UTS Social Impact Grant recipients recently came together in RES Hub to reflect on their progress and share insights from the first half of the year. The session sparked rich conversations, practical advice and new connections to strengthen their work moving forward.
Building connections through Social Impact Grants
Hosted by the Centre for Social Justice & Inclusion, the Lunch and Learn session brought together a mix of UTS academic and professional staff and students, providing an opportunity for recipients to come together with their project teams and community partners to reflect on the first half of the year.
About the grants
Social Impact Grants are a competitive funding program that supports UTS staff to partner with community organisations or work on initiatives that make a tangible difference to people’s lives.
Each year, grants are awarded to projects that demonstrate strong potential for positive social change, whether through research, advocacy, education, or practical action. The program is designed to build capacity, deepen collaboration, and embed social justice principles across the university’s work.
The Lunch and Learn session provided a window into how this work is unfolding in practice. Each team shared updates on their projects, highlighting early wins, navigating shared challenges, and opening up conversations for collective problem-solving. From building partnerships to submitting ethics applications and preparing for research trips, the range of experiences showed the diversity and momentum of this year’s cohort.
The first of two session planned for 2025, the ‘Lunch and Learn’ is a new addition to the Social Impact Grants program that has been introduced in response to participant feedback. The idea is to build a network of social impact researchers and practitioners at UTS and provide a space for connection, peer learning and collaboration. This will help to build a more supportive and informed community around this social impact work.
Shared experience
Participants in the Lunch and Learn session included grant recipients Dr Ivan Smirnov, A/Prof Genevieve Wilkinson, Dr Mark Riboldi, Dr Amir Armanious, A/Prof Lana McClements and A/Prof Jianlong Zhou, alongside their collaborators. Their projects address pressing social issues - including financial abuse of women, health literacy for migrant and refugee communities, environmental action, justice advocacy and improving support systems for students and staff at UTS.
A number of common themes emerged across the different projects. Many participants spoke about the complexities of navigating ethics approvals – from lengthy timelines to adapting research methods to meet ethical standards. Others shared the difficulties of engaging hard-to-reach community members, especially when working across language, cultural, or trust barriers. Finding the right people to partner with, whether for data collection, co-design, or community outreach, was another shared challenge.
Despite these hurdles, the session created a supportive space for knowledge exchange. Participants offered practical advice from their own experiences, shared valuable contacts and resources, and posed thoughtful questions that challenged each other to think differently. The collaborative atmosphere helped spark new ideas and pathways forward, reinforcing the power of collective problem-solving.
About the grants
The 2025 Social Impact Grants were awarded across two streams: Thriving Communities, in which UTS staff partner with an external organisation and Safe and Inclusive UTS, for projects focused on supporting our staff and students.
This year, 12 projects received funding. You can explore them all here: 2025 Social Impact Grant recipients
Applications for the 2026 round will open in September 2025. To stay in the loop, keep an eye on RES Hub or check the website for updates.