Community Professionals Needed to Help Identify Priorities For Our Next Nottinghamshire Focused Research Projects

Tuesday 21 January 2025

What is it?

The Notts Voice in Research is a Co(l)laboratory initiative that seeks to understand some of the complex challenges that are important to our local communities and how research from our local universities should be shaped to address these.  

Aims of Notts Voice Research

• Work with individuals/civic and community professionals/community leaders etc., who have knowledge, insight, and experience of Nottingham City’s diverse communities.  
• Collaborate with participants in our workshops to develop an informed understanding of what the Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire communities’ priorities are and how these intersect and overlap. 
• Use these mutually agreed priorities to direct the development of up to 15 new research projects that will be funded and delivered by the Co(l)laboratory research programme, starting in April 2026.

Our 2024 Notts Voice in Research series saw 12 different community professionals work with us to identify 16 priority areas for future research, based on their experience and the experience of the people they support.

Find out more about our 2024 identifies research priorities in Nottinghamshire

Who are we looking for? 

We are looking for new passionate and motivated individuals to help us navigate some of the complex social challenges in our local communities. This year’s workshops will consist of 5 events taking place from March to September 2025.

We’re looking for people who have an in-depth understanding of specific issues that affect Nottingham City communities to join our initiative and collaborate with Nottingham’s universities.

• Do you work with members of the local community through the services you deliver at work (NHS, other healthcare, local council, schools, charities, voluntary organisations, etc.)?  
• Are you a Nottingham City resident who plays active role in any local community groups, networks, or forums?  
• Are you a Nottingham City resident who has had in-depth, firsthand experience of complex challenges that you feel are a priority for other Notts City communities? 

If any of the above points describe you, then you’re exactly who we’re looking for! 

After the success of our first Notts Voice In Research series in 2024, we’re particularly interested in hearing from professionals working in employability, secondary education (mainstream and alternative), and those who work with one or more minority groups.

What will you get out of it? 

• Each participant will receive a payment of £50 per event that they attend, to compensate you for your time and efforts.  
• You will join a group of like-minded, passionate, and motivated individuals who want to see more organisations in Nottingham work together to make positive change for our communities. 
• You will have the opportunity to help shape real university research projects which are set to begin in April 2026. 
• You will receive exclusive invitations to other Co(l)laboratory networking and research events. 
• You will be given exclusive access to Co(l)laboratory’s pioneering research skills workshop series, developed specifically for local professionals working in community and civic settings. The series is designed equip you with leading research skills and techniques that you can use to address challenges in your own organisations, and to support your own future ambitions. 

NB: Please note that if you did attend last year, you wouldn’t be eligible to participate this year.

Key Events and Dates 

1. Community Priorities for Research workshops (light refreshments provided).

Venue: Nottingham Central Library,1 Carrington Street, Nottingham NG1 7FH

Our Community Priorities for Research workshops are the most important part of the Notts Voice in Research Process! We’re looking for volunteers to join 1 or more (but ideally all 3) workshops to join the conversation.

• 1. Introduction to research and defining our communities: Wednesday 19^th March, 4pm-6pm 
• 2. Exploring the challenges our communities face: Wednesday 26^th March, 4pm-6pm 
• 3. Making connections between people, place, and challenge: Wednesday 2^nd April, 4pm-6pm 

2. Research Project Co-Creation Event 

After you’ve helped us to identify new research priorities through the Community Priorities for Research workshops, you’ll be invited to join our co-creation event! Here, Nottingham researchers will be meeting with each other and local community-focused organisations to explore the priorities you helped us identify, and to work together to design new research projects to address them.

• Wednesday 18^th June, 1pm-4pm, City as Lab, Castle Meadow Campus Nottingham, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG2 1AB

3. Research Project Selection Panel 

Once we’ve received proposals for new research to tackle your community priorities, we need your help to decide which ones will be funded.

• Wednesday 22^nd  September, 1pm-4pm 

Who is involved? 

The Notts Voice in Research initiative has been developed by the Co(l)laboratory team, based at Nottingham Trent University, in association with the Universities for Nottingham Partnership.