What happens when sharing research for public benefit comes with the risk of harassment, abuse, and personal harm?
A new toolkit, Supporting LGBTQ+ Research Impact and Public Engagement, tackles a challenge that many researchers are increasingly facing: how to engage with the public, create meaningful impact, and maintain wellbeing in a climate where LGBTQ+ topics can attract hostility.
Developed through a research project involving academics, professional services staff, and a review of institutional policies, the toolkit reveals a striking reality. While universities increasingly encourage public engagement and research impact, many LGBTQ+ researchers are navigating online abuse, emotional strain, reputational risks, and limited institutional support.
Rather than focusing solely on individual resilience, the toolkit argues for a shared, institution-wide approach. Through a series of realistic case studies, readers are invited to explore the experiences of an early-career PhD student researching trans healthcare, an impact officer supporting vulnerable researchers, and a senior academic balancing visibility, mentoring, and burnout. These scenarios prompt important conversations about responsibility, safety, inclusion, and sustainable research cultures.
The resource is practical, thought-provoking, and designed for use in workshops, staff development sessions, and individual reflection. It includes discussion activities, shared principles for difficult conversations, and a curated collection of further reading for anyone interested in research impact, public engagement, and LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Whether you are a researcher, research manager, impact professional, or university leader, this toolkit offers valuable insights into how institutions can better support those whose work makes a difference, often at considerable personal cost. It is an important read for anyone committed to creating safer, more inclusive environments for public scholarship.
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