National Civic Impact Accelerator

About the programme

The National Civic Impact Accelerator (NCIA) is pioneering initiative driving societal, economic, and environmental advancements in local places.

Led by Sheffield Hallam University in partnership with a consortium of institutions and organisations, NCIA helps universities across the UK deepen their civic impact.

NCIA also works with governments and strategic partners to ensure universities act effectively as agents for positive societal change.

Latest publications

Purpose through data

A toolkit and resource supports universities with equitable and accessible, data-informed decision-making. 

Civic universities and green spaces: mapping report

This research maps university green space in relation to underlying mental health and wellbeing data, and explores the potential to scale the methodological approach.

Meaningful engagement between students and local communities

What do sites and practices of meaningful student community engagement look like, from student and community perspectives?

Civic approaches to climate education

This report focuses on what a civic climate higher education might look like, and what resources and approaches are needed.

This prototype draws on publicly available data to help university staff explore the civic impact of their institution, benchmarked against other universities, and supporting data-informed change in and for each specific place.

Explore the dashboard

CiviCon25: Where ideas meet impact

In October, CiviCon25 in Sheffield was an opportunity to build collaboration, innovation and impact in civic practice within and beyond the higher education sector. The conference shared research, reflections and policy recommendations emerging from the NCIA programme.

Explore the conference

Our co-created values

Our Community Advisory Panel and Facilitators developed a shared set of values for speakers and attendees at CiviCon25 to adhere to.

Read our six value statements for CiviCon25

Our Community Advisory Panel

Our Community Advisory Panel was formed to support the NCIA programme and help shape the CiviCon25 conference. Their remit includes:

• work to generate ideas about how to inclusively engage a broad range of organisations and potential contributors to CiviCon25, including those who work across the community and wider sectors.
• work to co-produce a set of inclusivity principles and conference values, and practical guidance for CiviCon25.
• work to help define the selection criteria for CiviCon25 presentation submissions.

The Community Advisory Panel is supported and coordinated by the Institute for Community Studies and the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement

Hannah Sloggett

Co-Director at Nudge Community Builders and Community Advisory Panel member and co-author.

1/9

Ayad Al-Ani

Director of London Central Academy and Community Advisory Panel member and co-author.

2/9

Laura Corfield

Director at Shift Bristol and Community Advisory Panel member and co-author.

3/9

Julia Costa Carneiro

Research Lead at Knowle West Media Centre and Community Advisory Panel member and co-author.

4/9

Waqas Hameed

Health and Wellbeing Manager at Darnall Wellbeing and Community Advisory Panel member and co-author.

5/9

Fola Afolabi

Youth Involvement and Engagement Lab at Wellcome Trust and Community Advisory Panel member and co-author.

6/9

Dr. Al Mathers

Associate at The Young Foundation and Community Advisory Panel Facilitator.

7/9

Zoe Williamson

Senior Project Officer at the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement and Community Advisory Panel Facilitator.

8/9

Lily Owens-Crossman

Senior Researcher at The Young Foundation and Community Advisory Panel Facilitator.

9/9

Research and reports

Finding and using data to understand university impact

1 October 2025

This synthesis of articles shares our user-centred approach to co-designing dashboards with universities to support their civic activities. 1/9

Civic universities and climate education

1 January 2025

A review of literature and evidence, alongside case study examples, to understand the state of climate education in England. 2/9

Civic universities and green spaces

1 January 2025

A review of evidence on the relationship between green space, health and wellbeing in the context of universities. 3/9

Civic universities, skills gaps, and university-FE collaborations

1 January 2025

A review recognising the potential for greater collaboration between universities and colleges and identifying a lack of evidence on this topic. 4/9

Civic universities and their neighbours

1 January 2025

This review brings together literature and evidence to explore sites and practices of meaningful engagement between university students and local communities. 5/9

Healthy universities, people and places

1 December 2024

A review exploring how universities can contribute to student, staff, and local community wellbeing. 6/9

Shaping sustainable universities

1 December 2024

This report explores how universities can contribute to a just transition to net zero by reducing carbon emissions, sharing knowledge, and supporting local initiatives. 7/9

Society, culture and locally-connected universities

1 December 2024

Examining universities’ social and cultural contributions to their communities, discussing the impacts of student volunteering, and how universities are supporting local arts and culture. 8/9

Universities and ‘economic placemaking’

1 December 2024

This review highlights universities as drivers of local employment and spending, assessing the importance of supporting social mobility, graduate retention, and innovation. 9/9

'Great things can be achieved through the civic role of universities'

Our Senior Research Manager, Tania Carregha, shares her experiences of community engagement in Mexico City, building relationships with partners and civic actors, plus her research as a key delivery partner of the NCIA programme.

Listen in

Archive content

Announcing strategic partnership on UK Civic University Network.

With Sheffield Hallam University and the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE), we are showing our shared commitment to cross-sector working with UK communities. 1/6

Empowering students with a ‘truly civic’ experience

New report urges UK universities to equip all students to be lifelong active citizens. 2/6

Supporting Civic Universities

Cross-sector approaches and partnerships are at the heart of great local and national change. The Civic University Network aims to model that at a governance, advisory, and delivery level. 3/6

What does ‘good’ university collaboration look like? 

We are gathering evidence of what's working when universities in England engage with with students and local communities, or on civic climate education. 4/6

Civic Impact Dashboard user feedback event

1 July 2025
11:00am - 12:30pm

Join our civic impact dashboard design team to share your views and help us develop the prototype, ready for final launch at the CiviCon25 conference in October. 

Introducing the National Civic Impact Accelerator

30 March 2023
2:30pm - 4:00pm

A free webinar to launch NCIA, an initiative generating intelligence on civic innovations and tools to deliver meaningful strategies.

A ‘truly civic’ approach

We’re working on this collaborative and ambitious initiative to generate and mobilise intelligence of what works, supporting universities to deliver meaningful, measurable civic strategies and activities.

Visit the NCIA website