Supporting design-led research that drives innovation for environmental sustainability.
Design Generators fund collaborative, design-led research projects that use arts and humanities approaches to tackle real-world sustainability challenges. The scheme supports partnerships between researchers, communities, and non-academic organisations to co-develop creative interventions within existing systems – such as healthcare, food networks, governance or finance – that promote equitable, sustainable and regenerative practices. The projects are funded by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council, awards range from £150,000 to £200,000 (FEC).
Design Generators aim to:
co-develop interventions with a non-academic partner to assist sustained impact beyond the life of the grant
engage collaboratively with communities or stakeholders, ensuring relevance and responsiveness to lived experience
promote green transition-supportive behaviour change, either through deliberative policymaking and (de)regulation or through ‘nudging’
highlight the value of academic design research in addressing real-world, locally relevant challenges arising along the journey to net zero and a green economy