What is Cambridge CRoSS?
CRoSS (Commercialisation of Research out of Social Sciences) is an ESRC-seeded impact acceleration programme designed to engage social innovators from disciplines including arts, design, humanities, policy, economics and social sciences. We provide a platform for researchers to explore innovation, industry partnership, entrepreneurship and commercialisation in order to maximise the impact and dissemination of their research.
We aim to create visibility and community for social innovators working in high-impact areas of research, to increase their skills through targeted training and facilitation, and to link researchers from the full range of disciplinary expertise to Cambridge’s world-leading innovation ecosystem.
Who’s involved?
All Cambridge researchers, including early-career and postdoctoral researchers, are welcome to participate in CRoSS events. We have a special focus on arts, humanities and social science researchers. We also welcome participation and support from researchers from other disciplines, and from non-academic stakeholders including business, government and civil society partners, investors, and mentors who have expertise and insight to share.
Join us to learn more about commercialisation as a pathway to research impact and to help us develop the social innovation potential of Cambridge research.
Please contact: ahss@enterprise.cam.ac.uk
CRoSS Ideas Incubator
A support programme for researchers and their collaborators who are developing an innovative or entrepreneurial approach which has the potential to convert research insight into real-world social impact.
Further information
Supporting Social Scientists
Cambridge Enterprise has a dedicated team who support researchers in the arts, humanities and social sciences as well as broader non-STEM disciplines to explore commercial routes to impact: academic consultancy, IP licensing, co-creation of innovative products and services, company creation, social venturing, incubation and investment.
We work closely with colleagues in the Research Office, the Schools and the Knowledge Exchange Network to get the right support in place and can assist with due diligence on copyright and other IP, contracting and commercial negotiations, marketing, impact and innovation funding applications, training, mentoring and making connections to industry and third sector partners.
Under the CRoSS programme, we also have discretionary funding to help support early career and postdoctoral researchers engaged in high-impact innovation and commercialisation projects. This includes projects supported in the Chris Abell Postdoc Business Plan Competition or in our incubator and accelerator programmes.
History of the Programme
The Commercialisation of Research out of the Social Sciences (CRoSS) project was seeded by the ESRC Impact Accelerator Account with an aim to build the capacity of social science researchers and knowledge exchange professionals to identify and support opportunities for commercialising outputs from social science research.
Previous funding in this space helped to make visible the institutional readiness of the University of Cambridge. As a part of that experience, the University created a team Cambridge Enterprise in 2018 to focus exclusively on commercialisation of activities in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.
Our programmes are collaborative by design, and the resources we create are shared widely. Please get in touch with us if you would like to be part of our work!
Past Events & Available Resources
Media Content Production and Commercialisation Training Series
Interactive Q&A sessions delivered by Dr Lisa Lin, of StoryLab, that discussed documentary production, Creating Great Content and Navigating the Film/Documentary Industry.
Creative Cambridge 2022
We support collaborations between the University and creative industries, making visible a visible a community of experts and practitioners who are open to collaboration and conversation.
Social Business Models
Creating a social enterprise is one high-impact route by which innovations and expertise from university research can find their way into the wider world.
Data and Commercialisation
We look at some practical steps you can take to manage data when having commercialisation in mind, and talk about when and how to find support from across the University
Online Workshop: Creating Great Content
How to take the right approach to storytelling and documentary development in order to give your research-based documentary the best possible chances of reaching a wide audience
Legal Aspects of Social Venture
The basics of establishing a social venture; balancing profit with people and planet
Online Workshop: Navigating the Film Industry
How the documentary film industry works, how to successfully get your work noticed, and where opportunities arise
Podcasting Panel
Podcasts may feel like the perfect fit for research communication, allowing conversation, storytelling, and a community of engaged listeners for your work
