Community organisations and academic researchers are increasingly partnering to undertake research that is relevant, impactful and centred on the needs of those working ‘on the ground’. But there are a number of structural and systemic issues which can present barriers to these partnerships. Our new report explores what research funders can do to help change this.
Commissioned by the Vivensa Foundation and carried out independently by Pete Fleischmann of Co-production Works, Part of the glue examines how research funders can support more equitable partnerships between community organisations and academic researchers.
The report focuses on two Vivensa Foundation community-engaged research programmes. Together these programmes funded 11 projects worth over £3m and aimed to support genuine partnerships between academic researchers and community organisation partners. Part of the glue brings together existing guidance with interviews and focus groups with community organisation representatives, academic researchers and funders.
Practical guidance for research funders
The report comes at a time of unprecedented interest in community-engaged research. And yet, despite plenty of guidance aimed at researchers and community groups looking to work together, there is little practical guidance aimed specifically at research funders – even though such funders are uniquely placed to shape how community-research partnerships are formed, resourced and sustained.
The report highlights that community organisations experience many benefits from their involvement in research, with the key ingredients of a good partnership including a shared sense of purpose, mutual respect and trust. But it also identifies factors that can strain relationships, such as complex power dynamics and unequal resourcing, differences in priorities, and the perennial challenge of sustainability once a project ends.
Recommendations across five themes
Based on these findings, Part of the glue sets out a number of practical recommendations for research funders, across five linked themes:
- Nurture relationships
- Set clear expectations
- Diversify funding models
- Fund research ecosystems
- Include community organisations in research processes
Whilst the review focuses on research on ageing and the health and wellbeing of older people, the recommendations are highly transferable to funders looking to support other types of community-engaged research.
Author Pete Fleischmann says: “Equitable community-research partnerships have the potential to deliver research that is grounded in lived experience, involves diverse voices and can help to influence real-world change. We hope the report helps those involved in funding research to better become “part of the glue” that holds these partnerships together.”
Read the full report and explore the recommendations here.