We are excited to announce our 2026-7 cohort of Engaged and Participatory Research Fund awardees! This year’s fund offered almost £80,000 to a collective total of 13 awardees, each working in conjunction with an external partner to bring lived experience into research through engaged and participatory activities.
The Engaged and Participatory Research Fund offers a portion of the University’s Participatory Research Fund, allocated by Research England, to University colleagues undertaking collaborative research with an external organisation. This is supported by the Public Engagement with Research team, who provide support for awardees through the duration of the award. Past projects have encompassed a variety of disciplines and activities, supporting workshops, community consultations, pilot investigations, exhibitions, and more. If you are interested in learning more about past projects supported by the fund, you can find examples on our blogs page.
Our 2026-7 award saw a total of 25 applications: two from Professional Services, four from the Faculty of Environment, Science, and Economy, six from the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, and thirteen from the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. Following a two-stage review process, 13 projects were selected for awards of up to £10,000 each, supporting projects across all faculties.
This year’s awardees include:
- Dr Aseel Ali and Onda Solidaria, Brazil
- Professor Rob Anderson and Hourglass
- Dr Lívia Regina Batista and Cornwall Council
- Kate Boddy and DES Justice UK
- Dr Jemima Dooley and Children & Family Health Devon
- Dr Sam Hughes and Singing with Nightingales
- Professor Anke Karl and Rural Area Community Action Board, Sierra de Perija, Colombia
- Lucy Kirkland/ Dr Melissa Barlow and HMP Exeter
- Dr Tanimola Martins and The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Glory of God Parish Exeter
- Dr Anna Price and HSE Linn Dara Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
- Professor Climent Quintana-Domeque and the Institute for Addressing Strangulation (IFAS)
- Dr Cynthia Swarnalatha and Thorzhi Trust, India
- Professor Malcolm Williams and Go Cornish
Over the next seven months, awardees will be supported to enact the activities outlined in their proposals. They will work with their external partners throughout, sharing expertise and best practice to ensure project outputs, and any future research, are informed by the voices of those most affected.
Congratulations to all our successful awardees, and to all who applied for this year’s scheme. We look forward to seeing the results from these projects!
If you are interested in finding out about future public engagement funding opportunities, keep an eye out on our Funding page, and subscribe to our monthly newsletter.