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.
Author: Catherine Hurcombe
All Work and All Play: The Use of Serious Games in Engaging the Public
Research and games may not be two things many would pair together, yet serious games are increasingly prevalent in Higher Education. Serious games are games whose primary purpose is not solely amusement but rather to inform or raise awareness, for example. These may be incorporated into education, or research and engagement.
Breathe Home Well—Indoor air awareness and actionable insights for healthier homes among older people in Cornwall
Siyu Wang, from the Department of Public Health and Sports Sciences, shares insights into how Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement funding supported research into indoor air quality, and its affect on older people and their home environment.
Making Research More Inclusive: Decolonial Approaches to Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement
Dr Taline Artinian shares details of how Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) funding was used to support an upcoming Quality Improvement project, working with Experts-By-Experience to consider how decolonial approaches can be used to support equitable and meaningful PPIE.
New Level Unlocked – Discovering the Story of Video Games
The latest event in our series on play and serious games explores the world of video game research. Featuring expertise from the Universities of Exeter, Bristol, and Plymouth, and Bath Spa University, this panel talk and Q and A invited audiences to learn about what video games mean for the people who play them.
Team Green Birth
Florence Rodgers discusses her work leading the ‘Team Green Birth’ project, bringing in perspectives from those with lived experience of childbirth to inform the next phrase of the project. With support from our Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Fund, the project recruited for online focus groups to ensure their research was grounded in community interests and needs.
Rural Mental Health Research: Engaging with Youth Services and Young People across Devon
Dr Sam Trethewey discusses his recent work with Matt Bakall, Space Youth Services and Dr Tamsin Newlove-Delgado, exploring how geographical barriers can affect the mental health of young people living in rural areas. Supported by our 2025-6 Engaged and Participatory Research Fund, this project drew directly on young people’s experiences, and the expertise of youth services.
Increasing Access to Positive Tipping Points
Peter Lefort of the University’s Green Futures Network offers the latest updates on the Positive Tipping Points Toolkit. Working with partners Shalyn Wilkins and Jo Crocker (Winchester Action on Climate Change), this project used Engaged and Participatory Research Funding to engage new and underrepresented communities with pivotal climate research.
Taking Part in Exeter’s First ‘First Thursdays’!
Hosted by InExeter, and brought to the city by a local resident, the First Thursdays scheme has been running on the first Thursday of every month this summer. Staff from across the University have been working with the Public Engagement with Research team to deliver pop-up talks, panels, and even a gameshow as part of this community-driven event.
Routes to Engaging Young People in Environment & Environmental Issues: A Partnership Project
Sally Palmer, Senior Lecturer and developmental psychologist in the School of Education, and Maria Clarke, Dorset Local Nature Partnership (DLNP) Manager, share experiences from their recent Engaged and Participatory Research funded project, investigating the driving factors in young people’s engagement with environmental issues.