At LeedsACTS!, we want to ensure that the third sector has access to the best advice and information about how to engage with academic research and other engagement opportunities with local universities and wider. These are great opportunities for third sector organisations to engage and help shape research that can benefit local communities.

LeedsACTS! will be producing regular updates to promote any upcoming academic research and engagement opportunities.

The following is a list of current opportunities with deadlines in August and early September.

• LSSI PGR Placement Scheme – 8 Sept & 10 Nov
• ESRC Festival of Social Science 2021 – 9 Aug
• Funds for Public Engagement with Dementia – 5 Aug
• Community Research Volunteers for Leeds – ongoing

LSSI PGR Placement Scheme

At LSSI, we facilitate and promote research collaborations and engagement, both across the University of Leeds, and with external partner organisations. As part of this, our PGR Placement Scheme enables our Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs) to partner and collaborate with non-academic organisations. Through collaboration, both the PGR and the partner organisation can gain expertise, share knowledge, gain appreciation of different professional values and cultures, and explore the application of research in professional practice.

How to get involved

Organisations can apply if they have an ideal project for a social science postgraduate researcher. LSSI provide the student with a bursary whilst they are on placement. The maximum project placement is 130 hours over 3 – 6 months so PGRs can undertake the placement alongside their PhD and other responsibilities.

If you have a project in mind, please complete the template form below and return to Nicola Carroll N.Carroll@leeds.ac.uk for consideration by the deadlines below:

Application Deadlines:

• Wednesday 8 September 2021 (12-noon)
• Wednesday 10 November 2021 (12-noon)

Economic Social Research Council (ESRC) Festival of Social Science 2021

Applications are now open for this year’s Economic Social Research Council (ESRC), Festival of Social Science. Unlike previous years, this will be a month-long event, from 1-30 November 2021.

The ESRC Festival of Social Science is an annual event which celebrates some of the country’s leading social science research, providing an exciting opportunity to showcase the valuable work of the UK’s social scientists and demonstrate how their work has an impact on all our lives. This year’s festival is particularly aimed at public audiences and young people.

How can the Third Sector get involved?

The ESRC would like to see non-academic partner organisations involved in the festival. From their perspective they would simply wish to see some connection that links the event in with social science research. In practice, this would most typically involve a collaboration between one of our University of Leeds researchers and the organisation in question, but it doesn’t have to be the case that the academic is the lead organiser; if it is more appropriate for the partner to take the lead and the academic to have a supporting role that is absolutely fine.

For more information contact:

Camilla McCartney c.j.mccartney@leeds.ac.uk  who will be happy to answer any questions.

Please find attached the following two documents which contain further information relating to the aims and criteria of this year’s festival:

• Expression of Interest form LSSI EOI form FOSS July 21
• ESRC Festival of Social Science Information and Guidelines General ESRC FoSS 2021 Info

Application Deadline

Please ensure to read both fully before submitting an application. The deadline for submitting an application is midday Monday 9 August.

Please do follow this link to ESRC’s definition of social science if that is helpful in promoting this to your networks. Within this link you can also access a list of Social Science disciplines in case that is also useful in helping to frame the kinds of topics ESRC would be interested in for potential events.

Funds for Public Engagement with Dementia 

Alzheimer’s Research UK are offering grants of up to £25,000 to support public engagement projects that meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Engage with under-served audiences on the topic of dementia, including minority ethnic communities, marginalised or socioeconomically disadvantaged people.
• Build knowledge and engage the public with the topic of brain health.
• Engage and create dialogue with people about the progress being made in dementia research.

The scheme is open to people, organisations and communities with the ideas, passion and ability to realise innovative public engagement projects on the topic of dementia.

Alzheimer’s Research UK encourage applicants to forge links with communities, collaborators or groups to strengthen ideas, and they will be facilitating relationship building during the second stage of the application process.

How to apply:
The first step in applying is to complete an expression of interest online. Ideas do not need to be a fully formed proposal at this stage, but should outline what you would like to do, the purpose or need for it, the outcomes you want to achieve, and what partners or expertise you are seeking to be able to deliver it.

Deadline:
The deadline for expressions of interest is 5pm on 5 August 2021.

For more information:
Alzheimer’s Research UK are holding an information webinar on 7 July at 3pm, to share more detail on the Inspire Fund and to answer questions from potential applicants.

You can sign up for the Alzheimer’s Research UK information webinar here.

You can find out more about the Inspire Fund on their website, with details of eligibility, the application process, frequently asked questions and previous Inspire Fund projects.

Community Research Volunteer for Leeds

Do you have access to the internet at home and like carrying out research within your local community? If so, we need you!

Leonard Cheshire’s Community Volunteering team are looking to grow their community networks with the West Yorkshire region, to help us reach out to and improve the lives of more people with disabilities. To help us achieve this we need your help in researching the different community settings within West Yorkshire but mainly concentrating on Leeds at the present moment.

Volunteer tasks and responsibilities:

• Inputting data and collect information via spreadsheets, databases, and surveys
• Researching potential Leonard Cheshire local partnerships and other opportunities though networks, community groups and associations, local companies
• To research local and national disability charities to share good practice and look for new community opportunities
• To research and keep up to date with local and national disability campaigns

For more information and to apply: Visit the Be Collective part of the DGL website or contact the Volunteer Centre.

LeedsACTS!

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