The University of Leicester, De Montfort University and Loughborough University are joining forces with Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham in an unprecedented ambitious project which brings together academia and the community to support growth and development, broaden prospects, drive change, and improve wellbeing.
The Collaboratory programme is an eight-year ambitious project which commenced in 2022, initially as part of the Universities for Nottingham Civic Agreement and has given students with typically non-traditional academic backgrounds the chance to make real change and improve the lives of the communities around them.
Example projects to date include investigating the education-employment transition for young people in former coalfields areas , how trust impacts participation in health promoting activities and how this has changed as a result of the pandemic , and Boxing in the Community: Moving Beyond the Myths of Sports' Positive Potentials to Reduce Violence.
Funded by Research England as well as funding from Leicester's universities, Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham, the project has also now been awarded £2.3m from the Research England Development Fund. This additional funding brings the three Leicestershire universities – along with the Leicester Civic Agreement into the Co(l)laboratory fold from April. The funding panel was particularly impressed with the programme's success in recruiting PhDs and community researchers from diverse backgrounds within local communities. 27 PhD studentships across Leicestershire will now be fully-funded; bringing the combined total of civically-engaged PhD projects to 77 – along with a number of citizen-scientist research placements and student-led civic projects.
Rebekah Smith McGloin, Director of Research Culture and Environment at Nottingham Trent University, said: "Our Collab programme has been hailed as innovative, something no other universities have done before. It is testament to the success of the programme that we have been able to extend the reach of our doctoral research to Leicester and Leicestershire, and we're really excited to see how we can make long-lasting change to those communities going forward."
Leicester's universities joining the Collaboratory - a programme founded through the Universities for Nottingham civic partnership - is a powerful testament to the momentum and impact of civic collaboration, as we come together across cities to drive positive change in our communities.
Professor Richard Thomas, Pro Vice Chancellor Research and Enterprise at the University of Leicester, said: "The University of Leicester is delighted to become a partner institution in the Collaboratory project. This programme will provide a fantastic opportunity for researchers from non-traditional backgrounds to develop their academic skills, whilst also improving the lives of people in our local community through their research. Collab thus aligns with our strategic commitments to nurture the next generation of researchers to be world leaders in their field and generate new ideas which deliver impact and empower the communities in which we are embedded."
Professor Mike Kagioglou, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Planning, Research and Innovation at De Montfort University said: "DMU's proud to be part of this inspiring initiative that puts communities at the heart of research. The programme is a powerful way to open up doctoral study to people from all walks of life and ensure the research happening in our universities is rooted in the real challenges our region faces.
"This is about nurturing new voices in research, forging stronger links with our local communities, and making sure the work we do delivers genuine impact where it matters most. We're proud to be working alongside our Midlands partners in shaping a more inclusive future for research and fostering a new generation of impactful research and researchers."
Professor Steve Christie, Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Doctoral College at Loughborough University, said: "I'm delighted that this exciting regional collaboration is starting. This will allow the Leicestershire Universities to join forces with our Nottinghamshire colleagues to promote research activities that are particularly important to the communities we live in.
"This an important and timely initiative for Loughborough as it aligns strongly with our strategic theme of Vibrant and Inclusive Communities. I look forward to welcoming the new doctoral researchers to our Doctoral College at Loughborough."
