The university is inviting people to participate in Co(l)laboratory’s next round of research project co-creation, which runs from May 2024 through to September 2024.

This development phase is a core part of the programme where Nottingham academics and a wide range of partners from local community-focused organisations will work together to co-create new PhD research projects which address challenges relevant to Nottingham and Nottinghamshire communities.

Through this collaborative research approach, Co(l)laboratory aims to support community-engaged research – research which is grounded in the needs of local communities, and which is continuously informed by and carried out with people with lived experience of the challenges in question.

Through this, the aim is to deliver research which more readily leads to meaningful, evidence-based change for Nottingham’s communities.

Who are we looking for?

We’re looking to support Nottingham academics and community professionals to work together to develop new proposals for projects which would start in April 2025.

We need academics who want to help us drive forward an agenda of community-engaged research, and community partners who can provide a strong link to the real life practice and experience that can help ensure our research is relevant and responsive to the needs of local communities.

Why should you get involved?

For academics, Co(l)laboratory presents an opportunity to be part of a pioneering, cross-institutional project which is challenging the way that doctoral research is created, led, and delivered.

This highly collaborative approach creates opportunities for researchers to broaden their networks, skillsets, and experiences, as well as to help contribute to positive change within research and in our local communities.

Through this, the project aims to foster stronger connections between academics at NTU and UoN, support more embedded collaborations with external partners, and ultimately support the production of higher quality, more inclusive and therefore more impactful research.

Furthermore, project teams, including their fully funded PhD candidates, will become part of a unique community of creative and innovative individuals and will receive dedicated support and resources focused on partnership management, civically engaged research and more.

How do I express my interest?

To get involved with the latest Research Project Co-Creation phase, it will be mandatory to attend at least one of our support activities for new academic researchers and community partners in collaborating on new research projects.

We will be running four information webinars, starting on Wednesday 15 May 2024. They will be split into:

Academic Researcher webinars

• Wednesday 15 May, from 12pm-1pm
• Wednesday 29 May, from 12pm-1pm

Community Partner webinars

• Wednesday 22 May, from 5pm-6pm
• Wednesday 5 June, from 12pm-1pm

These will introduce people to the Co(l)laboratory programme, provide an overview of the research project co-creation process, outline how our research projects work, and what the expectations are of different project partners.

You will also have the opportunity to ask any questions.

Register for a webinar here.

Find out more on the Co(l)laboratory website.