Join Science Together – our local community engagement with research programme! Deadline 15 October

Make a lasting impact in Oxfordshire’s communities!

Click here to submit your Expression of Interest by 15 October

Science Together is calling on researchers, public engagement professionals, and anyone passionate about working with local communities to join our 2024-25 programme!

Launched in 2021, this community-first initiative – coordinated by the University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University – nurtures collaborations between university-based researchers and community organisations to tackle challenges and seize opportunities to create meaningful change for people living and working in Oxfordshire.

Who are the Community Partners for 2024/25?

This years eight partners are listed below with their initial project interest. The beauty of the programme comes from mixing different perspectives, so if any of the below resonates or piques your interest, get involved. If things don't work out, signing up doesn't oblige you to continue:

Nai’s House

What they do: Mental Health Support for Young People

Initial Research interest: Impact assessment of providing suicide prevention training to first responders (e.g. police, 111/999 call handlers and paramedics)

Down’s Syndrome Oxford (DSO)

What they do: Charity run by families and volunteers offering support and activities for children and adults with Down’s syndrome and their families living in Oxfordshire.

Initial Research interest: Several possible ideas, including: developing tools to help with transition from early years to primary school; from school to work life. The benefits of singing (and signing) for improving communication skills. 

EMBS Community College

What they do: Adult Learning and Sixth form college offering supportive learning environment and wellbeing support for learners from different backgrounds including asylum seekers, refugees, people in the care system and people for whom mainstream education hasn’t worked.

Initial Research interest: Developing a course of 6 weekly sessions with adult learners exploring the question “How do I, as a refugee/migrant create a sustainable life? What does sustainability mean for me?” with a focus on discussion, reinforcing and enhancing speaking and listening skills for discussion and expressing points of view.

Body Politic

What they do: Creative learning and outreach programmes with young people (5-25yrs) using dance and performance. Focus on shifting power and empowering excluded young voices. Developing skills, building confidence and supporting leadership opportunities.

Initial Research interest: Future Leaders programme – mentor and train Future Leaders to deliver dance sessions with Barton Park School – exploring the impacts on wellbeing for the Future Leaders and the participating students through a Social Sciences lens.

Refugee Resource

What they do: Work to relieve distress, improve well-being and facilitate the integration of refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants in Oxfordshire by providing psychological, social and practical support.

Initial Research interest: Want to develop systems/processes that allow clients to provide meaningful and honest feedback, with focus on reimagining their Refugee Advisory Group – want to apply best practices to managing and engaging this group, using a research-based, impactful and client-centred approach.

St Mary’s Catholic Primary School

What they do: Primary school for children aged 4-11 years in Bicester

Initial Research interest: Have installed a dedicated radio studio and want to develop a wellbeing and pupil mental health podcast/live show to support the growing need in local schools – they’d like to measure impact of this and understand how better to support pupils in this area and share this.

Oxford Community Land Trust (OCLT)

What they do: A grassroots Community Land Trust for all of Oxfordshire – they act as long-term steward of land and assets on it, ensuring it’s put to use in a way that benefits the local community. Current focus is on providing high-quality, sustainable, genuinely and permanently affordable housing, as well as green space for local communities to flourish.

​Initial Research interest: Several possible ideas, including: “What difference has OCLT’s existing affordable housing made to its tenants?”- producing a rigorous piece of research that demonstrates impact in terms of health, wellbeing and economic stability. Possibly evaluating a future participatory housing project run by OCLT as it happens.

Sound Resource

What they do: Sound Resource promotes music and singing for health and wellbeing. They run fun, inclusive, participatory sessions and accessible Moving Music concerts for people with dementia and memory problems and their families, friends and carers.

Initial Research interest: Impact assessment and evaluation of current work for funding applications and input on developing what they do for stronger impact.

Who can apply?

Whether you're a researcher from any discipline or career stage, a public engagement professional, or someone simply eager to get involved, we encourage you to apply! No previous experience is required – just bring an open mind and enthusiasm for working alongside Oxfordshire’s vibrant communities. Various levels of training and support will be provided.

Why join?

For researchers, this is a unique chance to share your expertise with the local community, while gaining valuable insights from their lived experiences and expertise. You’ll have the opportunity to:

• Strengthen your communication, collaboration, and project management skills.
• Explore new avenues for your research and its real-world applications.
• Engage with responsible and participatory research methods.
• Develop your confidence to evaluate your engagement.
• Contribute to projects that matter to the community and may even shape future research directions.

For facilitators (Professional Services Staff or researchers), this is a chance to help shape and nurture a collaborative, supportive environment. By taking on the role of a project facilitator, you’ll develop essential skills in:

• Facilitation and communication, particularly in listening and collaboration, plus translating and mediating between different participants.
• Project management, ensuring successful teamwork between researchers and community partners.
• Guiding projects toward meaningful outcomes for all involved, and assessing success.

No matter your role, you’ll join a like-minded cohort, build relationships with community organisations, and help to make a tangible difference in Oxfordshire.

What does Science Together involve?

The beauty of Science Together is the collaborative dynamics, meaning you might never quite know from the outset where the project will take you. Whether you can spare a small amount of time here and there, or more, you could help bring a project to life. And if things aren't working out the way you'd hoped, signing up doesn't oblige you to anything.

The programme runs from October 2024 to summer 2025, culminating in a celebratory event to showcase the collaborative projects. Here's what to expect:

• A match-making process (21 October) that pairs researchers with community organisations based on shared interests and goals. Each researcher-community partner group is supported by a facilitator. 
• A collaborative ideation phase (28 October), where researchers and community organisations co-create project ideas. 
• Each project receives £4,000 in funding and ongoing support from the Science Together team to help develop and deliver your ideas (community partners are also financially supported to take part).

Previous years’ partnerships have addressed a wide range of topics, including: youth engagement initiatives, sustainable diets, therapeutic arts for dementia wellbeing, alternative education provision, dance and music for wellbeing, adult loneliness, music and technology, play for child development, evaluation and impact assessments, resource efficiency for charities, digital skills, and more.

About half of the projects have continued and evolved, and we provide extra 'legacy' funding to support longer-term development, as well signposting to further support.

Since 2021, Science Together has facilitated 22 partnerships across Oxfordshire, with 70 researchers and 36 facilitators contributing to award-winning projects.

You could be part of the next wave of collaborations that tackle local challenges head-on.

Interested?

Click here to submit your Expression of Interest by 15 October

Want to learn more about Science Together? Visit our website here
Have questions? Email us at sciencetogether@mpls.ox.ac.uk
Watch our video for a sneak peek at past projects!