91Ö±²¥

Organisations working on heath inequalities are invited to bring their challenges to a collaborative workshop at the University of Manchester, with the chance to develop a collaborative project, seed funded by Healthier Futures.Ìý

On Tuesday 24 November, the will be hosting an Innovation Lab to explore those partner challenges around health inequalities that academics can help address. Ìý

This means the focus is on the unfair and avoidable factors that hinder people’s chances to live healthier lives, in healthier places, with equitable access to health and care systems (healthier systems). The University is committed to work in partnership locally, nationally and globally, across all sectors, to work towards health equityÌý

What is an innovation lab?Ìý

The University of Manchester’s Innovation Labs explore real-world challenges and innovation opportunities that have potential to be delivered or informed though collaboratively designed research projects that bring together university academics with external organisations to work together and share their respective expertise.Ìý

Aim of the Event Ìý

The event will bring together 3-5 organisations who are seeking to overcome a specific challenge or to develop innovative products and services. The University will curate individual groups of academic experts from a range of complementary disciplines to help respond to each challenge, and over the course of this facilitated workshop we will develop tangible project plans to pitch for seed funding to develop the project. Ìý

How does it work? Ìý

• The Innovation Labs follow a facilitated process led by a creative consultancy.
• At each Lab we host 3-5 partners from the public sector, charities, community organisations, or business, working in teams of 4-6, with cross-discipline academic groups.
• We work through a dynamic, creative process – collectively defining the problem and generating a range of solutions, before concluding with the optimal project which will be pitched to our expert panel for seed funding. There is a strong emphasis on jointly developing projects which have the potential to grow into larger collaborations.
• A project might involve the development of novel research, or it may allow for already available research evidence can be applied to the partner’s particular challenge. Ìý

Previously, Healthier Futures innovation labs have supported projects looking at food bank supply chains, working with a 91Ö±²¥ based community interest company; the use of green spaces for wellbeing in one of the Greater 91Ö±²¥ local authorities and evaluation projects with local charities to understand the impact of their work.Ìý

What we’re looking forÌý

We’d like a short overview of your challenge, and two or three colleagues to attend the workshop. We’re keen to work with any organisation tackling health inequalities, and we’ll find ways to make these projects work for you. We’d also encourage you to think about challenges that could grow into a longer research collaboration.Ìý

How to get involvedÌý

If you are an organisation looking to get involved with this innovation lab call, please see here for more information on the scheme, its benefits, and what is required of our partner organisations: Ìý

ÌýTo get involved, please submit an expression of interest here before 26 October 2026: Ìý

You will be asked to give an outline of the challenge that you are looking to address, and some details about your organisation. Ìý

If you would like to discuss a potential research idea before submitting an expression of interest, please contact healthierfutures@manchester.ac.uk.Ìý