Engage Watermark
The Faculty of Health and Life Sciences was awarded a Silver Engage Watermark by the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) in April 2026. This recognition highlights the Faculty’s strong foundations in public engagement and its ongoing commitment to growth and improvement.
What the Silver Award means
Achieving a Silver Engage Watermark reflects a sustained, Faculty-wide commitment to public engagement. It recognises our areas of strength:
- Public engagement is valued across the Faculty
- There is a strong commitment to social responsibility and addressing real-world challenges
- A clear, strategic approach supported by leadership and cross-department collaboration
- Well-established support network offering guidance, training, and peer learning
As well as a drive to reflect on areas for development and develop plans and a long-term commitment to address these.
Our commitment and future plans
Building on this achievement, the Faculty is committed to further developing its public engagement activity, recognition, and support.
We have launched a Faculty Public Engagement Commitment, outlining what public engagement means to us, why it matters, and our future ambitions.
Public engagement is central to who we are. We are committed to creating a culture where it is:
- Recognised as strategically important to research, impact, and education
- Embedded within our core activities
- Accessible to all staff and students, at every stage of their careers
- Contributes meaningfully to sharing research & making an impact locally and globally
Our work spans a wide range of activity, including participatory research, community co-creation, curriculum-based engagement, festivals, schools outreach, cultural partnerships, and flagship public events.
About the Engage Watermark
The Engage Watermark is a national award that recognises an institution’s strategic support for public engagement and its commitment to continuous improvement.
Much like a watermark embedded within a document, it signifies that public engagement is woven throughout the fabric of the institution.
The award process involves four key stages:
- Submission of evidence on current practice and support
- Surveys of staff, students, and external partners
- External assessment
- Development of a comprehensive action plan for future growth
Our feedback
Video: Watch Paul Manners, Co Director the NCCPE discuss the Faculty's award.
Public engagement is clearly valued across the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. The strong ethos of social responsibility, together with effective leadership and the embedding of public engagement, is evident in work that addresses real-world challenges through research, collaboration and knowledge exchange.
