From Ignite to PlaceNET: Creating Spaces for Collaboration

Written By Dr Veronica Albarran Carrillo

Building Connections Across the Built Environment

I joined Cardiff University in February 2024 as a Research Associate on Transforming Homes, an AHRC-funded project exploring how we can co-design interwar homes to make them fit for future generations. This role is based within the Welsh School of Architecture, located in the Bute Building. Just next door in the Glamorgan Building, Dr Kate O’Sullivan works as a Research Associate in the School of Geography and Planning on the EPSRC-funded BuildZero project, which explores pathways to transform the UK’s buildings for zero material extraction, zero carbon and zero waste.

Although our projects intersect in many ways and we work in neighbouring buildings, our paths had not crossed—until we both joined Cynnau | Ignite, a leadership programme funded by the Wellcome Trust and delivered during the 2024–2025 academic year. The programme focused on empowering staff to contribute to a positive research culture, by exploring what this means in the context of our everyday work and within the wider research environment.

For many, Ignite was also our first opportunity to meet colleagues from other schools. During the project’s sessions, Kate and I met many other researchers at Cardiff working on the built environment—from digital twins in the School of Engineering, to technologies supporting home-based physical activity in the School of Computer Science, to working with children to assess quality of air in the School of Geography and Planning, and more.

A recurring theme in our conversations was the limited opportunities for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) and staff on fixed-term contracts to connect, share their work, and develop networks. With short project timeframes and ambitious deliverables, it can be difficult to find time to build relationships within our own schools, let alone across the wider University.

From Idea to Initiative: PlaceNET

When the opportunity arose to apply for a Small Grant through the Ignite Programme, and considering our similar backgrounds, Kate and I decided to submit a joint proposal for a project that could enable collaboration and empower researchers like us. That initial idea became PlaceNET—a researcher-led initiative at Cardiff University bringing together research staff from across all disciplines who are working on the sustainable development of the built environment. This was a great opportunity to apply the principles of Ignite immediately after completing the programme, while addressing a challenge that felt both personal and widely shared among our peers.

From architecture to geography and planning, engineering, law, psychology, and politics, PlaceNET aims to foster cross-disciplinary connections, share ideas, and spark new research opportunities.

Through in-person lunchtime workshops running from May to October, the network sought to:

• Bring researchers together across disciplines
• Create space to share research and exchange ideas
• Build collaborations that contribute to healthier, more sustainable, and more liveable places

What We’ve Achieved So Far

In six months PlaceNET has engaged nearly 50 researchers across Social Sciences, Computer Science, Business, Healthcare, Psychology, Engineering, Medicine, WISERD, Geography and Planning, and the Welsh School of Architecture. We have hosted six workshops, with 21 researchers presenting their work and sparking lively discussions and new connections. While raising awareness across schools was initially a challenge, support from local research officers —some of which were fellow Igniters—proved invaluable.

These events have allowed colleagues to connect and engage with peers from different disciplines and career stages across schools. The enthusiasm we’ve seen highlights a strong appetite for cross-disciplinary, theme-led collaboration—not only within the built environment but across Cardiff’s wider research community. Alongside learning about each other’s research and interests, we started to identify where themes intersect and where potential collaborations may be possible. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many interested in continuing the network beyond the initial grant.

PlaceNET now has a LinkedIn page to share updates and advocate for the work of Cardiff University researchers. Work is underway to develop a researcher directory, which will be hosted on a forthcoming website serving as the network’s main platform. If you are interested in joining PlaceNET, please complete the following survey.

Looking Ahead

We are now seeking funding to launch a second Phase focused on consolidating this emerging community and embedding a culture of collaboration, visibility, and mutual support. In this phase, we will develop smaller research groups around shared interests, supporting the growth of collaborative projects and joint funding bids. We will also create digital content to showcase our colleagues’ research — including a PlaceNET podcast and a blog. Through these activities, we will continue to foster interdisciplinary connections and strengthen community ties— directly addressing the University’s “Getting out of the Silo” priority.

PlaceNET demonstrates the value of collaboration in shaping a positive research culture. By creating spaces for open dialogue and shared curiosity, we aim to build a more connected, interdisciplinary community. It has been inspiring to see our colleagues eager to continue these conversations, reminding us that lasting change often begins with something as simple as bringing people together.