FAQs: working with students on Live Briefs

Deliverables vary by subject and level, but all Live Briefs are designed to produce relevant, actionable outputs.

Students may be at any stage of their university journey, from first-year undergraduates to postgraduates.

Typically, 5-15 hours of your time over 12-20 weeks. A typical breakdown is:

• 1-5 hours: planning the Live Brief with our team – 2-3 months before start of term
• 2-5 hours: introducing the Live Brief to students on campus – at the start of term
• 2-5 hours: receiving students’ presentations of their solutions on campus and giving professional feedback – at the end of term

Live Briefs are aligned with the academic calendar and run during teaching terms, called trimesters:

• Trimester 1: September-December
• Trimester 2: January-April
• Trimester 3: May-July

We need to begin discussions with you 2-3 months before the beginning of the term.

No – Live Briefs are free to partner organisations.

You’ll be supported by our team throughout the process. Your Live Brief will be designed jointly between you and our academic staff.

• At the beginning: we ask you to introduce the Live Brief project to our students at a session on campus and answer their questions.
• At the end: the students will present their solutions and deliverables to you at a session on campus, usually in small groups. We ask you to give them professional, constructive feedback. This is a very valuable learning experience for them.

No, you do not need to mark work or take part in academic assessment. Our teaching staff are responsible for this.

Live Briefs take place at one of our university campuses (Cambridge, Chelmsford, Peterborough or Writtle) during students’ timetabled lecture sessions.

No, there is no need for students to visit your premises, although you're welcome to organise a site visit if you wish.

We ask partners to commit to engaging with the Live Brief from start to finish, communicate any changes, address any concerns, and provide constructive feedback on their Live Brief experience.

After you’ve received student outputs, you’ll have the option to explore several other ways to continue collaborating with ARU if you wish.