Summary
The British Science Association is convening a group of funders interested in exploring the potential of community-led engagement with research as a tool for social change and impact
Aims and activities
Aims and questions
Aims and activities
Over the last five years, The Ideas Fund has been supporting community-led collaboration with research, making long term, flexible funding available to projects experimenting with new approaches and regional work building better infrastructure to encourage more equitable partnerships between the academic and community worlds. Throughout this work, we’ve seen different kinds of impact and change emerge out of the work we’ve funded, far in excess of our expectations and hopes.
We’ve met a lot of people with a similar passion and belief in community-led engagement with research, and the potential for this approach to create significant social impact.
Our next step in the journey is to convene a group of passionate people in this field – people who have been at the forefront of community-led research, pushing boundaries and also deeply feeling where this work is stifled by traditional systems or structures. We have around £80,000 of funding – how this is used will be codesigned by the convened group. There’s lots in our plans still to explore and determine, but we anticipate the group will convene and start piloting some work by the start of 2026, and this work will take around 12 months.
We’re interested in collaborating, co-funding or simply sharing our learning with other funders who are interested in the potential of community-led engagement with research as a tool for social change and impact.
How to get involved
We’re still forming our plans for this next stage of our work. We’re not sure what direction the convened cohort might take the opportunity, but are certain that there’s something exciting to explore.
We’re interested to discuss ways in which other funders might connect into this work – either as a partner (sharing funding, resources, expertise or networks, or any other forms partnership could take!). We also want to hear from you if it's simply to stay connected as we learn more about the ways in which community-research partnership can be better supported to achieve the biggest change for communities.
If you’d like to get in touch, we’d be pleased to set up an introductory conversation to see where the overlap between our interests are - please contact Chris Manion on Chris.manion@britishscienceassociation.org
Who's involved
Who was involved
The Ideas Fund is delivered by the British Science Association and funded by Wellcome.
Learning and Resources
We published an Insights Report after our second round of local grants, drawing together our learning about process and impact.
Our Infrastructure work has been supported by Collaborate CIC, who have published blogs exploring healthier systems in collaboration between communities and research:
Beyond project funding: How can funders nurture healthy systems?
Putting learning and collaboration at the heart of local systems change funding
