SIPR Annual Report 2025/26

SPACE overview

Project Lead

SPACE

SPACE is one of nine Policing Academic Centers of Excellence funded by UK Research and Innovation in partnership with the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC). As the only Scottish PACE, we are led by Edinburgh Napier University, with St Andrews, Edinburgh and Glasgow Caledonian Universities.

Building on the SIPR model, our vision is to support innovation in improving safety and preventing crime and harm by developing world-leading, evidence-based solutions to modern policing challenges. SPACE focuses on key policing Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) to improve Safety, build Prevention, and maximise the use of Analytics in a manner that inspires Confidence and meets high Ethical standards.

" I’m really excited to see how SPACE’s cutting-edge research can support transformations to policing in Scotland and leverage connections more widely to shape policing across the UK."

Professor Liz Aston

Project Lead

Key highlights 2025/26

3

Major thematic initiatives (Safety, Prevention, and Analytic) launched to address current policing challenges.

60

Attendees representing policing, academic, policy and third sector organisations to co-develop research requirements.

7

Knowledge-exchange events and webinars

£126,000

invested in high-quality research to inform practice and improve outcomes. 7 projects awarded through the SPACE Flexible Fund: 5 research projects and 2 knowledge-exchange projects.

Flexible Fund priorities

Investment is addressing priority and emerging policing challenges including AI-enabled offending, AI and road safety, data literacy and AI capability, counter-terrorism and Prevent/Pursue practice, sexual violence, and public confidence in policing.

Engagement activity

Engagement included workshops, webinars, conferences, expert panels, working groups and institutional visits, alongside presentations to policing and policy audiences.

Reach and participation

SPACE activities reached audiences ranging from small specialist and strategic groups to events involving 100–200+ participants, including a SPACE webinar attracting 211 registrations and 115 attendees.

Research publications

Publications addressed key policing and public-safety challenges including online harms, radicalisation, safeguarding, rural policing, sexual violence, police-academic partnerships and policing by consent.

Stronger connections

SPACE strengthened connections between academia, policing, government, policy organisations and the third sector, providing routes for research evidence to inform operational and strategic decision-making.

2025/26 (overview)

In 2025/26 we focused on setting up SPACE, including establishing the Management Committee and Advisory Group (https://sipr.ac.uk/space/).

One of the first steps was for the Co-Leads to bring together academic and practitioner expertise around our key themes: Safety led by Andrew Wooff, Prevention, led by Sarah Marsden and Lesley McMillan and Analytics led by Susan McVie.

Our themes have begun working together and running events to exchange knowledge including the joint webinar "Statistical issues in police investigations, including clusters of health care deaths" delivered with Dr Amy Wilson (University of Edinburgh) and Dr Jane Hutton (University of Warwick) and publishing briefing papers including "Burnout, post-traumatic growth, and organisations support in Police Officers working in specialised units" by Dr Alexandra Tsirimokou and Dr Juliane A. Kloess ¹ and 'Sworn to protect, left unprotected: a mixed-methods exploration of the gendered toll of policing on women’s health and wellbeing' by Dr Mahnoz Illias, Prof Kathleen Riach and Dr Evangelia Demou²

A key highlight this year was our sandpit in January which brought together academics, police and other stakeholders to co-produce a research agenda to address complex policing challenges.

The sandpit shaped our grant call which was a key focus this year. These grants were designed to reflect key knowledge gaps and emerging areas within the topics of safety, prevention, and analytics developed through the sandpit.

We have awarded over £125,000 from our flexible fund to support five research projects and two knowledge exchange grants. These cover topics such as using AI to enhance road safety, older women and sexual violence, navigating the prevent-pursue nexus in counter terrorism, building police understanding of AI-enabled offending, and enhancing confidence in policing data through culturally-responsive communication.

Notes

Engagement Timeline

Explore the timeline to see how SIPR engaged with its community throughout the year.

8Items

SPACE

PACE Programme Launch

Programme launch

October 2025

University of Birmingham

Professor Liz Aston,Edinburgh Napier University

Professor Elizabeth Aston represented SPACE at the launch of the Policing Academic Centres of Excellence (PACE) programme at the University of Birmingham, marking the official launch of the Scottish Policing Academic Centre of Excellence (SPACE).

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The event brought together the new Centres of Excellence and policing partners from across the UK, providing an important opportunity to build connections and strengthen collaboration in evidence-based policing research.

Event / News Link

SPACE

SPACE Sandpit

Research co-design workshop

January 2026

Glasgow Caledonian University

Professor Liz Aston, Edinburgh Napier University, ACC Catriona Paton, Police scotland, Professor Lesley Macmillan Glasgow Caledonian University, Professor Sarah Marsden, St Andrews University, Professor Andrew Wooff, Edinburgh Napier University

Academics, policing professionals, policymakers and partners came together to shape priorities and co-design future research.

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The first SPACE Sandpit brought together academics, policing professionals, policymakers and third-sector partners to develop ideas and identify opportunities for collaborative research.

Event / News Link

SPACE

Gendered grievances & the logic of violence

Webinar

February 2026

Online

Dr Anne Peterscheck, University of St Andrews

SPACE webinar exploring gendered grievances and the logic of violence.

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The University of St Andrews' Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence (CSTPV) hosted an online research presentation given by Dr. Anne Peterscheck exploring how gendered grievances drive both everyday and extremist violence

Event / News Link

SPACE

What data do Police Scotland hold and how could it be used to deliver greater insights?

Webinar

March 2026

Online

Professor Susan Mcvie - University of Edinburgh, Harry Schone Police Scotland

SPACE explored Police Scotland data and how it could be used to generate greater insight for policing.

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SPACE Analytics webinar focused on data held by Police Scotland and opportunities to use it to deliver greater analytical insight.

SPACE

Responding to Terrorism and Extremism in Scotland: CT & CVE Needs and Priorities

Webinar

April 2026

Online

Dr Sarah Marsden, University of St Andrews and Dr James Lewis, University of St Andrews

SPACE brought together discussion on counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism needs and priorities in Scotland.

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SPACE Prevention webinar focused on current CT and CVE needs and priorities in Scotland.

graphic in dropbix https://cstpv.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/2026/02/09/19-february-gendered-grievances-and-the-logic-of-violence-dr-anne-peterscheck/

SPACE

Before the Attack: What We Are Learning About Preventing Public Violence

Public lecture

April 2026

University of St Andrews

Professor Jessica Stern, Boston University

Paul Wilkinson Memorial Lecture: Preventing Public Violence SIPR engaged with the Paul Wilkinson Memorial Lecture at the University of St Andrews, featuring Professor Jessica Stern of Boston University on emerging evidence around preventing public violence.

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The lecture explored how early intervention and public-health approaches can help prevent mass violence and terrorist attacks, providing insights relevant to policing, community safety and prevention. It also provided an opportunity for engagement with international expertise and wider academic partners.

Event / News Link

SPACE

Addressing Violent Radicalisation and Extremism

Seminar

May 2026

Online

Professor Theo Gavrielides, Founder and Director of the Restorative Justice for All (RJ4All) International Institute

A joint SPACE and Pax Caledonia Network seminar explored approaches to preventing violent radicalisation and extremism.

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Professor Theo Gavrielides joined a co-badged seminar focused on approaches to preventing and responding to violent radicalisation and extremism.

Event / News Link

SPACE

Statistical Issues in Police Investigations

Webinar

June 2026

Online

Dr Amy Wilson, University of Edinburgh and Professor Jane Hutton University of Warwick

A specialist SPACE webinar considered statistical issues in police investigations and lessons for evidence and decision-making.

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SPACE Analytics webinar on the use and interpretation of statistics in criminal investigations.

Event / News Link Additional Link

NPCC / ESRC / PACE / UKRI

SPACE

SPACE overview

Key highlights 2025/26

3

60

7

£126,000

Flexible Fund priorities

Engagement activity

Reach and participation

Research publications

Stronger connections

2025/26 (overview)

Notes

PACE Programme Launch

SPACE Sandpit

Gendered grievances & the logic of violence

What data do Police Scotland hold and how could it be used to deliver greater insights?

Responding to Terrorism and Extremism in Scotland: CT & CVE Needs and Priorities

Before the Attack: What We Are Learning About Preventing Public Violence

Addressing Violent Radicalisation and Extremism

Statistical Issues in Police Investigations

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