Welcome to Scotland’s Third Sector Research Forum webpages. Evaluation Support Scotland convenes and holds the secretariat of the Forum with support from the Scottish Government Third Sector Unit.
What the Forum does
Scotland’s Third Sector Research Forum brings together third sector, academic and public sector partners to
- promote and share research about and from the third sector
- encourage the use of third sector research to improve policy and practice
- produce resources and deliver events to support third sector researchers and encourage collaboration with academic partners.

TSRF
Planning and meeting
The Third Sector Research Forum meets regularly and produce annual work plans.

TSRF
Evidence papers and resources
Evidence papers and other resources that the Scotland’s Third Sector Research Forum produces.

TSRF
Events and conferences
Events and conferences that bring together third sector practitioners and academic researchers to share knowledge and collaborate.

TSRF
For academics: why collaborate with third sector?
Collaborating with third sector partners may be significant to evidencing your impact for the Research Excellence Framework (REF)
TSRF members
Members include representatives from a variety of research-active third sector organisations, public sector organisations and academics from Scottish universities.

Evaluation Support Scotland
Represented by Steven Marwick, Jane Marryat, Katrina MacapagalAs convener of TSRF, ESS organises regular forum meetings and conferences. ESS Director Steven Marwick chairs meetings, while Research and Communications Manager Jane Marryat and Communications Assistant Katrina Macapagal are responsible for various administrative tasks. Jane also leads ESS research about evaluation and outcomes for the third sector.
Evaluation Support Scotland Website

Association of Chief Officers of Scottish Voluntary Organisations (ACOSCVO)
Represented by Andrew DeyACOSVO connects & supports leaders, bringing peers together to share best practice, learn from each other & talk openly in a safe space. We are interested in research that evidences the impact and contribution of leadership on organisational performance.
Association of Chief Officers of Scottish Voluntary Organisations (ACOSCVO) Website
Cattanach
Represented by Amy BakerAs a funder of charitable organisations who work with 0-3, Cattanach’s research aims to better understand the earliest years of children’s lives, and how they can be improved. This includes attempts to give those too young to have a voice a chance to participate in research through harnessing the latest early years research methods. We also use our research to link the grassroots to the systemic scale, exploring how policy change can ultimately improve the lives of the children, families and organisations we support.
Cattanach Website
Coalition of Carers in Scotland
Represented by Shubhanna Hussain-Ahmed
Corra Foundation
Represented by Elaine WilsonCorra is interested in research that contributes to our vision in which people create positive change and enjoy fulfilling lives and that helps support people and communities to come together to respond to big challenges.
Corra Foundation Website
Children in Scotland
Represented by Amy WoodhouseChildren in Scotland is the national network organisation improving children’s lives. Our research supports us to achieve our strategic priorities, which include championing the participation of children and young people, increasing support for families, challenging inequalities and developing the children’s sector workforce. We have a particular interest in peer research, collaborating with children and young people as co-researchers. We are also commissioned to undertake independent evaluations of children’s sector organisations and project. Current and recent research projects include in the areas of home and belonging for care experienced young people, addressing place based health inequalities, diversity in teaching and cycling.
Children in Scotland Website
Glasgow Centre for Population Health
Represented by Chris Harkins
Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE)
Represented by Lucy MulvaghThe ALLIANCE leads, partners and commissions research on a wide range of topics to support our work to inform and influence policy and practice that puts people at the centre. We also work with partners to support and promote peer research in Scotland. Some of the research issues we have recently focused on include: Self-directed Support (SDS) and social care; social security; women and girl’s health; human rights; employability; and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) Website
Inclusion Scotland
Represented by Rebecca McGregorInclusion Scotland is a disabled people’s organisation which regularly undertakes and contributes to research on issues which impact on disabled people’s lives and inclusion in society. We are particularly interested in research on social security, social care support, employment and human rights. Inclusion Scotland promotes the use of co-production methodologies in research and was the lead organisation for the Disability Research on Independent Living and Learning (DRILL) Programme in Scotland, which funded co-produced research projects between 2015-2020.
Inclusion Scotland Website
The National Lottery Community Fund
Represented by Allison Matthews
Policy Scotland
Represented by Sarah WeakleyPolicy Scotland is a research and knowledge exchange unit in the University of Glasgow’s College of Social Sciences. We foster co-operation between academics, practitioners and policy makers, and pool this collective expertise in order to flesh out new initiatives, test the effectiveness of interventions, generate better evidence and engage a wide variety of audiences, including third sector partners.
Policy Scotland Website
Poverty Alliance
Represented by Fiona McHardy, Laura RobertsonThe Poverty Alliance was established in 1992 and has more than 350 members drawn from across civil society and the public sector. We focus on addressing low incomes in and out of work, improving services for those experiencing poverty, enabling the participation of people in poverty in policy development, and addressing attitudes towards poverty.
Poverty Alliance Website




Salvesen Mindroom Centre
Represented by Dinah AitkenPromoting greater awareness of learning difficulties and neurodiversity through conducting and collaborating in research. Seeking to make links between evidence and practice. We are partners with the Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh.
Salvesen Mindroom Centre Website
The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO)
Represented by Ilse Mackinnon, Steve GrozierThe focus of much of SCVO’s research is to understand the key issues facing voluntary organisations in Scotland. The research findings are often used to influence policies impacting on the sector. In the past year, much of this work has been on understanding the impact that Covid-19 is having on the sector.
The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) Website

Voluntary Health Scotland
Represented by Claire Stevens, Kiren Zubairi
Volunteer Scotland
Represented by Matthew LinningVolunteer Scotland’s research and evaluation team specialises in the quantitative and qualitative analysis of volunteering and its contribution to Scotland.
Volunteer Scotland Website
Voluntary Sector Studies Network – VSSN
Represented by Jane CullingworthThe Voluntary Sector Studies Network (VSSN) promotes understanding of the UK voluntary sector through research and provides a voice and a meeting place for voluntary sector researchers in the UK.
Voluntary Sector Studies Network – VSSN Website
Waverley Care
Represented by Jennifer GoffWaverley Care carries out and commissions research on HIV, hepatitis C and sexual health. Our research primarily focuses on better understanding people’s experiences of accessing blood borne virus prevention, testing and support services.
Waverley Care Website
YouthLink Scotland
Represented by Dr Amy CalderEvidencing impact and contribution of youth work on young people’s lives, supporting youth-led research and developing youth worker’s research skills.
YouthLink Scotland WebsiteTSRF Guide to applying ethical research principles
This guide meets a need identified by Scotland’s Third Sector Research Forum (TSRF) for a resource to support research active third sector organisations to navigate ethical considerations.
Evidencing genuine co-production in the third sector (2017)
Evidence paper distiling what third sector research and evidence tell us about what genuine co-production looks like in the third sector
To publish or not to publish?
This infographic is a quick access to some of the challenges of publishing third sector evidence in an academic journal and gives an insight into some things you may consider
The benefits of inclusive volunteering (2015)
This evidence paper by Volunteer Scotland with the Scottish Third Sector Research Forum brings together evidence of the benefits of volunteering for people with complex needs.
Why involve the third sector in reducing re-offending (2012)
This is an evidence paper produced by the Robertson Trust for the Scottish Third Sector Research Forum. The third sector plays a key role in the delivery of criminal justice
Why involve the Third Sector in Health and Social Care delivery (2011)
An evidence paper produced by the Scottish Government with the Scottish Third Sector Research Forum. The paper explores, through a number of case studies, the contribution of the third sector
Third Sector Partnership Compass (2016)
This evidence paper by Evaluation Support Scotland and The Robertson Trust with the Scottish Third Sector Research Forum brings together evidence of what research tells us engaging in positive partnership
Be brave, ask, and keep trying – a guide to what to consider when looking for funding for third sector collaborative research
This guide is for third sector organisations (TSO) that want to obtain funding for collaborative research with academia.