As part of the British Academy SHAPE initiative (social sciences, humanities and the arts for people and the economy), and in collaboration with our colleagues from the University of Glasgow Engage Forum, we are hosting a community conversation.

The focus of this is to inform and develop a showcase of case studies that demonstrates the many meanings, value and power of collaborative research and its importance for post-pandemic recovery.

This online event will bring interested people together to discuss experiences of collaborative research, particularly in relation to:

• What meaningful collaboration means to those involved in research.
• How participants felt their knowledge and experience was valued and acted on and how those involved attempted to ensure others felt valued and that their contributions counted.
• The skills and enablers needed to make these collaborations work and lead to meaningful change as well as barriers encountered.
• The changes (in services, systems and people) which came as a result of collaboration.

The event is open to all and we are particularly keen to hear from:

• Community members or organisations with experience of leading or being involved in research about an issue affecting their community.
• Social sciences or arts and humanities researchers with experience of collaborating with communities of place, interest, or identity (such as described by the Equality Act 2010) and specifically experts by experience, to produce evidence which aimed to 1) influence services, policies or systems changes or 2) to illuminate important process learning such as challenges and barriers.
• Policymakers with experience of working across professional boundaries with researchers and experts by experience to make decisions, implement and evaluate them. 

Based on the ideas generated at this initial event, we will:

1. facilitate a group to select examples to showcase virtually (at first), which will endeavour to be as representative of our diverse communities, researchers, and policymakers as possible;  
2. provide a platform to showcase and bring this work together to raise its profile and engage decision makers in what the messages mean for recovery and building back fairer. 

Case studies can take any form such as an exhibition, spoken word, a podcast, video content, written text etc.   

Later this year, we will hold a launch event bringing communities, researchers, and policymakers together to view these outputs and respond to them with an emphasis on what they mean for policymaking. 

Register interest now!

If you are interested in participating in this initial online community conversation then please register your interest with Monique and Jennie. If you would like to include a brief description of your project or experience that would be great. Please also let us know if you have any accessibility requirements or other suggestions that would make it easier for you to participate in a virtual event. 

We anticipate this initial conversation will take place in Spring but will confirm a date as soon as possible. 

Follow #GCPHconversation for more information and you can also follow #UofGEngage for updates on the University of Glasgow Engage Forum.