Social Impact Lab – a programme to translate research into concrete societal benefit

Background

Research is increasingly expected to result in innovations that can solve our major societal problems. However, much of the innovation discourse in society and support for research-based innovations is characterized by a so-called STEM perspective (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). The faculty is therefore announcing an innovation programme specially developed for social and behavioural scientists – a Social Impact Lab. 

The programme is aimed at researchers at the Faculty of Social Sciences who want to work actively to ensure that their research is used in society, and who need time and support to be able to realise the implementation of a project idea. The programme is organised by the Faculty of Social Sciences in collaboration with LU Innovation.

The purpose of the programme is to give the faculty's researchers an opportunity to bring research results closer to practical application and to contribute to highlighting the importance of social innovations in society. Approved projects receive support in the form of three weeks of funded working hours, a number of joint workshops, and individual counselling from LU Innovation.

What could be a relevant project idea?

Simply put, innovations are new solutions that create some form of value through their dissemination and use. This could be a service, a product, a method or a process. An innovation can be radically new and groundbreaking, but it can also constitute an improvement or further development of an existing solution. The project idea should have the potential to achieve a wider use in, for example, the public sector or be commercialised to enable implementation on a larger scale.

The work on the project idea is not to be about conducting new research, but about utilising previous or ongoing research. It can be completely new innovation ideas or ideas that are already on their way to being implemented.

What does the programme entail? 

The programme starts in February 2026 and runs until the beginning of the autumn, with a break during the summer. The participants meet on approximately eight occasions (2–3 hours each) with a focus on developing and concretising their innovation ideas. These workshops address, for example, themes such as stakeholder mapping, conceptualisation of ideas, market analysis, financing plans and advice on legal aspects. Discussions and exchanges of experiences between participants are an important part of the programme. Between the joint meetings, participants will carry out their own follow-up or preparatory work. The programme is conducted in English and is led by Sophie Hydén Picasso, PhD and Innovation Advisor at LU Innovation.

The goal is that, upon completion of the program, participants will have a plan for how their research and idea for utilisation can be implemented, for whom it can be useful, which actors need to be involved, and a plan for continued funding.

Conditions

Each department can nominate a maximum of two candidates. Those eligible for nomination are senior lecturers, professors and researchers with permanent employment, as well as postdoctoral researchers and associate senior lecturers with an employment extending at least until the end of 2026. 

The Faculty of Social Sciences will cover the programme costs and three weeks of working time per participant. 

Compensation for three weeks of working time requires that the participant has participated in at least 70 percent of the joint workshops and submits a plan for continued implementation of the innovation idea (financing, stakeholders, collaboration partners, protection of the idea, etc.). In order to raise interest in and increase knowledge about social innovations among the faculty's researchers, participants are also expected to present their experiences from the programme at a seminar (the format and specific target group of which will be determined during the course of the programme). 

Application

The application should cover a maximum of three A4 pages and briefly describe: 

• The applicant's innovation idea and the societal challenge that forms the basis for the idea.
• How the innovation idea is linked to the applicant's research.
• If the idea is implemented and disseminated, which groups and actors would benefit from it?
• What effect could the idea have for these users or stakeholders?
• Has the applicant already started development work and if so, what has been done?
• Describe any existing collaboration partners and in what ways they are important to the continued work.

The application is also to include a brief CV (max. two A4 pages) with a focus on research and external engagement merits relevant to the application. 

The head of department submits applications (maximum two per department) to Faculty Coordinator Elin Hermansson (elin [dot] hermansson [at] sam [dot] lu [dot] se) no later than 31 October 2025. Any questions regarding the application or the programme can be directed to Innovation Advisor Sophie Hydén Picasso (sophie [dot] hyden_picasso [at] innovation [dot] lu [dot] se). Notification of the decision will be given in mid-November. 

Assessment

Applications are reviewed by an assessment group consisting of the vice dean for external engagement and innovation, the programme director/innovation advisor and an additional innovation adviser at LU Innovation. The assessment group selects five participants for the programme based on the criteria below. The decision on granting the support is made by the dean.

The nominees' applications are assessed based on the following criteria:

• The innovation idea is rooted in the applicant's research
• The idea addresses a clear problem or need in society and contributes to development or improvement
• The idea has elements of innovation and originality
• The idea has the potential to be implemented, disseminated and live on with or without the researcher's direct involvement.