Connecting communities to inspire change
Inspiration for interdisciplinary collaboration
At the BMJ Research Forum 2022, attendees had the privilege of hearing Dr Katherine Freeman from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) deliver a thought-provoking presentation on the Sandpit Methodology for awarding research grants.
This innovative approach helps to unleash free thinking and inspire interdisciplinary collaboration to tackle significant challenges.
Among the attendees was the Chief Executive Officer of UCLPartners, Dr Dominique Allwood MBE, who was inspired by the potential of the Sandpit Methodology to encourage collaboration and co-production. Determined to bring about change, she took the concept back to UCLP and applied it to their Climate Collaborative initiative, developed to implement the NHS Green Plan across their hospitals.
Developments since 2022 show that the initial idea brought back from the BMJ Research Forum has moved into funded research, peer collaboration, and formal recognition within the health system.
“BMJ Group’s global reach and convening power enable meaningful knowledge exchange by bringing together diverse leaders and specialists, amplifying important voices, and sharing insights that inspire action across disciplines and borders.”
Dr Dominique Allwood MBE
CEO of Imperial College Health Partners, Director of Population Health at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, and an Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at Imperial College London
The success of the Sandpit Methodology for UCL Partners led to it being presented by Dr Allwood to an audience of over 3,000 attendees at the Quality Improvement Forum in Copenhagen, 2023.
The potential for these ideas to spread across organisations worldwide is immense; all it takes is one individual to carry them back to their respective institutions.
The impact of BMJ Group events extends far beyond the conference room. By connecting communities, inspiring change, and facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experiences, these platforms can transform entire sectors and healthcare systems.
Finally, the success story of the Sandpit Methodology and its implementation at UCL Trust exemplifies how a single idea, shared among passionate individuals, can create global ripples of change.
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