Six Early Adopter Pathfinders appointed to steer Enact’s next stage of development

We are pleased to announce the six Early Adopter Pathfinders who are now helping to shape the next phase of the Enact Practice Research Data Service: Buckinghamshire New University, Manchester Metropolitan University, Middlesex University, the University of Leeds, the University of Nottingham Ningbo China and the London College of Music at the University of West London.

These external teams were recruited following an Expression of Interest and each pairs a practice researcher with a repository/research-data expert.

The Pathfinders Programme is a key part of our co-design approach to developing Enact. These Early Adopter Pathfinders build on the work of our Phase One Pathfinder Pilots, which brought together practice research projects from the University of Westminster to inform Enact’s initial design and development.

The third and final phase of the programme, the Enact Pathfinder Challengers (2027–2028), will bring new perspectives to the Enact Repository. Working alongside live practice research projects, these Challenger projects will use the repository in real-world settings while collaborating with the Enact team. Their feedback will help us understand how researchers engage with the repository throughout the research process and identify opportunities for further development.

Further information about the appointment of the Phase Three Pathfinder Challengers will be available in September 2026.