Research at Edinburgh College

Reflecting this, Edinburgh College’s Strategic Plan, published in 2023, identifies research and innovation activity as a critical success factor to the delivery of ambitions identified in the framework. In addition, several national and regional policy objectives also place importance on enhancing the breadth, quality and impact of research activity across Scotland, and the rest of the UK.

The Edinburgh College Research Plan has been developed in response to the above strategic ambitions, and identifies three aims, to improve the breadth, quality and impact of research activity at Edinburgh College. These aims are aligned with the three strategic themes in the Edinburgh College Strategic Plan:

1. People - To produce high-quality research activity to develop our staff, deliver an excellent student experience, and improve the quality of learning, teaching and assessment.
2. Place - To increase the scale and quality of research activity with communities, public and third-sector partners, universities, industry and employers, to aid inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
3. Performance - To improve the resourcing, coordination, governance and reporting of research activity to demonstrate progress and positive impact.

To deliver these aims, Edinburgh College aims to:

• Conduct, commission and publish research aimed at exploring aspects of the college’s work and measuring its impact.
• Work closely with businesses, universities, colleges, and other public and third-sector partners on research-related projects.
• Engage in and support a range of research projects from national college sector agencies.
• Support practitioner research and encourage staff involvement in national research networks and forums.