Sampaio, Senior Lecturer in Information Systems  KTP – - to design, develop and embed an Industry 4.0 inspired data driven business model and management information framework which will support the company's strategic vision of expansion.
• Prof David Hughes, Professor of Personality and Organisational Psychology & Nadia Papamichail, Professor of Decision Systems & Management Sciences  KTP - to create sustainable growth and productivity improvement by combining behavioural psychology profiling and emotional regulation with advanced data science techniques to tackle complex work processes and transform the way JLG engages, supports its clients and staff through the legal frameworks. DH was shortlisted for Academic of the Year at the 2025 KTP Awards.
• Prof Brian Nicholson, Professor of Business Information Systems & Dr Sung Hwan Chai, Lecturer in Accounting KTP: - To develop, embed and exploit advanced smart data driven technologies to deliver digital transformation within the audit function significantly increasing quality, productivity and capacity to deliver additional insight and value to clients.
• Prof Judy Zolkiewski, Professor of Marketing  KTP projects - . To create a smarter business that is both client-driven whilst also enhancing improved employee interactions, within a unified customer-centric framework that can support product and service innovation.
• Prof Jian-Bo Yang, Professor of Decision and System Sciences & Prof Ling (Dong‑Ling) Xu, Chair Professor of Decision Science and Systems  KTP - AMBS & Kennedys to develop and embed an i and detection service to support insurance claim handling utilising modern machine learning, text analytics techniques and semantic technologies, that can shape and add value to business. 

School of Arts, Languages and Cultures  

• Prof Eithne Quinn, Professor of Cultural and Socio‑legal Studies  For work on racial bias in the judicial system enabled through a undertaken by Keir Monteith KC which has received significant media coverage and led to a follow-on project on mis-use of lyrics in rap music in criminal court cases.
• Prof Steve Scott-Bottoms, Professor of Contemporary Theatre and Performance - Finding the Story ARC: Engaging businesses with climate resilience in Yorkshire’s Aire valley  IAA 496 Advance - The Rivalry Project: Extending Stakeholder Engagement with Climate Resilience in the Catchment of the Aire
• Dr Kostas Arvanitis, Senior Lecturer in Museology  - Therapeutic Impact of Physical, Digital and Virtual Collections of Trauma.
• Dr Kostas Arvanitis, Senior Lecturer in Museology & Dr Andy Hardman, Senior Lecturer in Creative and Cultural Practices  KTP - SALC & Port Sunlight Village Trust - creating and embedding a framework and tool-kit underpinned by museological and critical heritage research to transform the ways in which PSVT manages and interprets its history, site and collections.
• Prof Sasha Handley, Professor of Early Modern History  Salford Community Leisure - - Sleeping Well Salford: Using Historic Sleep Practices to Support Health and Social Care Pathways. 

School of Environment, Education & Development 

• Dr Emma Shuttleworth, Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography  Working collaboratively with a number of key stakeholders on environmental sustainability projects including Environment Agency, and leading on KTPs with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Groundwork Trust to create and embed a data driven catchment management framework that will drive innovative evidence-based sustainable water management within the Irwell catchment and optimise long-term financial health for Groundwork Greater Manchester.
• Dr Sophie van Huellen, Senior Lecturer in Development Economics   - Why Ghanaian farmers have been unable to capitalise on record cocoa prices with Fuad Mohammed Abubakar, Managing Head of the Ghana Cocoa Marketing Company (UK) Ltd.
• Dr Joanne Tippett, Lecturer in Spatial Planning  911����UNESCO Creative City of Literature IAA 425 Secondment - Imagining sustainable futures: self-facilitated learning from heritage through art and play in UNESCO-designated sites. Shortlisted for ‘Transformative Social Venture of the Year’ award at the KEUK Awards 2024. 

“The RoundView is a powerful way to activate and build capacity in UNESCO’s core competencies for sustainability leadership”. James Ömer Bridge, Secretary-General of UNESCO UK. 

“The Secondment demonstrated that the RoundView learning toolkit offers great promise to address a key challenge we experience as UNESCO sites, of linking our work to sustainable development… and enabling us to translate SDG 13 Climate Action into an accessible activity. A key finding from the Secondment was that the ‘poetry as pedagogy’ incorporated into the toolkit helps encourage sustainability learning through literature, a key need for both us as Cities of Literature and our library partners.” Ivan Wadeson, Executive Director of 911����UNESCO City of Literature.

• Dr Nuno Pinto, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning and Urban Design  For demonstrating exceptional leadership and innovation through the establishment and continued development of the MSc Data Science student industry-project programme. His dedication has transformed the initiative into a thriving platform for student engagement and real-world impact, with its success growing year on year. Nuno’s commitment to expanding the programme is evident in his active collaboration with fellow academics, fostering the creation of similar opportunities across other schools. His work exemplifies the spirit of business engagement and makes him a worthy nominee for the Faculty of Humanities Business Engagement award.
• Prof Sarah Marie Hall, Professor in Human Geography  with 911����Central Foodbank  IAA 468 Relationship Development - Developing community-led, anti-poverty research capacity.  IAA 503 Proof of Concept - Developing Manchester’s Anti-Poverty Research Community: Co-Producing Grassroots Collaborations for Positive Social Change. Winner of UoM in the Outstanding public engagement initiative: Local/civic engagement category
• Prof Nicola Banks, Professor of Global Development   - Activating citizen philanthropy for community-centred social justice: piloting a One World Together Global Citizenship curriculum for secondary schools.
• Prof Alison Browne, Professor of Geography   - the project brings together data analytics and social science insights to develop a Water Practices Analytical Toolkit for use in the water industry, offering a unique approach for managing the sustainability of water and influencing the UK’s long-term usage, average and peak water demands. 

School of Social Sciences 

• Prof Tine Buffel, Professor of Sociology and Social Gerontology  Age Friendly 911����(911����City Council)  IAA 401 Secondment - Developing age-friendly communities to support healthy ageing: Exploring the potential of a policy innovation partnership between public agencies and faith-based organisations in Greater Manchester.
• Prof Emma Barrett, Professor of Psychology, Security and Trust  Simon Industrial & Professional Fellowship with Limina Immersive “Building a safer Metaverse: Exploring the challenges faced by industry in developing safe, secure and ethical immersive experiences”.  The SIF project supported a successful £80K SPRITE+ funding bid for a deep dive expected to result in a step change in our industry engagement around XR and fostered new cross-disciplinary and external collaborations. The work also informed EB’s presentation at the Home Office Digital Forensics Conference in June 2025, alongside Innovate UK. 

At The University of Manchester, researchers are using artificial intelligence to bring welding into the digital age. Their project combines advanced computer simulations with machine learning models that can optimise welding outcomes and spot stresses that could occur during the process. 

Instead of relying on trial-and-error, engineers and welders can now explore designs virtually, identifying potential flaws before they happen and ensuring stronger, safer structures over time. 

Through the team’s approach, what once required hours of detailed simulation or physical testing can now be assessed in moments. 

As researcher Zeyuan Miao explains: “By combining advanced simulations with surrogate machine learning models, we automate and accelerate welding process design. Our approach reduces trial-and-error, minimises defects, and shortens development time – bringing intelligent decision-making directly to the welder. 

“Welding is everywhere – now we’re turning it into smart science. With AI-driven insight, we can help welders worldwide build safer structures, faster and with confidence.” 

Their project combines large-scale data analysis with on-the-ground case studies from labs across the UK and internationally. By analysing millions of publications in databases such as OpenAlex, the team can track how scientists apply AI, including how generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, are spreading through scientific fields.  

Their early findings on generative AI show that whilst the US and China lead in overall volume of scientific papers, smaller research economies are also embracing the technology, often with significant results. Interestingly, research teams working on generative AI tend to be slightly smaller than those in other AI fields, suggesting a different style of collaboration is emerging.  

But rapid adoption also brings challenges. Summarising documents or generating code with AI can accelerate research, yet it raises questions about responsibility, governance and the line between human and machine judgement. 

Professor Cornelia Lawson, Professor of Economics of Science and Innovation, explains: “This project probes how AI shapes scientific discovery and how it can be used responsibly, creatively and equitably to benefit researchers and society alike.” 

Her colleague, Professor Philip Shapira, Turing Fellow and Professor of Innovation Management and Policy, 911����Institute of Innovation Research, adds: “AI is reframing science, changing skill demands, influencing collaboration and transforming opportunities. Yet, AI’s impacts on scientific novelty and creativity are uncertain – a knowledge gap that our project is now focusing on.”  

By understanding AI's impacts in science, this research will help shape future research and innovation strategies, competitiveness, knowledge advancement, responsibility, and societal implications. 

The Library has acquired the first part of Gale’s Global Development and Humanitarian Aid Collection, The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), 1919-1997, strengthening the University’s longstanding commitment to furthering the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and also our role as a Northern humanitarianism powerhouse. 

This newly compiled digital archive contains two core resources from the IFRC’s holdings: The Central Registry comprises correspondence and reports exchanged by the League of Red Cross Societies from 1919 to the early 1970s. A selection of digitised files cover topics such as League organisation, conferences, disaster relief, and aid to war victims, along with more specialised material on epidemic diseases. 

Items from the Non-Registry collection include non-centralised material from International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent departments, alongside Coordinated Relief Bulletins and Relief Bureau Circulars (c.1940s-1980s). These documents report on the activities of both the National Societies and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and provide updates on ongoing disasters, specific needs, and appeals. 

Additionally, this database also provides students, researchers and academic staff with access to over 2,000 files from the Relief Operations Bureau (1970s–80s) and Thematic Operational Files, covering major conflicts such as Vietnam, Korea, and the Middle East. 

Access the collection via  or see our Library Subject Guides for , ,   and  

From January to July 2025 broadcaster and producer  carried out research as part of a Simon Industrial Fellowship with the  and the   at The University of Manchester.  

As part of the fellowship Karen Gabay produced a podcast series entitled ‘You Ought To Know’ that will be published across various platforms, with the first episode premiering on 14 January 2026. Each podcast captures a conversation with musicians that have had and continue to have a significant impact on British popular music. These conversations were recorded at public engagement events as well as in intimate one-on-one settings across Manchester. 

You can listen to and watch the podcast episodes on various platforms. To be notified of new episodes subscribe to Karen Gabay’s  and the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures’  channel. 

The first podcast is a recording of Karen Gabay’s panel event on Reggae and Dub-Poetry in the UK with Lovers Rock legend , Dub Poetry great  and Reggae and Hip Hop artist  in the 911����Museum in June 2025. This episode will be released on 14 January 2026. 

The second episode explores the history of Black British Gospel Music and was recorded in  in Deansgate in May 2025. Manchester musician , gospel pioneer , Mancunian vocalist  and Kingdom Choir member and founder of 911����Inspirational Voices  star in this episode to be released on 21 January 2026. 

The third podcast episode features a conversation with renowned Soul singer-songwriter and former Ikette  known for her work with Paul Weller, Peter Gabriel, and Jimmy Cliff. The recording took place across three sessions at The University of 911����and , the iconic home of Granada Television in July 2025. This episode will be released on 28 January 2026. 

The final episode of this series is scheduled to be released in February 2026. Recorded in July 2025 it explores how 911����singer-songwriter  alternative soul and R&B sound is influenced by Black British musicians and led him to pursue collaborations with soul great Jill Scott and UK artist Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry.

These episodes form the beginning of a series of conversations around the unsung legends and influential artists in the UK music industry. Future episodes will be released on Karen Gabay’s channels in the coming months. This bonus content includes in-depth conversations with the Queen of Northern Soul  (Tainted Love) and earlier podcast guests Sylvia Tella and Luke Smith on their lives and work in the Black British music industry. It also features an intimate one-on-one discussion with  who is considered a musician’s favourite and trailblazer in redefining Soul for British audiences. 

Throughout her fellowship, Karen was able to build on her interest in uncovering and showcasing forgotten artefacts of Black music history and gained access the  in the  for further archival research. This allowed her to amplify the voices of those working within the UK music sector, in particular Black vocalists, and industry professionals, who have heavily impacted popular music in the UK and globally. She explored how different cultural spaces in 911����have played a significant role in the lives of these musicians and their path in the music industry over the decades. 

Secondary outputs of the project include Karen Gabay’s reading list and a playlist providing the musical soundtrack for exploring the recent past and present of Black British music and its influences, which can be accessed . 

This Simon Industrial Fellowship laid the foundations for documenting alternative music histories in the UK. It explored and applied ethical and collaborative methods of archiving personal stories of a demographic, who have suffered from experiences of institutional exclusion, absence of fair accreditation and missing commercial opportunities due to their race or geographical location. It is taking steps towards righting wrongs of the recent past and gives talented but previously overlooked creatives a platform to tell their stories on their own terms. 

As such it reasserts the relevance and significance of the John Rylands’ British Pop Archive and is adding more diverse and nonetheless equally relevant archival artefacts to its catalogue. This work aligns with the University’s renewed strategic focus on archives and just archival practices to celebrate, document and bring to the fore the stories that make 911����the city we know today. 

Library Chat

will be available 24/7 during the vacation period. It will be staffed by third-party partner institutions.

The John Rylands Library

will be open to researchers with appointments on Monday, 22 and Tuesday, 23 December 2025. 

It will be closed Wednesday, 24 December 2025 to Sunday, 4 January 2026 inclusive, reopening to researchers with appointments on Monday, 5 January and to the public on Wednesday, 7 January 2026.