This blog draws on the TSRF resource ‘Working with University Researches and Staff: Getting Started’.
For more information and further detail please refer to the resource.
Why Collaborate?
Collaborations between third sector organisations and academic researchers within universities is something that many university strategies cite as one of their key areas of focus!
These collaborations can take many forms:
- Attendance and participation at knowledge exchange and networking events that bring together insights, questions and solutions.
- Project partners on a funded research project.
- As co-investigators on a university-led research project or a third sector-led research project.
- Working with researchers and students to answer questions within your organisation via consultancy.
Most importantly, projects between the third sector and staff and students based in higher education institutions can and should be those which are mutually beneficial, values-led and which bring together the expertise from both parties for societal benefit.
This blog is aimed to introduce researchers and staff members in third sector organisations to some of the important features of collaborating with higher education institutions and some of the common mechanisms by which this is done.
A note on funding
To get started with an academic collaboration, all that is needed is your time and openness to collaborate!
Most of the early stage projects will often be of no financial cost to a third sector organisation. For many of the knowledge exchange funds in a university there is often no requirement that third sector partners contribute financially and in some cases your specialist support may be compensated as part of the project (e.g. support staff to ensure inclusivity for the population you serve in workshops). So, even if you’re not in a position to bring financial assets to the table, there are still many ways to collaborate.
Getting Started
- Build relationships – this is the basis of any strong collaboration.
- Find a researcher or university project with similar interests and skills.
- Do some internal work: It’s valuable to consider your aims before you reach out to a researcher:
- What questions do you want answered?
- What projects might benefit from a collaboration with a researcher or a research student?
- How much resource (material and non-material) would you be able to contribute to a collaborative project?
- Are there some opportunities to start a relationship with little risk and cost?
University structures and processes
Once you have found a researcher or university project you would like to collaborate with, there are many different options you could pursue.
While each university is different, there are some mechanisms that are similar in most higher education contexts. Below are some of the common ways that collaborations begin and develop:
- Engagements, Workshops, Advisory Positions and Research Partners
- Student projects and internships
- Impact Acceleration Accounts
- Consultancy or Contract Research
- Scottish Funding Council Innovation Vouchers and Interface
Examples of university-third sector collaboration
A lot of the really early-stage collaborative work is not found online as it’s quite informal (attending events, sitting on advisory boards). However, the following projects are good examples of collaborative work.
Research and Knowledge Exchange project partner: Baltic Street Adventure Playground research and service expansion as community food hub, Dalmarnock, Glasgow led by researchers at the Adam Smith Business School (University of Glasgow).
Working with Universities for commissioned research: Commissioned research from Food Train: Eat Well Age Well with researchers at the University of Glasgow School of Education.
Some case studies from Interface:
Co-creating resources from an ongoing research project:
Scotland’s African Voices film led by Dr. Josephine Adekola (University of Glasgow), funded by ESRC Impact Acceleration Account.
For more information, case studies and resources check out the TSRF page on Collaboration!
This blog is based on the resource ‘Working with University Researchers and Staff: Getting Started.’
Thank you to Dr Sarah Weakley (Research and Knowledge Exchange Lead, College of Social Sciences, University of Glasgow) for writing the resource.
Working with University Researchers and Staff: Getting Started
To get started with an academic collaboration, all that is needed is your time and openness to collaborate! This resource aims to introduce researchers and staff members in third sector
