Get involved in community-led research

Researchers from the School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science (SAGES) are working with the British Science Association to pilot a new approach to community-led research in Reading and Slough, led by Dr Sally Lloyd Evans.

The UK Research & Innovation-funded project aims to put communities at the heart of research, exploring the issues that matter to them. It is supporting local community groups to develop their own research agenda on broadly science-based topics, working with researchers from the University to bring their projects to life.

About the pilot

The project team has been working since January with Reading Voluntary Action, Slough Council for Voluntary Services and a team of community researchers to reach out to local groups who would like to develop a research project to explore a broadly science-based theme, issue or idea that is important to their local community.

This could be an environmental or health question, seeking to address local issues such as the impact of community gardening on wellbeing, pollution or the cost-of-living, or looking for deeper understanding to help them engage and interact better with local services.

Community groups are now deciding and defining their research applications, and we need to bring in researchers with particular expertise to work with them to design and implement their project.

Five community-led projects will be funded in total, and researchers from a wide range of disciplines are sought to work with them for 12 months from October 2023.

While the research questions will be broadly linked to science, the research design could include arts, humanities and social sciences perspectives and approaches.

Once the application process is completed, researchers will be matched with the five successful community groups through one-to-one researcher and community group conversations to establish how they can best work together.

The benefits of community-led research

This approach brings researchers at the University together with groups who are traditionally under-represented in research. The aim is to make research and science more accessible, and to highlight the value that local knowledge and experience can bring to research, improving its quality and relevance. The shared learning and evaluation from these projects will explore how we can influence wider change in approaches to public engagement with research.

Professor Adrian Bell, Research Dean for Prosperity & Resilience said: "Our experience at the University has demonstrated that co-creating research with community partners is both impactful and transformative. This is the research that has the capacity to really change lives – something that should be the focus of methodologies and disciplines – as the relevance of research for our communities becomes our priority.

"We believe that unlocking knowledge at the community level in this way is essential for tackling social injustice and developing sustainable impact. Over the coming months, we look forward to further establishing our position and expertise in empowering local communities to lead research that informs a change in thinking, policy, and practice in Reading and Slough.

"This is a unique opportunity for researchers to be part of a project with the community at its heart. The programme will develop researchers’ community and participatory action research skills and experience, and help them build networks with local communities and other university researchers."

Watch our short film to find out more about community-based and participatory action research in Reading.

Find out more

Colleagues can take part in a lunchtime briefing session from 13:00 - 14:00 on Tuesday 12 September (please email if you are interested in joining). Or come along to a drop-in session in the Library Foyer between 14:00 - 16:00 on Tuesday 12 September or between 10:00 - 15:30 on Wednesday 13 September.

Alternatively, email Alice Mpofu-Coles, who will be happy to answer questions.

This opportunity is open to academics at all levels and across all disciplines. Funding is available to cover staff time; details will be given in the online briefing session.

Further information is available on the British Science Association website. Researchers interested to take part in the programme are encouraged to complete the expression of interest form by 17:00 on Friday 29 September 2023.