The second module dedicated to the Community Research Awards approach, delivered by the University of Plymouth

1. Training Session Two:
Setting up Community Research Awards
30thJune2021
Allice Hockingand Melanie Brooks

2. Outline ofsession
Settingup CommunityResearch Awards
Questions and answers
Breakout groups
• Staffing& Skills
• Models & Priorities
• Promotion
• Workshops
• Fielding Enquiries
• Matching Process
• Assessment & Selection
• Feedback & Monitoring
• Celebration
• Timeline

3. Staffing & Skills
Co-ordinator – project management
skills & desk research skills
Senior Support – to engage
academics, get buy in
Panel – academics, professional
services, external organisations
Event Management &
Administration

4. Models & Priorities
• Geography – neighbourhoods/
city/region?
• Definition of community groups?
Include social enterprises?
• Priority research areas or open?
• Any restrictions – type of
research you wont do?

5. Promotion
• Map community sector
• Use their networks to promote the
scheme
• Use different messages and routes
– social media, local newspapers,
on university website, email
networks
• Consider style of communication
and message – why are you doing
this? Is it part of a larger programme
to benefit city/region?

6. Workshops
• Opportunity to build networks and
reduce barriers
• Can provide useful knowledge for
more organisations
• Most popular were bid writing,
evaluation, local data sources
• Also held drop in support sessions
and CRA discussions

7. Fielding Enquiries
• Dedicated website
• Dedicated email address and
phone number for any questions
or queries
• Develop set of FAQ to assist
staff dealing with queries
www.plymouth.ac.uk/cra
communityresearchawards@plymouth.ac.uk

8. MatchingProcess
• Community groups invited to
complete a short application form
• Applications circulated to
researchers across the University
• Researchers determine if
application can be worked into a
practical and deliverable research
project
• Researchers contact community
group to develop detailed research
proposal

9. MatchingProcess
• Inform groups whose research
topic was not going to be
developed into a full proposal
• Provide with support with their
research area
• Relevant research reports/
articles etc

10. Assessment & Selection
• Research proposals submitted to
selection panel
• Consider applications against
assessment criteria:
• Feasibility of timescale and budget
• Anticipated impact on the
community group
• Anticipated impact on the wider
community
• Up to 5 proposals selected for an
award

11. Assessment & Selection
• Unsuccessful applications
informed
• Community groups
• Academic leads
• Community groups offered:
• Option to work with the University
to explore potential funding from
charitable trusts and foundations
• Potential of a student volunteer
placement

12. Feedback & Monitoring
• Collated feedback from workshop
event to build on subsequent
years
• Academics provided short
progress reports and learning
points
• Tracked impact of successful
awards

13. Celebration
• Award winners announced at a
community event, held at the
University
• Award winners received a winners
certificate
• Newsletters and films produced
• CRA submitted for prestigious
annual awards (Times Higher)
• CRA runner up in national
newspaper University Awards

14. Timescales
Month 1
Call for
proposals
Month 2
Workshops
Month 3
Deadline for receipt
of community
applications
Month 4
Community groups
notified whether
application will be
developed into full
proposal
Month 5
Deadline for
receipt of full
proposals
Month 6
Award winners
selected
Month 7
Celebration
and launch
event

15. Any questions?
allice.hocking@plymouth.ac.uk
melanie.brooks@plymouth.ac.uk

16. Break out Groups – 20 minutes
• What model of CRA do you
think will fit your university?
• What do you think the benefit
of running the CRA will be for
your university?
• How might you engage with
your local community?

17. Feedback
• What model of CRA do you
think will fit your university?
• What do you think the benefit
of running the CRA will be for
your university?
• How might you engage with
your local community?