REO staff interview: Head of Knowledge Exchange

Stephanie Humphries

Let’s start with the basics, what is knowledge exchange?

Knowledge exchange (KE) encompasses a range of activities that support mutually beneficial collaborations between universities, businesses, organisations, and communities. The term is often used by universities to describe the practice of sharing ideas, expertise and data with non-academic partners.

At Essex, KE looks like:

• Contract and collaborative research
• Consultancy
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) provision
• Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs)
• Commercialisation of research outputs via licensing and spinouts
• Evaluation Services
• Industry-funded studentships

Why is it important and what are the benefits?

Knowledge exchange is important as it makes a difference. It enables research to be applied to those who will directly benefit from and utilise that knowledge, increasing the impact of research.

Participating in knowledge exchange activities has many benefits. For academics, working with an external partner is an excellent way to gain ideas, insights and data from industry which can inform and enhance research. Some of the benefits colleagues describe include access to new funding opportunities, increased academic profile, placement and employment opportunities for students, inspiration for teaching and module development, testing the practical applications of ideas, and seeing the impact of research in organisations and society.

For organisations and businesses, knowledge exchange is a way to work with the University to access facilities, knowledge and expertise to help solve challenges, innovate and grow.

Can you tell us more about the current knowledge exchange landscape and what support is available to our academics?

As we face global challenges, knowledge exchange has the potential to go beyond local and regional impacts, with wider economic, social and cultural benefits.

There is excellent support available at Essex for colleagues interested in knowledge exchange.

Each department has a dedicated Knowledge Exchange Manager to advise and support with KE activities, from identifying opportunities, to costing projects and supporting applications and proposals.

Within the team, we have dedicated support for technology transfer too, working with academic inventors to identify opportunities for impact and income generation through commercialisation of research outputs. This involves collecting and reviewing invention disclosures, managing the University’s intellectual property (IP) portfolio, filing patent applications, licensing technologies, and supporting the formation of spin-out companies.

Our Enterprise Project Fund (EPF) is an internal knowledge exchange funding scheme for our academics, research staff and technicians. It provides funding to support engagement with potential clients and partners, and facilitates the commercial development and application of our research and expertise outside the University. Applications have closed for this year, however this is an annual fund and a new call will go live for 2024-2025.

During Newcomers Research Week in January 2024 we are also hosting three webinars, which you are welcome book onto to join:

• Making a difference: an introduction to knowledge exchange for early career researchers
• Introduction to intellectual property (IP) and commercialisation
• Applying for Innovate UK and EU grant funding

If you have questions or suggestions for the team, or would like to learn more about KE at Essex, why not drop in to one of our monthly knowledge exchange sessions on Zoom.

What does your role of Head of Knowledge Exchange entail?

It’s such an interesting and varied role! I lead and support the team responsible for developing KE projects with the academic community and external organisations. This involves contributing to the successful delivery of our Enterprise and Innovation sub-strategy, which outlines our approach to a key aspiration articulated in both the University Strategy and the Research Strategy: applying our globally significant research findings, and putting these transformational ideas into action to improve the lives of the people, networks, partnerships and communities with whom we engage.

What this looks like day-to-day is always different, and involves a strategic approach to identifying and capturing opportunities which align with our research interests and expertise, working with the team to develop and prioritise resources, understanding and engaging with public policy for innovation funding and knowledge exchange, and building relationships inside and outside of the University. Some of my favourite aspects are learning about the interests of our research community and playing a part in forging new collaborations. It’s really energising when people meet, share their knowledge and ideas, and become excited by the possibilities of working together. 

Tell us a bit more about yourself, what was your pathway to joining Essex and getting into this line of work?

Have you heard of The Tarzan Method? I hadn’t until recently – it describes an approach to moving forwards that isn’t about taking the most direct route, which sums up my journey quite well! My first roles at the University were in the Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science and then the Academic Section. I was fortunate to work with managers who encouraged me to take on new responsibilities to develop my skills and knowledge, and they provided me with valuable opportunities to learn and grow. I left the University in 2016 to work in business, providing strategic leadership for an SME in the creative industries. In this role I gained experience of working with other business leaders, obtaining valuable insight into a range of businesses and sectors through my client-facing work. In 2019, I saw an opportunity to join the Knowledge Exchange team at Essex where I realised I could combine my knowledge and experience in both higher education and business development. It’s a perfect fit for me.

How has our knowledge exchange offer evolved since you joined the Research and Enterprise Office?

Since joining the REO, I’ve witnessed a growth in knowledge exchange activity, driven by an increase in interest from colleagues and industry, as well as opportunities and funding – and this doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. Our team has grown to support this demand, and we have continued to invest in our knowledge, skills and resources to best support this work.

What are you currently working on and hoping to achieve over the next year or so?

As a team, we’re delivering our internally-focused Making a Difference programme, which is designed to increase the awareness and understanding of the University’s knowledge exchange support, processes, and policies – as well as providing practical resources for colleagues undertaking knowledge exchange projects. In the next six months, I’m looking forward to the launch of our new KE web content on the staff pages, which I hope will become a valuable resource for colleagues across the University. The team is also supporting some innovative commercialisation projects. I’m excited to see how they progress and am ambitious about what we will achieve.

Outside of work, what are your main interests? Can you tell us anything else about yourself that might surprise us?

Creativity is a pretty important part of my life. My ‘creative trade’ is photography, and my work is often licensed for use on book covers – it’s always a treat to see my images on the shelves in bookshops around the world. I also play cricket if anyone is ever (very) desperate for a number 11; I can’t be trusted with the bat, but on a good day I can offer some adequate leg-spin.