From Seed Funding to Flourishing Futures: My PRME Journey

Engaging with the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) offers a multitude of benefits for academics and professionals alike. As a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at Oxford Brookes Business School, Dr Rebecca Beech has experienced firsthand the advantages of being involved with PRME. The network provides unparalleled opportunities for professional development, including access to funding, collaboration with industry experts, and the chance to contribute to impactful research.

One of the key benefits of working with PRME is the access to seed funding, which supports innovative research projects aligned with sustainable and ethical values. This funding not only facilitates the development of new ideas but also helps in achieving tangible outcomes that can influence policy and practice. For early career academics, this can be a significant boost, providing the resources needed to explore new research avenues and gain recognition in their field.

Moreover, PRME's emphasis on responsible management education aligns well with the goals of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Successful projects and research funded by PRME can contribute to applications for Senior Fellow status in the HEA, showcasing leadership in sustainability and responsible management. Additionally, the outputs from these projects can enhance the institution's AACSB accreditation, demonstrating a commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices.

Networking is another invaluable aspect of PRME. The community is a vibrant and supportive network of academics, practitioners, and industry leaders who are passionate about responsible management education. This network provides opportunities for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and professional growth. Attending PRME conferences and events allows members to connect with like-minded individuals, share their research, and gain insights from others in the field.

Dr Beech's journey with PRME has been marked by numerous opportunities for growth and collaboration. From securing seed funding to achieving Senior Fellow status in the HEA, and from presenting at conferences to building industry relationships, the benefits of working with PRME are manifold. This introduction sets the stage for a deeper exploration of her experiences and the impact of PRME on her career.

Introduction

Dr Rebecca Beech, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Oxford Brookes Business School, Oxford Brookes University, UK

As an early career academic, who is passionate about examining consumers’ behaviours towards consuming clothes more sustainably and to imbed in my teaching, I sought to find a pot of money to fund my motivation to learn more. After a few informal conversations with colleagues at my institution about finding a grant that lent to my research area, and ideally identifying a small pot of money to support an early-stage project. I learnt about the UN PRME UK and Ireland Seed Funding from the UN PRME school leads at my institution. A pot of funding to support new research ideas that aim to have real-world impact, encourage thinking towards responsible management education, and a fund that is aligned with sustainable and ethical values. This was just the beginning of my exciting journey…

Within this blog, firstly, I would like to share my early career academic (5 years post PhD) experience about being a successful competition winner for the UN PRME UK and Ireland Seed Funding, and how that has opened up many opportunities. For instance, the research itself informed my successful application for Senior Fellow in the Higher Education Academy (HEA), the chance to share my research at the UN PRME UK and Ireland Conference 2025, and I have been able to work with experts to produce journal papers, whilst having impact with policy. Secondly, I provide a reflection upon my thoughts towards the top tips for prospective applicants when applying for the UN PRME UK and Ireland Seed Funding. Lastly, I expand on my personal experiences when contributing to the UN PRME UK and Ireland Conference 2025 and refer to ‘finding my tribe’.

My journey from pitch to impact

Once I had identified the UN PRME UK and Ireland Seed Funding and had read about the past winners and their projects, as well as the need for alignments with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and to have impact with my research. I knew that this was a call I could not ignore. I was thrilled to receive a confirmation of being a winner, and from there I started to take advantage of the chance to join the UN PRME community.

Upon reflection of my time during the data collection period of the funded work, I faced challenges due to the slow retrieval of relevant participants. I found the UN PRME community to very supportive on LinkedIn to repost my call for participant, along with UN PRME leads to be collegiate when responding to my emails to kindly ask for support in sharing a call amongst their networks. The UN PRME community was one of the key aspects that led to this study’s success, as part of my research’s impact, I had planned to disseminate my research at the Centre for Environment, Heritage and Policy at the University of Stirling. I had a positive and collegiate experience when reaching out to the UN PRME lead for Scotland, who was supportive in inviting me to the University of Stirling to share my research as well as organise the half day event and particular stakeholders to attend. As a result of the practitioner stakeholder attendance, this has subsequently led to a growing industry relationship related to sustainable fashion, that has resulted in being introduced to other relevant practitioners to share my research and a research collaboration with students. 

The research undertaken supported by the UN PRME UK and Ireland Seed Funding and initiatives as a result of the research, contributed towards the successful award of Senior Fellow in the Higher Education Academy (HEA). One of my case studies was themed upon my leadership amongst staff and students, and research projects and outcomes, within the arena of sustainability. Within the application I referred to my successful grant application from UN PRME to demonstrate my sustainability themed ‘Research, Scholarship, and Knowledge Exchange’ and the disseminations from the project, one of them being the opportunity at the University of Stirling. I further referred to informing my teaching with scholarly work that I undertook as part of the funded project and the ensuing positive student feedback. As part of supporting colleagues, I was invited to share my research funded by UN PRME at the faculty research centres, which resulted in guest lecture opportunities on colleagues’ modules to inspire students. Overall, the opportunity to be funded led to prospects that were significant in my career progression, as well as developing into a mid-career academic.

Key takeaways I would provide to prospective participants interested in pursuing the UN PRME UK and Ireland Seed Funding would be the following. Firstly, identify who your UN PRME school leads are for the purpose of having a conversation about whether your topic fits with the principles of PRME. It is critical that your research aligns with UN PRME principles, as this is central to your application’s contributions to UN PRME. Secondly, to explore the 17 SDGs in detail to further probe into the indicators and what overarching SDG and indicator aligns with your research. It is crucial here, that prospective applicants shape their application towards how their work would have impact within these identified SDGs and indicators. Being realistic and choosing relevant items is important also. Thirdly, reach out to an academic who you would trust to ask for feedback and who can act as a critical friend, particularly one within the arena of sustainability and/or your UN PRME school lead. In doing so, a critical friend would be advantageous in providing a space for brainstorming, reflecting upon your research to add to the application, and to gain feedback to ensure that your proposal meets the requirements. Lastly, being novel in your application important. From my own experience of preparing and submitting the application, I would suggest that the prospective applicants showcase their project’s niche early on and potentially in a novel way when engaging with the SDGs. To further differentiate an application within this competitive call, would suggest that the prospective participant briefly shares their expertise and experience within the topic, be that academic and practical.

Meeting my tribe at the UN PRME UK and Ireland Conference 2025

A prominent outcome of the UN PRME UK and Ireland Seed Funding was the chance to attend the UN PRME UK and Ireland Conference 2025 at Queen University Belfast, with the further plus of free registration as a competition winner. I reflect upon my conference attendance and as a speaker during a session with fond memories, as I found the interactions I had with others to be collegiate, supportive and thought provoking. In addition, this was my first attendance to a UN PRME UK and Ireland Conference. As a ‘newbie’ I was warmly welcomed during the events leading up to the conference, and I soon felt at home with my new tribe when engaging with others at the sessions, and receiving feedback and comments on my presentation. The gala dinner was a particular highlight, as the informal atmosphere in the stunning Queen University Belfast Building, meant that you could network more and learn further about other academic’s journeys and research. Whilst identifying overlaps of research in conversations and food for thought for my own pedagogical practices.   

In summary, to academics who have a budding research idea that they wish to examine in more detail. I would advocate the UN PRME UK and Ireland Seed Funding as a stepping stone to fund a research project with the potential impact that aligns with the UN PRME. I would encourage others to be confident to reach out to the UN PRME community, who I found to be very kind and generous with their time, to inform your application. So, take that initial step and let your research idea take root. By applying, you are not just funding a project, you are becoming part of a collective effort to shape the future of responsible management education.