Report shows impact of grants to engage communities under-served by research

The impact of an NIHR small grant scheme to engage communities under-served by research has been detailed in a new report.

The 39 grants helped organisations in Dorset, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and South Wiltshire develop new ways of working and make stronger connections with communities.

The grants were provided by the NIHR Clinical Research Network Wessex, now part of the NIHR Research Delivery Network.

The grants could be used for research-related activities. These included identifying communities under-served by research, increasing understanding of the opportunities and barriers to working with such communities, community engagement, capacity building, and developing research partnerships.

The grants were awarded to local authorities, community groups, universities, and NHS trusts and evolved, with increased emphasis on co-production with community organisations and patients and the public.

Communities included refugees and asylum seekers, ethnic minority groups, young people, and those affected by gambling.

The report found the grant was easy to apply for and encouraged learning together.

It found the 6-month timescale for projects was tough but let people try new ideas quickly.

It highlighted many projects focused on building trust and helping communities make real changes and elevated the voices and expertise of communities.

The grants also helped organisations learn new skills and identify better ways to work with communities under-served by research.

One grant awardee said: “We really value these small grants because of how straightforward they are to apply for, and they enable us to do relatively small scale projects, but you know still with quite a lot of learning attached to them.”

Another said: “Having them in the room was difficult for them to be ignored. So that kind of also helped the asylum seekers to see that their participation was really important and that we were serious about taking it into the wider community, and especially people that could make a change into the way services are done.”

Zoë Sheppard, Research Delivery Manager, who oversaw the scheme with a steering group, said: “This small grant scheme filled an unmet need of pump-priming research-related projects working with communities under-served by research.

“It has made a huge impact from relatively modest funding. The findings will be immensely useful both locally and nationally in any future work with communities under-served by research. I hope that we can continue the legacy of the small grant scheme and move forward to addressing health inequalities in the future.”

Clare Rook, Network Director, NIHR South Central Regional Research Delivery Network, said: “We wanted to use the NIHR under-served, ring-fenced funding to make a difference. And that’s what the small grant scheme has done. This report confirms what we have seen in two years of the scheme. It is valued, has a huge reach, and has greatly impacted researchers and communities. It is vital that we continue to invest in research that is inclusive, relevant and supports improvements in health and care for everyone.”

Read about the showcase event in 2023 and showcase event in 2024 that celebrated the projects funded by the small grant scheme.

The report was produced by Co-Lab at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, a specialist research and evaluation, consultancy and delivery service.

For a copy of the report please contact sc.rrdn@nihr.ac.uk