Research Opportunity

6th November 2023: New referrals to this service are currently paused while UCL strengthen the connections to organisations already referred. Should the situation change, we will communicate widely.

Are you a VCSE operating in Newham, Tower Hamlets or City & Hackney interested in linking your project to a university researcher who will be able to support you (at no cost) to develop an evaluation/research process?

Compass Wellbeing is working in partnership with UCL to promote this opportunity. Contact us if you would like to discuss or need advice on the opportunity (info@compasswellbeing.co.uk) and we’ll put you in touch.

Steps to get involved with the Community Research Initiative

Step 1: Contact Compass Wellbeing and we’ll put you in touch

Step 2: Get registered (supported by CRIS administrative assistant)

Step 3: Advertise on the UCL Community Noticeboard – there are three ways to do this:

Submit your idea (Compass Wellbeing will put you in touch with Anne at UCL to do this) – it will go through moderation and then be posted
Come to the UCL November research support clinic and work with a small group of trained PhD students up to 90 minutes free to develop your idea and brief – briefs will then be posted on the Noticeboard
Need more support? Work with Anne at UCL 1:1 to develop your ideas, develop your brief – briefs will then be posted on the Noticeboard

Step 4: Conversations with students (from February, supported by the Community Research Initiative)

Step 5: Confirm shared projects (by April/May, supported by Community Research Initiative – project agreement templates provided)

Step 6: Collaboration project (from May/June to September each year)

Step 7: No collaboration emerged? Turn your ideas into student volunteering opportunities to move you closer to your goal over the summer (supported by Community Research Initiative)

Step 8: Start afresh with the new cohort of research project students that arrive each October

Contact us

Not sure which way to go? There will be opportunities to discuss as below

A little decision tree….

Are you a light touch organisation? Go straight to “submit your idea”

Typically, for organisations that have a logic model, a well defined service, reasonable data collection and management processes and have a clear research or evaluation question

Need a little more? Consider the research support clinic

Typically, for organisations that are clear what they are trying to do but don’t necessarily have a logic model. There could be a well-defined service but it could also be messy and ‘action orientated’ with limited data management and contain gaps. There are lots of ideas for research or evaluation but these ideas would benefit from structure and prioritising

Really not sure where to begin? 1:1 with Anne, Community Research Initiative Manager.

Typically, for organisations that are very new or small, have little capacity outside of what is being delivered day-to-day and where capacity has been hard hit by Covid. Knowing what is being provided/ delivered makes a difference – sometimes organisations can see it but struggle to show this or feel better articulation is needed to attract funding/respect/access to support. For organisations that have very limited data management or collection or want a strong steer on what else should be done and do not have a logic model.

Compass Wellbeing Follow 1,884 1,514

; Compass Wellbeing @CompassWB ·

19 Nov 1858842435087921313

Reply on Twitter 1858842435087921313 Retweet on Twitter 1858842435087921313 2 Like on Twitter 1858842435087921313 6 Twitter 1858842435087921313

; Compass Wellbeing @CompassWB ·

18 Nov 1858484839466373533

Reply on Twitter 1858484839466373533 Retweet on Twitter 1858484839466373533 0 Like on Twitter 1858484839466373533 0 Twitter 1858484839466373533

; Compass Wellbeing @CompassWB ·

13 Nov 1856664558091297149

Reply on Twitter 1856664558091297149 Retweet on Twitter 1856664558091297149 1 Like on Twitter 1856664558091297149 1 Twitter 1856664558091297149