Engaging with local communities is crucial for research now more than ever. It’s crucial for researchers to recognize their hopes and fears when working with local communities. How do these preconceptions influence their engagement?

The Welsh Government recently outlined priorities for the newly established CTER, emphasizing the need for education, research, and innovation to benefit society and local communities.

But what does this mean for researchers? 

Our latest webinar for Early Career Researchers, ‘Inclusive Collaborative Research’, will delve into this question. We’ll explore the pros and cons of using research methods that are placed-based and involve collaboration with communities.

This kind of approach is supported by the Local Challenges Research Office (LCRO) at Swansea University. At the webinar, Dr. Tom Avery who works with the LCRO will discuss place-based approaches that prioritize community involvement in research.

Additionally, the webinar will highlight other case studies, such as the ACTIF study from Cardiff Metropolitan University and the LSW-funded project on Inclusive Cycling in Wales led by Cardiff University. 

Dr. Zsofia Szekeres, an early career researcher in exercise psychology, will share insights from her experiences with the ACTIF project, particularly focusing on community-based research with older adults.

Alongside this, researchers from Cardiff University will discuss how they engaged with four local organisations as part of a LSW-funded research project that sought to address the barriers to inclusive cycling.

Full details of the speakers and the session titles can be found here.