The SALIENT Hub is proud to spotlight Research into Intervention, Safety and Empowerment (RISE) – an ambitious new programme led by the University of Manchester that tackles one of the UK’s most pressing societal challenges: violence against women and girls (VAWG).
The project sits under SPRITE+ and aligns strongly with SALIENT’s commitment to building a secure and resilient world through interdisciplinary, human‑centred research.
According to official UK statistics, more than 200,000 sexual offences were recorded by police in England and Wales in 2024/25, and 2.2 million women aged 16+ experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2025. Against this backdrop, the UK Government’s Safer Streets Mission and its cross‑government strategy, Freedom from Violence and Abuse, set an ambitious goal: to halve VAWG within the next decade
Funded through UKRI’s R&D Missions Accelerator Programme, RISE is designed to help accelerate progress towards that national ambition by bringing together world‑leading interdisciplinary expertise in VAWG research, data science, criminology, and public policy.
Interdisciplinary Research Driving Change
RISE is led by Principal Investigator Professor Rose Broad, supported by a team including Professor Mark Elliot, Dr Richard Kirkham, Dr Caroline Miles, Professor David Gadd and Dr Reka Solymosi—reflecting the breadth of expertise needed to address the complexities of VAWG at scale.
The programme’s research spans several cutting‑edge strands, including:
- A rapid evidence review examining the state of primary prevention research.
- Development of a safety-focused mobile app centred on the experiences of women runners in public spaces.
- Evaluation of multi‑agency perpetrator prevention approaches, aimed at reducing repeat offending.
- Analysis of Domestic Homicide Reviews, with current work including cases involving matricide.
Through this portfolio, RISE seeks not only to deepen the evidence base but also to shape solutions that have real‑world applicability across policing, community services, and public policy.
Collaboration at the Core
A key feature of RISE is its commitment to collaboration across sectors. The project will engage VAWG specialists from academia, policing, charities, and wider civil society to:
- Share best practice
- Strengthen cross‑sector relationships
- Identify gaps for innovation
- Build momentum for future research and funding opportunities
A Shared Vision for a Safer Future
The RISE project exemplifies the systems‑wide outlook that underpins SALIENT’s mission: drawing together diverse expertise to address complex risks, surface hidden patterns, and create solutions that deliver tangible benefits for society. As the project develops, its insights will support UK efforts to reduce harm, enhance resilience, and build safer environments for women and girls.
More information on RISE will be shared as the programme develops, and SALIENT looks forward to working alongside the project team to amplify its impact.