Call for submissions | World Changers: Celebrating impactful research

Research and teaching fellows, lecturers and associate professors at Leeds are again invited to submit essays in support of our academic strategy’s three key themes – culture, community and impact. 

The World Changers essay collection is returning for 2022

World Changers

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simone Buitendijk, has commissioned a second edition of the World Changers: Celebrating Impactful Research essay collection, to help promote the University’s strategy: Universal Values, Global Change.  

She said: “Given the enormous success of last year’s collection, I wanted to make sure we continue to celebrate the ways in which our community is making a difference to the world. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing the submissions, particularly given the range of topics last year, and the passion our researchers demonstrated for tackling some of society’s biggest questions”.  

Each essay should align to one or more of the three themes and demonstrate how our research is, or can be, applied to reduce inequalities. Essays should be: 

  • about 3,000 words long 
  • written in straightforward, non-expert language 
  • preferably, but not necessarily, related to multidisciplinary research; and 
  • able to demonstrate our offer to the world. 

Dr Leah Henrickson contributed to last year’s essay collection, which saw 13 essays published across a wide range of topics, from antimicrobial resistance to palliative care, digital education to sustainability. 

She said: “Soon after my World Changers essay’s publication, I started receiving emails with invitations for great opportunities that I couldn’t have even imagined possible.  

“Being a World Changer has given visibility not only to my research, but also to me as a researcher. It’s given me the chance to dream even bigger through exciting new collaborations with those outside of my usual circles.  

“These collaborations are already influencing my research and pedagogical practices in ways that are helping me achieve greater impact with my work – impact that helps me make real positive social change while I move upwards in my own academic career”. 

Professor Paul Johnson (Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences) and Professor Andrew Thorpe (Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures) have been asked to help deliver this prestigious project. 

The essays will be a digital collection, enabling us to add videos, podcasts and other materials – either as part of the initial publication or at a later date. 

Contact the Vice-Chancellor by Friday 1 April – with the words ‘World Changers essay collection’ in the email subject line – if you’re interested in contributing to the project. 

The body of your email should include:  

  • your suggested essay title, subtitle and five keywords to summarise your topic 
  • a summary of no more than 300 words of your suggested essay topic – making clear how your scholarly work can support the aims of the University’s strategy; and 
  • a short note about you and your career to date, including any equality data you would like to share (e.g. your gender, ethnicity, religion, disability) to help make this project as inclusive as possible. 

Single authorship, or one lead author and a maximum of two co-authors per contribution, is recommended. Selected authors will be contacted by Wednesday 13 April and will be linked up with a professional editor to help shape their contributions. 

If more applications are received than required for this round, we will strive to use the unsuccessful ideas in other ways or in a next, similar round.  

Contact the Vice-Chancellor’s Executive Officer, Elaine O’Flynn, if you would like an informal chat about the project before submitting your idea. 

  

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