Tuesday, 08 August 2023
The University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University are inviting people from the local community to tell them about challenges they are facing – so research can be conducted to help find solutions to their issues.
This joint initiative from both universities - The Co(l)laboratory programme - brings together academia and the community to support growth and development within communities, broaden prospects, drive change, and improve wellbeing.
The programme is about to head into its second year, and so the team is looking for ideas from communities on which local challenges the next research projects should focus on. These will then be undertaken by PhD students also from the community and not necessarily from a traditional academic background. These projects will be selected for the impact and real difference they will make to the lives of people living in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
The first cohort of PhD students are well underway, and topics they are researching include:
- Community boxing clubs as a pathway to reduce violence
- Racial barriers to maternity care
- Workplace coercion and modern slavery in the community
Nottingham citizens and community groups are being invited to submit their ideas about which local challenges the next projects should take on by visiting the Notts Voice in Research website.
Research addressing local needs
Academics from the universities will be coming together with local community-focused organisations for a series of Co-Creation Workshops across August and September. Together they will build upon the ideas from local communities to create new research projects that which are more responsive to the needs of local communities.
The next round of research projects will open to applications from prospective PhD students from mid-October 2023. More details here.
More information about the Co(l)laboratory Programme can be found here.
Co(l)laboratory is part of the Universities for Nottingham Civic Agreement. A collaboration between Nottingham’s two world-class universities and eight key anchor institutions (including the local healthcare trusts, integrated care system, the city and county councils, the local enterprise partnership and Vision West Nottinghamshire College); the agreement sets out partners’ commitment to working across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, for the benefit of our people and place.
The project is funded by Research England as well as both Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham.
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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