INCLUsive Digital Economy Network+: Exploring how social and digital environments can be built, shaped and sustained to enable all people to thrive

Start date: 1 September 2022
End date: 1 September 2027
Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Primary investigator: Dr Helen Thornham
External co-investigators: Dr Ysabel Gerrard, Lecturer in Digital Media & Society, Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield Professor Matt Jones, Chair of Computer Science, Swansea University Professor Roger Maull, Professor of Management Systems, Business School, University of Exeter Dr Jat Singh, Senior Research Fellow, Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge Dr Jennifer Cobbe, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge

Value

£3,999,426

Partners and collaborators

5Rights; Ada Lovelace Institute; Aviva Plc; British Standards Institute; Cabinet Office; Cambridgeshire County Council; Cardiff University; Curium Solutions; Data Kind UK; EAMA (Engineering & Machinery Alliance); IBM; International Labour Organisation (ILO); John Radcliffe Hospital; Leeds City Council; Methods Analytics; NHS Wales; NHSx; Space2; Swansea Bay City Deal; Swansea Council; The Ditchley Foundation; mHabitat; peopledotcom

Description

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council has awarded £3m for a new Network+ exploring how social and digital environments can be built, shaped and sustained to enable all people to thrive.

INCLUDE+ will be led by University of Leeds academic Dr Helen Thornham, in collaboration a cross-disciplinary team incorporating Management and Business Studies, Computing, Social Sciences, Media and Communication and Legal Studies. The five-year programme of activities will build a knowledge community around in/equalities in digital society that will comprise industry, academia, the public and third sectors in response to the UKRI Equitable Digital Society theme.

Dr Thornham said: “We have designed the Network+ to enable a whole system approach that is genuinely exciting and innovative not just because of scalability, transference and scope, but also because of the commitment to people development, knowledge exchange and interdisciplinary practice that will shape future research.”

Over the next five years INCLUDE+ will fund secondments and studies and develop a community through events and knowledge exchange, grounding its activities in participatory research practices and people development. The project is supported by a wealth of partner organisations, including the International Labour Organisation, Law Commission, Cabinet Office, and the Equality and Human Rights Commission. 