HOW TO BE A LEADER IN RESEARCH IMPACT
FREE ONLINE WEBINAR
WEDNESDAY 3 DECEMBER 2025
12:00-13:00 GMT
ABOUT THE WEBINAR
As research impact matures and more practitioners become impact managers and directors, we have been thinking about the skills and knowledge needed to be an impact leader in the research environment. What does leadership look like inside (and outside) an institution? What obstacles stand in the way of being seen as an impact leader, and what opportunities are there to develop and demonstrate leadership in the impact space? Join us for our next free webinar when we'll be discussing these questions and more with Dr Andrew Wray and Dr Alyx Mattison, Research Impact Officer at the University of Bradford
DR ALYXANDRA MATTISON
Research Impact Officer, University of Bradford
SASKIA WALCOTT
Founder & CEO,
Walcott Communications
DR ANDREW WRAY
Andrew Wray Consulting Ltd
Alyxandra has been the Research Impact Officer for the University of Bradford for the past three and a half years. Prior to this, her experience in research impact was as a Medieval Studies Public Engagement and Impact Project Officer, supporting researchers in the Institute for Medieval Studies at the University of Leeds. With a research background in early medieval bioarchaeology, the skills developed from doing a PhD in historical archaeology – juggling both qualitative and quantitative evidence, writing and presenting for a variety of audiences, community engagement and media appearances led her to her current role in research impact.
Saskia has over 20 years of experience in a variety of senior roles in the Higher Education sector, including Head of Communications and Public Engagement at a national funding council and university Research Impact Manager. For the last decade as a consultant and founder of Walcott Communications, she has worked with many different institutions in the UK and internationally helping researchers and their organisations in realising, demonstrating and communicating economic and societal impact from their research. Saskia is also an ARMA Board Director, and Chair of its Professional Development Committee.
Andrew worked at the University of Bristol from 2009-2025 in a range of knowledge exchange, innovation and impact roles. As Director of Innovation, he led the development of Research Impact at the University and worked across Faculties to identify how research can be applied, used and create impacts in the world. Andrew led in the creation of 125 impact case studies for REF2021 and, in 2024, created a new REF Impact team to manage the portfolio for REF2029. Prior to joining the University he worked in academic publishing, managing business partnerships and open access journals, and studied for a PhD in physics.
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