Institute for Social Innovation and Impact (ISII)
The Institute for Social Innovation and Impact (ISII) at the University of Northampton evaluates and measures the social impact of social innovations in the UK and around the world, as well as exploring the financing of, and policy support for, social innovation. The ISII seeks to support social enterprises, NGOs, charities and public bodies to understand and measure their social impact, whilst also offering accredited CPD courses for industry professionals in these areas. Crucially, the ISII is fully self-sustaining and sources its income entirely from external contracts/grants, with no core University funding provided. In this way it operates in the same manner as a socially innovative, entrepreneurial organisation!
To contact ISII, please email: Research-ISII@Northampton.ac.uk.
Innovation and Impact
About our institute
- Supports social innovators to develop their ideas and organisations through the delivery of cutting-edge academic research and consultancy services.
- Collaborates on multi-disciplinary research projects in partnership with universities, NGOs, third sector organisations and government, focused on areas such as social impact, educational innovation, Artificial Intelligence, sustainable development, climate change, and social justice.
- Evaluates the social impact of a range of initiatives and organisations, through the use of their bespoke ‘Social Impact Matrix©’ and qualitative research methods.
- Supports the University in developing, implementing and evaluating socially innovative, high impact projects, including business incubation and mentoring
- Delivers CPD courses for industry professionals centred on theory of change, impact measurement, data management and research ethics.
The Institute for Social Innovation and Impact (ISII) has research interests in several areas, including at national, European and international levels. Our offer is split into four core areas:
- Research and Evaluation: Rigorous and independent research, which generates actionable, evidence-based insights.
- Social and Economic Impact Measurement: The design and implementation of measurement frameworks that demonstrate the value of your impact to society.
- Workshops and CPD: Tailored learning and development for your organisation.
- Community Engagement: Inclusive and participatory approaches that centre your beneficiaries’ voices and embeds them in the research.
Institute for Social Innovation and Impact Team:
- Professor Richard Hazenberg – Institute Lead
- Professor Claire Paterson-Young – Research Leader
- Associate Professor Ecem Karlidag-Dennis – Senior Researcher
- Dr Michael Maher – Researcher
- Dr Jennifer Dunkwu – Research Fellow
- Karlıdağ-Dennis, E., Keser Ozmantar, Z., & Cin, M. (2026). Teaching in displacement: refugee teachers’ agency and the reworking of social and professional practices. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2026.2679708
- Hazenberg, R., and C. Paterson-Young. 2025. Hybrid Coping: The Impact of Covid-19 on Social Enterprise Resilience.” Nonprofit Management and Leadership. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/nml.21655
- Paterson-Young, C., Corrales, T., Warren, I., & McNamara, P. 2024. Impact of trauma and placement in residential or congregate care on the criminalisation of children in England/Wales and Australia. Children and Youth Services Review. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019074092400519X
- Maher, M., Karlıdağ-Dennis, E., Hazenberg, R., & Conway, D., 2026. Employability Programmes in higher education: Supporting students through tangible, transitional and transformational approaches. British Educational Research Journal. https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/berj.70051
- Paterson-Young, C., Maher, M., Karlıdağ-Dennis, E. and Hazenberg, R., 2025. Children’s world-making practices as peacebuilders in the community. Children’s Geographies, pp.1-16. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/14733285.2024.2431729
- Paterson-Young, C., Adhikari, J., Lee, L., Maher, M. and Wright, L.H., 2024. Creating ownership: Strengths and tensions in co-production with children, young people, and adults across contexts. Childhood, 31(3), pp.329-348. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/09075682241266814
- Dunkwu, J., Paterson-Young, C., Maher, M. and Oswald, M. (2026) Responsible AI for Policing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) – Women’s Perspectives. https://research.northumbria.ac.uk/probablefutures/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/AI-VAWG-Policy-Brief-0110-Latest.pdf
- Maher, M., Hazenberg, R., Paterson-Young, C., and Bajwa-Patel, M., 2024. ‘We need the activists to be more entrepreneurial’: Global versus local modes of though on the development of social enterprise support systems in transitioning economies’, Global Networks, 24(3): 12470
- Maher, M., Hazenberg, R., and Paterson-Young, C., 2025. Institutional Fiefdoms: The implementation of governance and new norms within an emerging strategic action field’, Theory and Society, 54(2): 277-296
