Tuesday 16 April 2024
Newly recruited PhD researchers will take on 10 research projects across Nottinghamshire addressing local issues informed by communities
Wednesday 16 April 204, we welcomed our second cohort as part of the Co(l)laboratory Doctoral Research programme at New Art Exchange, Nottingham. Co(l)laboratory, a pioneering 8 year, £5.1m project supported by Research England, Nottingham Trent University, the University of Nottingham and the Universities for Nottingham partnership, brings together researchers, community organisations and local people to deliver meaningful change for the people of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire through research.
Competitive Selection and Enrolled Research
After a competitive, yet rigorous competency-based selection process, newly recruited candidates were chosen based on their community experience, potential for success in research, and commitment to making a positive impact in the community. These individuals have been enrolled in a fully funded Doctoral Training Programme, which will span 3 years (full-time) and 6 years (part-time), resulting in the award of a PhD qualification.
The Co-Creation of PhD projects was a collaborative effort between academic researchers and local, community-focused organisations such as Framework, Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, Freedom Foundation, ChalleNGe Nottingham, Nottingham City Council, The Environment Agency (East Midlands), Green Meadows Project, Dragon Breath Theatre and Nottingham City GP Alliance. 10 PhD projects were developed based on the needs and priorities of the citizens of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
These projects tackle a wide range of challenges relevant to the local community, including;
Co(l)laboratory’s second cohort induction at New Art Exchange, Nottingham.
Exploring Key Local Challenges
- Addressing health inequalities in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire: improving access through new models of primary care
- Advancing Sustainable Transportation in Nottingham: Towards Inclusive and Safer Micromibility for All
- Engagement with antenatal education in Nottingham: Working with hardly reached communities to improve place-based inclusivity and wellbeing
- Exploring the immersive educational programming of water resources for young people to empower and promote water sustainability towards a carbon-neutral Nottingham
- Harnessing DIY retrofits for household emissions reduction at scale: a case study of the Nottingham Green Meadows project
- Improving Children’s Mental Health through School-based Music and Dance Programmes
- Language in Nottingham and the region – celebrating language as intangible cultural heritage
- To paddle or not to paddle? Examining microbial contamination and risk to communities in Nottingham’s rivers
- Working residents? Employment related support, barrier and outcomes for people living in exempt (supported) accommodation
- Exploring the history of Black social housing activism in Nottingham and its implications for future literature, policy
To mark the commencement of these community-led PhD research projects to improve communities’ lives across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, candidates will embark on full-time and part-time basis at Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham.
The first half of the day was facilitated by project partners from the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE), who engaged with research teams on tasks around setting common goals and values to underpin the work which lies ahead. The afternoon then saw the arrival of a range of guests from local community organisations who had the opportunity to meet our research project teams and to hear directly from our PhD students about the research they would be undertaking and it’s relevance to different communities.
The event garnered support from academia and community, Jeremy Gregory, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Arts at the University of Nottingham, and Richard Emes, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at Nottingham Trent University.