How to Recruit Researchers as Participants

Case Study of the Second Impronta Granada meeting and Poniente Workshop

Summary: Key features in a nutshell:

• Objective: To successfully recruit researchers from the University of Granada (UGR) for collaborative territory-oriented projects with local governments, businesses, and civil society in the Poniente Granadino region.
• Key Strategies
  • Online preparatory meetings to identify the most pressing regional challenges such as sustainable tourism, heritage preservation, and economic development and map existing research capacity
  • A curated Excel database compiling University of Granada’s researchers, projects and their associated County Council
  • Creation of actor profiles on the Impronta Granada website to improve the visibility of researchers and their alignment with specific County Councils
  • Use of UGR project entries on the website to highlight ongoing research projects, categorized by UGR County Councils and geolocated on an interactive map
  • Micropresentations (short talks) at the Second Impronta Granada Meeting showcasing selected research projects before the main Poniente workshop
• Outcome: Enhanced researcher engagement; improved transparency of expertise; alignment between academic research and territorial development priorities; better informed, evidence‑based debate during the workshop

Description

Recruiting researchers from Universidad de Granada (UGR) to participate in regional governance and development initiatives is a key strategy to build a bridge between academic knowledge and local policy making.

UGR County Councils refers to the initiative led by the University of Granada (UGR) under the Erasmus+ ENGAGEgreen project, aiming to foster collaboration between academic researchers, local governments, and community stakeholders. This initiative focuses on addressing regional challenges through co-created, research-driven solutions. The Second Impronta Granada Meeting is the third pilot event organised by UGR as part of this project, bringing together researchers, policymakers, and local communities to discuss and develop strategies for sustainable development in rural and urban areas.

In the framework of the Second Impronta Granada Meeting (2 December 2025), through prior online preparatory meetings with UGR County Councils and the subsequent in‑person ‘Poniente Workshop’, researchers were actively integrated into a multi‑stakeholder process.

To operationalise this, an internal Medialab UGR compiled an internal Excel database – listing ongoing research projects, names of researchers, their associated County Council (comarca) and project status— which then served to design and schedule micropresentations of such projects during the in‑person event. The Excel registry was not a static tool but was continuously maintained and updated throughout the process to reflect confirmed participation, thematic relevance, and the evolving alignment between research projects and territorial needs. This mechanism fostered visibility, facilitated researcher‑stakeholder matching, and helped frame the workshop’s agenda around academically grounded proposals. The recruitment process was supported by creating actor profiles and listing UGR projects on the Impronta Granada website, where researchers and their ongoing work were made visible and accessible. These profiles allowed stakeholders from different sectors to identify relevant researchers for collaboration, and also to explore geolocated UGR projects that align with regional development needs.

How does the format work?

The recruitment of UGR researchers for the Poniente Workshop followed a clear and structured process:

1. Identification of needs & existing research

a. During the online preparatory meetings organised by by Medialab UGR within the framework of the Impronta Granada initiative, with various UGR County Councils (including those from Poniente), local actors and UGR researchers discussed regional challenges such as sustainable tourism, heritage preservation, economic revitalisation, demographic decline, migration, rural depopulation, cultural heritage protection, as well as green and digital transition issues, including climate adaptation, sustainable land use and the digitalisation of local services.

b. Concurrently, researchers presented ongoing investigations they were carrying out in the province of Granada, particularly in rural and comarca-based contexts (e.g., archaeology, sociology, environmental studies, heritage, tourism).

c. The outcomes of these meetings were recorded in a structured Excel spreadsheet, including researcher names, project titles, their associated comarca, and project status. This tool enabled mapping research capacity to territorial needs and selecting which researchers could contribute to specific themes.

2. Active recruitment and visibility:

a. Based on the Excel registry, Medialab UGR, within the framework of the Impronta Granada initiative, invited selected researchers to produce micropresentations to be delivered during the Second Impronta Granada meeting – before the main Poniente Workshop – giving them a platform to present their work to a broader audience of stakeholders (policymakers, civil society actors, local businesses).

b. Researchers were actively invited to collaborate by presenting their projects on the Impronta Granada website, where their research topics were categorised by UGR County Council and linked to relevant regional development initiatives. The actor profiles feature detailed information about the researchers and the UGR County Councils they belong to, which greatly facilitated the recruitment process.

• Actor profiles. Researchers and other actors listed with affiliation, role, and County Council membership. The directory can be filtered by institution (University of Granada), profile (research center), and County Council affiliation on the Impronta Granada website: Impronta Granada Actor Profiles.
• UGR project entries: a catalogue of research projects geolocated on a map and categorised by County Council, allowing users to see which investigations are active in which comarcas: UGR Projects in County Councils.

3. Micropresentations as Engagement Trigger

At the Second Impronta Granada meeting (Loja, 2 December 2025) – prior to the thematic Workshop for Poniente – a set of researchers presented short five-minute pitches about their projects. These micropresentations included visual material (maps, images, diagrams, etc.), introducing research outputs to non‑academic stakeholders and grounding workshop debates in empirical evidence. Among them:

• La voz de las torres – The Voice of the Towers (Ana García)
• El patrimonio arqueológico en la comarca del Poniente de Granada: desde su investigación hasta su difusión – Archaeological Heritage in the Poniente de Granada Region: From Research to Dissemination (Luca Mattei)
• Excavación en la Mesa de Fornes – Excavation at Mesa de Fornes (Andrés Androher)
• El “heheo” en el Poniente Granadino: un estudio sociolingüístico – The “Heheo” in the Poniente Granadino Region: A Sociolinguistic Study (María Cardenete)
• Estación biológica de campo de la UGR “La Resinera” – UGR Field Biological Station “La Resinera” (Juan M. Pleguezuelos)
• Volver a los Orígenes siendo Original – Returning to the Origins While Being Original (Eva Moreno Castillo)

4. Integration into the workshop discussion

After the micropresentations, the Poniente mesa de trabajo enabled a dialogue between researchers, policymakers, civil society, and local business representatives, facilitating co‑design of proposals and potential alignment of academic research with territorial plans for the Poniente region.

Challenges

●       Diversity of research profiles. Not all projects listed in the Excel database corresponded to active researchers; some belonged to other participating agents. This occurred because the initial registry was compiled using information gathered from open calls, preparatory meetings, and existing territorial project records, which included contributions from a wide range of actors. A subsequent verification process was therefore required to identify and prioritise research-active profiles.

●       Disparity of research themes vs. local needs. Some research lines (e.g., highly theoretical or disciplinary) did not fit neatly into actionable local policies or heritage/tourism proposals – requiring adaptation or translation into practical proposals.

●       Time & motivation constraints. Research staff face teaching and administrative duties which can limit their availability. In this case, the Excel registry and the online publication of researcher profiles were compiled and made available several weeks in advance of the Second Impronta Granada Meeting, which allowed for initial engagement but proved insufficient to guarantee long-term involvement beyond the event. Sustaining participation therefore requires greater anticipation as well as continued institutional and logistical support.

●       Visibility & communication. While the website and micropresentations improved exposure, ensuring that local government and civil society consistently consulted and used the registry requires ongoing effort and outreach. Promotion of the registry was mainly carried out through direct communication with local councils during preparatory meetings, presentations at the Second Impronta Granada Meeting, and targeted follow-up emails sharing links to the actor profiles and UGR project entries. Even though researchers’ profiles were created and UGR projects were listed on the Impronta Granada website, the visibility of these profiles needed more promotion within local councils and the broader community. Additionally, the active involvement of researchers in local projects requires clear communication and motivation to contribute to territorial development.

Tasks and resources

Scientists

• Tasks
  • Prepare and deliver micropresentations
  • Provide research data and visual materials relevant to regional issues
  • Engage in follow-up collaborative projects with local actors
• Required resources
  • Time allocation for research‑to‑action translation
  • Support materials (maps, visuals, data)
  • Ethical and institutional backing from UGR

Knowledge exchange managers and research managers

• Tasks
  • Maintain and update the Excel registry
  • Manage the “Actor Profiles” and “UGR Project Entries” on the Impronta Granada website.
  • Organize the micropresentation session
  • Facilitate communication between researchers and local stakeholders
• Requiredresources
  • Database and website maintenance tools
  • Logistical and technical support for events (venue, audiovisual equipment), follow-up communications

Policymakers

• Tasks
  • Attend micropresentations and workshops
  • Identify research relevance for local policies and projects
  • Provide feedback and possibly resources to support research-based initiatives
• Required resources
  • Institutional time allocation
  • Budgeting for pilot initiatives or collaborations
  • Channels for integrating research insights into municipal planning

Examples

Actor Profiles:

• On the Impronta Granada website, the Actor Profiles directory enables filtering by institution, which helps researchers gain visibility and connect with local stakeholders
• Example: Francisco Antonio Navarro Valverde – a researcher affiliated with UGR, listed under the UGR County Council of Poniente Granadino: Francisco Navarro Profile
  

UGR Projects Listed by County Councils:

• The UGR Project Entries catalogue, geolocated by County Council, allows users to see where each research initiative is active – building a regional map of academic engagement and potential impact.
• Example: UGR Archaeology Project.
• The micropresentation session during the Second Impronta Granada meeting preceded the main Poniente Workshop, ensuring that researchers’ findings informed the debate and project proposals. According to the UGR news report, the event brought together institutional representatives, researchers, social agents, businesses, and citizens to tackle the main regional challenges with a focus on innovation, sustainability, and cultural/ecological wealth.

Sources and further reading

• Impronta Granada Website – Impronta Granada Actor Profiles and UGR Projects in County Councils.
• Official coverage of the Second Impronta Granada meeting – University and Territory event: https://improntagranada.es/impronta/ii-impronta-granada-meeting-strengthens-the-university-territory-alliance-in-loja/

Case study details:

How was the format implemented?

The Poniente Workshop was preceded by two online preparatory meetings where UGR researchers and local stakeholders discussed regional challenges like sustainable tourism, heritage preservation, and economic development. An Excel database was created by Medialab UGR to map research expertise to specific territorial challenges, categorising projects by research topics, researcher affiliation, and the county council. This data laid the foundation for micropresentations at the Second Impronta Granada meeting, where selected researchers presented their work with visual materials to a broad audience, including local governments, businesses, and civil society.

In addition, researchers and projects were showcased on the Impronta Granada website, where actor profiles were created to highlight researchers’ expertise and county council affiliation, while UGR project entries were listed and geolocated, making it easy to connect researchers to local needs.

Available resources (main tasks)

●       Research dissemination. The Impronta Granada website served as a key tool for ensuring that UGR projects were visible and accessible. UGR project entries were created on the website, organised by UGR County Councils, which helped align academic research with local needs. These project entries were geolocated on an interactive map, allowing stakeholders to see exactly where research initiatives were being carried out in the Granada region.

●       Knowledge sharing. Micropresentations allowed researchers to directly engage with stakeholders by presenting their findings in an accessible format. These sessions facilitated cross-sector collaboration, ensuring that researchers were not only sharing knowledge but also learning from local needs and identifying areas of common interest.

What works? What doesn’t? (Lessons learnt)

What works

●       The Excel database was a successful tool in organising and categorising UGR research projects, making it easier to match researchers with local challenges

●       Actor profiles on the Impronta Granada website helped raise the visibility of researchers and foster collaboration between research institutions and local stakeholders

●       Micropresentations were effective in engaging a diverse audience, helping to bridge the gap between academic research and local policymaking by showcasing research projects alongside real-world applications

What doesn’t

●       Sustained engagement from researchers beyond the event remains challenging due to their academic workload and time constraints. Ensuring that these collaborations continue after the initial workshop requires dedicated follow-up activities and institutional support.

●       While the micropresentations facilitated initial engagement, the challenge lies in ensuring the long-term involvement of researchers in the implementation phase of local projects.

How  are the activities evaluated?

●       Feedback surveys were conducted to assess the effectiveness of the micropresentations and the research participation in the Poniente Workshop.

●       Follow-up surveys will be necessary to evaluate the long-term impact of research-driven solutions and the extent to which they have been implemented in local policy and community development.