'Structurally Unsound’ team win the 'Professional Services Support for Knowledge Exchange award'

At an award ceremony on 4 February, Dr Olivia Stevenson and Dr Sinéad Murphy from UCL Public Policy and Siobhan Morris and Ethne James-Souch from UCL Grand Challenges received the award for their collaboration on the project ‘Structurally Unsound: Igniting research to better inform UK policy’. 

The ceremony, hosted by UCL in Chancellor’s Hall, London, celebrated and rewarded the achievements of UCL staff, students and alumni in relation to knowledge exchange and impact activity at UCL.

The team founded a partnership with the thinktank Resolution Foundation in 2019, to examine structural inequalities in the UK, the role of research and how policymakers can design effective interventions to address inequality. 
The depth and richness of the knowledge exchange opportunities created throughout the commission is such that not only has this partnership sustained and remains ongoing, but it has also led to a number of significant outputs in 2024 marking five years of collaboration revisiting, rethinking, and renewing the findings of the original commission. The award recognised the project’s achievements in building networks with policymakers and practitioners, and drawing on UCL’s expertise to support the development of evidence-informed policy. 

The event was also attended by the Professor Geraint Rees, UCL Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement) and other senior staff. Winners received a certificate and trophy, and funding to host a small event within their department to showcase their success and to promote knowledge exchange and innovation activity at UCL.

About Structurally Unsound
Structurally Unsound, a collaboration between UCL Grand Challenges, Public Policy and Resolution Foundation brought together over fifty organisations from academia, policy, industry and third-sector to tackle structural inequalities in the UK. Innovative in scope and intersectional in approach, this project delivered long-term policy impacts and engagements, building pathways to address inequalities.

Outputs have included high-impact reports, report being cited in the House of Lords, workshops, media features, and policy engagement - informing local and national strategies. Recognised for its inclusive, cross-sectoral dialogue and commitment to long-term impact, the project also worked in response to policy need to ensure its outputs were consistently relevant to key policy audiences. This collaboration thus serves as a robust model of knowledge exchange and co-creation. 

The depth of the Structurally Unsound partnership highlights how UCL’s research can address challenges in the UK. It also demonstrates the value of cooperative work across UCL teams to nurture and sustain cross-disciplinary and cross-sector dialogue. The collaboration’s success offers a model for generating innovative solutions to tackle persistent inequalities, while showcasing values-driven cooperation across UCL.
 

Teamwork, trust, and transparency have been at the heart of our collaboration, and we are delighted to see our approach recognised with this award. Working across professional roles, disciplines, and sectors has been invaluable in ensuring research informs policy in meaningful ways. We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to this partnership over the years—their dedication and insight have made the project's success possible. As we look ahead, we remain committed to deepening these collaborations and continuing vital conversations about reducing structural inequalities, ensuring our work drives meaningful and lasting change."

Dr Olivia Stevenson, Dr Sinéad Murphy, Siobhan Morris and Ethne James-Souch. 

About the Knowledge Exchange Awards
The ‘Creating Impact Through Knowledge Exchange Awards’ is an annual ceremony to celebrate and reward the successes of UCL staff (academic and professional services), students and alumni by recognising their achievements in relation to knowledge exchange and impact activity at UCL.

This year knowledge exchange achievements from across every corner of UCL, in everything from drug discovery and regenerative medicine to energy use and AI, were celebrated.

The full list of winners and a summary of the event can be found on the UCL Innovation & Enterprise website.

Find out more 
Understanding Structural Inequalities: is Britain’s inequality gap widening?
Watch the video ‘Structurally Unsound: Five years of impact’
Read the 2019 report
Read the 2024 report 

Additional information 
This project was a partnership between UCL’s Grand Challenge of Justice & Equality, UCL Public Policy, the Resolution Foundation, and Pro Bono Economics.

Photo credit: Lucy Pope