An ideas incubator for colleges who want to implement projects and different approaches, but feel that they need an extra spark, ignition point, provocations and suggestions to get the ball rolling. This compendium brings together examples of projects from a variety of sources, synthesises them into key themes and then offers a range of 'what ifs...?' to help you on your way to turning ideas into action.

Catalyst Compendium
Insights, ideas and innovations

Explore a curated collection of starting points and inspiration for your next project. Dive into key themes and discover ideas, resources, and examples to ignite your creativity and help you take the first step toward your goals.

Ideation Illuminations
Insights, ideas and innovations

CDN's Ideation Illuminations videos have been posted weekly on Linkedin to provide sparks of inspiration, different ideas and a range of strategies, methods, approaches that could be applied within discussions or brainstorming sessions to help generate new innovations. Here you'll find the library of videos, please dip in and out, using these to 'Illuminate' projects and change within your college.

Innovators, rulebreakers and changemakers
Insights, ideas and innovations

In this section you can read about the projects that have been happening across the sector. These have been drawn from a variety of sources and some have inspired the starting points in Catalyst.

Researcher Development Programme 24/25
Insights, ideas and innovations

This is the storage box for the resources, recordings and all additional related documents and resources for CDN's Researcher Development Programme. 

Research and resource collection
Insights, ideas and innovations

In here you'll find links to podcasts, to our 'Mini bites' series, a range of case studies, research projects and reports.

The innovator's rolodex
Insights, ideas and innovations

This directory aims to provide you with contacts, details and information about people, organisations, funds, initiatives, etc... that can help you bring your ideas to fuition. It will grow as we find out more about (or hear from) people/ organisations who help make things happen and want to get involved with supporting colleges staff and students to bring their innovative projects to life. If this is you or you know of someone who should be in this directory, please get in touch with Jo Turbitt (jo.turbitt@cdn.ac.uk) so we can add you/ your organisation.