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Who it’s for

Research is stronger when it starts with real lives, real communities and real questions

Research Network connects everyone in the research ecosystem — so evidence reflects the people and places it aims to help.

Whether you represent a community organisation, lead research, or support the system around it, you belong here. Browse by role below, or explore how the platform works for everyone.

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Who we serve

Six kinds of people and organisations — one place to connect earlier and work together better.

Why we’re here

Research Network exists because connection should happen earlier — not after the important decisions are made.

  • Research should improve lives

    Communities hold knowledge that makes studies more relevant, credible and useful — when they are involved from the start.

  • Too many voices are still missing

    Partnerships are often built late, ad hoc, or not at all. Local insight arrives after questions are already set.

  • We can connect differently

    One regional network where organisations, researchers and partners find each other — before studies are fixed.

What the platform means in practice

The same tools, shaped for every role in the ecosystem.

  • Discover & browse

    Find projects, partners and organisations working on topics and places you care about — no sign-up required to explore.

  • Connect & collaborate

    Build relationships between communities, researchers and institutions rooted in shared priorities.

  • Share knowledge

    Surface lived experience, practice insight and local evidence where it can shape better questions.

  • Create lasting impact

    Turn connections into evidence, influence and change that communities can see and trust.

What we’re trying to change

The old way

  • Questions set before communities are involved
  • Partnerships found late or by chance
  • Local insight bolted on at the end
  • Impact hard to see or evidence

With Research Network

  • Communities involved from the start
  • Partners visible and reachable in one place
  • Research shaped by lived experience
  • Connections that can lead to real change

How we make this happen

  1. 1

    Connect earlier

    Find organisations, researchers and partners before study design is fixed.

  2. 2

    Share community knowledge

    Bring local priorities and practice insight into the open.

  3. 3

    Build stronger partnerships

    Grow relationships that last beyond a single project.

  4. 4

    Turn evidence into change

    Use what you learn together to influence services, policy and funding.

“Communities are not just places where research happens. They are part of how good research begins.”

What kind of future are we building?

  • Inclusion

    More voices shaping what gets researched and how.

  • Trust

    Relationships built on respect, not extraction.

  • Shared learning

    Knowledge flowing between communities and research.

  • Useful evidence

    Findings grounded in real lives and places.

  • Real-world change

    Research that communities can recognise and use.

Community organisations

Turn local knowledge into research that matters

Research Network helps charities, social enterprises and community groups connect with researchers who want to understand real issues — not study them from a distance. Shape research earlier, raise the profile of local priorities, and build partnerships that may lead to evidence, influence and collaboration.

  • Shape research before key decisions are made
  • Browse projects seeking community involvement
  • Connect with researchers and universities locally
Create account Browse projects

Community researchers

Show your expertise and find work that fits

Whether you work in charities, peer networks or lived-experience groups, Research Network helps you connect with projects that value community-grounded skills — and lets researchers find you.

  • Make your methods and experience visible
  • Discover opportunities matched to your topics
  • Build a track record of engaged research
Create account Browse opportunities

Researchers

Connect with communities before you design the study

Find organisations, community researchers and local knowledge earlier — for research that is more relevant, credible and useful, with engagement you can demonstrate to funders.

  • Post projects and who you need
  • Search partners by topic and place
  • Involve communities throughout your study
Create account Find partners

Universities & institutes

Strengthen community reach across your institution

See community relationships and engaged research activity across your region. Support researchers to build partnerships, showcase your institution’s community work, and inform strategy.

  • Overview of regional community connections
  • Tools for researchers to find partners
  • Evidence impact across Lincolnshire and beyond
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NHS & system partners

Connect research, evidence and community insight

For NHS, local authority and system partners — surface community priorities and research activity to support better collaboration, PPIE and place-based decisions.

  • Map who is working on what, and where
  • Strengthen patient and public involvement
  • Build evidence with partners across places
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Funders & policy-makers

See how research connects with communities

Understand engagement needs, gaps and opportunities — encouraging research shaped earlier by the people closest to the issues your funding and policy aim to address.

  • Visibility of projects and partnerships
  • See where community involvement is strong or missing
  • Inform priorities with place-based intelligence
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Join a movement for better research

Create your profile, explore projects near you, and start conversations that turn local knowledge into evidence that matters.

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