Dr Gareth Davies

Research Impact Evidence Manager

Research & Enterprise Office

gareth.davies@open.ac.uk

07780864555

Biography

Dr Gareth Davies – Professional Biography

Dr Gareth Davies is a Research Impact Evidence Manager at The Open University, where he leads on designing and implementing cross-institutional evaluation frameworks that measure the environmental, social, and cultural impacts of publicly funded research. Drawing on his diverse background in environmental risk assessment, sustainability metrics, and public engagement, Gareth has established a strong reputation for embedding data-driven insights into strategic decision-making processes and advising on plans for generating, evaluating, and evidencing real impact. As part of this, he delivers Train-the-Trainer sessions and coaching for colleagues, acting as an internal consultant who guides teams in designing robust, outcome-focused impact strategies.

Prior to his current role, Gareth contributed to the RCUK-funded Schools-University Partnership Initiative (SUPI)—known as ‘Engaging Opportunities’—where he was instrumental in creating and evaluating innovative ways for researchers to engage with schools. He also worked on the MAZI Pan-European Research Project, which utilized low-cost, low-tech wireless networks to empower local communities, and he contributed to the ARCLIGHT Project, helping to build community mental health resilience by creating opportunities for members of four distinct communities to reconnect and share stories of how they overcame challenges. Earlier in his career, Gareth was involved in the UKERC-funded exploration of uncertainty in energy systems and Emerging World’s international service learning initiative; additionally, at the Open University Business School, he studied how serious games and mindfulness training might help financial traders overcome decision-making biases.

Gareth’s academic background underpins his interdisciplinary approach. He holds a PhD in Decision Science from Cranfield University, where he developed an agent-based model to examine how personality and power dynamics influence governmental confidence in evidence-based decisions. He also earned an MSc in Comparative Risk Assessment (Cranfield), an MRes in Marine Science Technology (Newcastle), and a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Protection (Bournemouth). This blend of environmental science, decision theory, and public engagement informs his ongoing research interest in evaluating complex interventions under conditions of risk and uncertainty.

Alongside large-scale impact evaluations, Gareth delivers capacity-building workshops and knowledge exchange sessions, equipping colleagues to interpret and act on evaluation data. He regularly publishes on topics ranging from community resilience and environmental governance to public engagement methodologies and educational innovation. Passionate about bridging academia, policy, and practice, Gareth ensures that evidence-based insights are accessible, actionable, and aligned with the needs of diverse audiences—be they government regulators, cultural institutions, or local communities.

Projects

Developing a community-based mental health improvement programme in Guyana through inter-disciplinary participatory action research

In August 2018 a week long scoping exercise assessed the mental health training needs of multi-disciplinary health practitioners in Guyana. From this, we developed an innovative research strategy and commitment to develop a community-based mental health improvement programme capable of being adopted by Guyana and other Low- and Middle-Income Countries with similar socio-economic conditions. Our approach focuses on promoting community mental health resilience through participatory digital technologies that build on The Open University’s global leadership role in distance learning. The research and development phases will address embedded cultural attitudes and norms that frequently prevent healthcare practitioners implementing successful and sustainable interventions in such environments, while promoting existing positive practices. Our research will: 1. Establish a baseline of social, environmental and mental health status within three case study communities; 2. Co-design with community members, practitioners and agencies a capacity building programme for community-based mental health improvement in readiness for a period of engagement within the three case study communities focusing on improving mental health resilience through our ‘community owned solutions’ approach. 3. Support, through a process of action research, the practitioners as they apply and evaluate the resilience/‘community owned solutions’ approach within the case study communities, and monitor intervention impact with respect to baseline state. 4. Apply lessons learnt to strengthen the practitioner capacity building programme for major out scaling within Guyana (through the University of Guyana's BSc in Mental Health Nursing) and in other LMICs. By aiming to establish a BSc honours degree in Mental Health Nursing as an outcome the project, we have a clear exit strategy for our research which will enthuse and motivate engagement across Government, Public Health and Education sectors. It will build on and develop existing practices to create a pathway towards the aspiration that will excite both innovation and education amongst practitioners and policy formers.

Engaging opportunities: connecting young people with contemporary research and researchers (SE-12-098-RH)

Funding for this Schools-University initiative will complement the work of the RCUK-funded Catalyst, by providing specific funding for direct engagement activities between active OU researchers and young people. Success in gaining funding will further develop and strengthen the Open University's existing commitment to embedding public engagement within our research culture, enhancing the value and recognition for, and support of, public engagement with research. Working in partnership with the Denbigh Teaching School Alliance, the funding will be used to produce a flexible and adaptable framework for researcher-student activities and interactions that meet the needs of the students, teachers and the local schools. Futhermore, this project will provide opportunities for researchers to gain support in relevant transferable skills, and to reflect on these interactions through the findings from systematic evaluation research. This project will also provide further opportunties to recognise and reward excellence in this area. Overall, funding for this project will create structured, strategic, sustainable and equitable mechanisms for direct engagement between Open University researchers, young people and teachers within the Milton Keynes area, enhancing and enriching formal and informal learning contexts in the widest possible range of academic subjects offered by the participating schools, and through extra-curricula activities.

An open research university: How to embed public engagement within the culture of research (RS-11-005-TB)

The aim of this proposal is to embed public engagement with research within The Open University’s (OU) strategic planning for research and the operational practices of researchers at all levels; to become an open research university.