Sarah Noles
Sarah Noles is a social scientist specializing in evidence-based research impact, public engagement and evaluation. Her work focuses on practical methods for planning, delivering and assessing impact across research and innovation projects. She brings interdisciplinary training in sociology and communications to the design of structured, ethical and inclusive engagement processes aligned with policy and societal objectives.
Sarah Noles has designed and delivered training workshops and stakeholder engagement sessions focused on research impact and public engagement. She has facilitated participatory workshops supporting practitioners to co-design impact strategies, particularly within environmental sustainability projects. She has also developed and co-created community training programs, including a volunteer training program for young climate advocates and a series of skills workshops in Tanzania supporting local entrepreneurs. In her role at the Institute for Methods Innovation, she supports researchers and practitioners in developing practical skills in participatory methods, impact evaluation and evidence-based communication, enabling the application of social research methods to real-world contexts.
Funded projects
Sarah Noles designs and delivers professional training in research impact planning, theory of change, impact evaluation and evidence-based communication. Her training emphasizes practical application, with a focus on aligning impact activities to clear objectives, the needs of relevant publics, and power dynamics. She has facilitated workshops supporting researchers and practitioners to plan impact strategies, assess engagement quality and apply participatory methods within funded projects. Her training practice reflects her experience working with international research teams, non-profit organizations and applied policy initiatives.
Sarah Noles supports researchers and research managers to develop impact plans grounded in stakeholder analysis, theory of change and evaluation. Her work includes the design of qualitative and mixed-method evaluation approaches, development of engagement strategies and structured facilitation of workshops focused on impact planning and reflection. She has contributed to training and capacity-building activities linked to environmental sustainability, public policy engagement and responsible research practice.
Publications
Sarah Noles has co-authored peer-reviewed research focused on advancing research methods and impact practice. Her work includes a co-authored paper introducing a novel evidence-based theory of change approach to evaluate research programs influence on public policy. Other publications include studies recommending how innovative survey and diary-based methods can be improved for longitudinal engagement research, as well as a 2025 Journal of Environmental Management article introducing an analytical framework for stakeholder involvement in environmental decision-making.Â
Alongside academic outputs, she has contributed to applied research reports for institutional and public sector audiences. Her work has included analysis and reporting for European Commission-funded projects and commissioned research for local government initiatives, providing evidence-informed recommendations to support decision-making and strategy development.
Academic and professional background
- MA in Media, Campaigning and Social Change (Distinction), University of Westminster.
- BA in Sociology (First Class Honours), University of Warwick.
