A major initiative led by the University of Liverpool which aims to transform the way research is conducted across UK research institutions is celebrating its latest milestone.
The Thrive project—a two-year programme funded by the Research England Development Fund— is driving a new approach to research leadership focused on team-convening, inclusivity, and collective capability. As part of this work, three innovative research projects have received funding through the the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Mission Awards, totalling between £2 million and £3 million each, to pilot this new approach while tackling societal challenges.
The awards support ambitious research that tackles challenges ranging from climate adaptation and heritage conservation to the legacy of slavery, while simultaneously piloting new, inclusive models of research leadership.
Unlike traditional models that centre around a Principal Investigator, Thrive’s team-convening approach emphasises shared leadership and inclusive governance. This model, underpinned by five core principles—collective capability, shared leadership, inclusive governance, team development, and reflexive practice—aims to redefine research culture and enhance impact by broadening the diversity of leadership voices in academia. This pioneering work is delivered in partnership with Advance HE.
Professor Georgina Endfield, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research Environment and Postgraduate Research at the University of Liverpool and Project Lead for Thrive, said:
“I am thrilled to see such a wonderful set of ambitious and transformative projects being supported through AHRC’s Mission Awards. Each project team is embracing the Thrive Team-Convening Principles in exciting ways to support their research missions. Piloting these principles at this scale will generate vital evidence to inform and inspire new ways of working across the UK’s research ecosystem.”
The Thrive project embodies sector-wide efforts to embed positive research culture, supporting universities and research institutions to move beyond individual-led models to collaborative, inclusive, and socially engaged research.
The three funded Mission Awards are:
- REPAIR: Retrofitting for the Future: Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Adaptation
Led by Swansea University, this project explores how retrofitting urban spaces using biophilic design can address the climate crisis while improving social housing and public well-being. The project will examine a 13-storey retrofit in Swansea transforming a former Woolworths store into a vibrant community hub.
- Slavery and Its Legacies: Collaboration, Memory, and Change
Led by the University of Bristol, this international project brings together curators, historians, filmmakers and communities across Brazil, the UK, Dominica, and Ghana to reimagine how the transatlantic slave trade is remembered and represented in museums and public spaces.
- Green Corridors North East
Led by a consortium including Newcastle, Durham, Teesside, and Northumbria Universities, this project will regenerate 35 miles of green space across the North East of England by co-creating arts- and humanities-led research initiatives that centre on heritage, creativity, and environmental stewardship.
By embedding Thrive’s team-convening principles within these projects, the University of Liverpool is catalysing the start of a shift in how research is conceptualised and delivered across the UK’s higher education and research sectors.
AHRC Executive Chair Professor Christopher Smith said:
“The Mission Awards take an innovative approach to supporting research. These projects will not only deliver high-quality research but will also serve as models for radically team-based, inclusive research practice. AHRC is proud to be working with the University of Liverpool and partners to support this transformation.”
As the Thrive project continues to shape the future of research culture, its impact is already resonating across institutions and disciplines, offering a blueprint for inclusive, collaborative, and transformative research in the 21st century.