UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has announced that it will invest £4.4 million over the next 4 years in the creation of a series of Community Research Networks across the UK. This will form part of its goal to deliver economic, social, and cultural benefits from research and innovation to all UK citizens. The overarching aim of the competition is to support organisations with the potential to enable equitable and sustainable forms of community participation in research.
Up to £500,000 has been allocated to fund collaborations in this Expression of Interest phase of the competition. Up to 20 collaborations are expected to be funded for an initial period of 6 months. Funding will be in the form of a grant.
Community organisations, charities and local authorities, alongside research organisations, play a crucial role in the production, interpretation and use of research. The competition will give these organisations the capacity to collaborate effectively, unlocking the potential of community-centred research and research engagement approaches.
Grants of up to £25,000 are available to not-for-profit groups and public sector organisations working collaboratively.
Funding for the Expression of Interest phase must be used to support the collaborative development of applications in preparation for the implementation phase. This can include:
o Building collaborations and partnerships.
o Collaborative bid writing.
o Convening discussions.
o Desk-based research.
o Engaging communities, and
o Hosting workshops.
Potential network collaborations selected at the Expression of Interest phase will be invited to apply for the Implementation phase, which will open in April 2023. Only successful applicants at the Expression of Interest phase will be invited to apply for the implementation phase.
More information about the application timeline and requirements for this phase will be released in due course.
Further details, guidance and details about how to complete an Expression of Interest is available on the GOV.UK website.
The deadline for the submission of Expressions of interest is Wednesday 14th September 2022.
