Engage the Public with the Future of Health and Care in the UK

Deadline: 13-Dec-22

Apply for funding to bring the public into dialogue about the future of health and social care. Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is looking for researchers that will work with the public to contribute in imaginative ways to activities and conversations that will help shape future debate and decision-making about the future of health, ageing and wellbeing over the next 25 years.

Funding Information

They will fund projects between £10,000 and £40,000. Projects can be delivered at any time between June 2023 and March 2024.

What they’re looking for?

Projects funded through this opportunity will:

Engage diverse audiences in research conversations about the changing structures of social care and healthcare, and how they can be responsive to public needs in the face of great societal challenges, including health inequalities
Deliver innovative public engagement where researchers create dialogue with the public to shape thinking and have new ideas around the role of communities and community-led initiatives in supporting health, wellbeing and social care.

ARHC wants projects where engagement activity is directly linked with research, and ARHC is interested in research that is based in the arts and humanities, or has strong arts and humanities links. For example, AHRC are interested in how securing better health, ageing and wellbeing is shaped by things like:

Artificial intelligence and technology
Community or making use of community assets
Culture and society or medical humanities
Design and architecture
Equality, diversity and inclusion
Health inequalities
Intergenerational justice
Lived experiences.

Your project must demonstrate:

A clearly defined public audience group (for example, ‘the general public’ is too vague, but ‘18 to 25 year olds living in Leeds’ is defined)
Excellent public engagement methods and activities that are:
- Collaborative and actively engage a public audience or audiences in the research or research process (or both).
- Inspiring, creative or innovative.
- Appropriate and relevant to the needs and interests of the public audience or audiences.
Engagement activity may be based on existing or new research and must be adaptable to potential changing coronavirus-related restrictions.
If working with a partner, excellent partnership working that is equitable and uses collaborative, consultative or co-production methods.
Strong public participation, diversity and inclusion. AHRC particularly welcomews proposals that engage diverse audiences across the UK, either place-based or interest-based, especially with audiences that do not traditionally engage with research or feel that their voices and lived experiences have not previously been part of discussions about social care and healthcare, or projects that address health inequalities.
Potential for positive long-term impact on a public audience or audiences and partner organisation or organisations, possibly including those working in health care or social care.
That it represents good value for money, is well-structured, and has a feasible plan to get the public actively engaged in research.
That it might lead to potential future research scoping and new partnerships.
Potential for learnings and successes to be shared with the public, researchers, policymakers, partner organisations, such as the NHS across the UK and integrated care boards, potentially via a shared website or social media presence.
An ethics and safeguarding plan that is appropriate for your research topic, public engagement method or activity, and defined audience.
Public engagement activity that takes place between June 2023 and March 2024.

Eligibility Criteria

To apply for this public engagement fund, you must be:
- A UK resident
- Over the age of 18
- Currently working or studying at doctoral level or higher at a UK research organisation that is described as eligible to receive funding from UKRI in section two of the AHRC research funding guide
- Working in a relevant area of research in or related to the arts and humanities
- Proposing activity that will take place between June 2023 and March 2024.
AHRC requires that applicants have plans that are adaptable and workable in the face of any potential COVID-19-related restrictions. Applicants must consider safe, accessible and inclusive activity and are encouraged to consider how they might adapt their activity to potential restrictions (for example, social distancing or the need to use digital methods).
AHRC encourages applications that engage in interdisciplinary research and collaborate outside of arts and humanities. However, your application must address the themes and focus of this opportunity, which are primarily rooted in the arts and humanities.
AHRC encourages applicants from a diverse range of:
- Backgrounds
- Experiences
- Expertise
- Career stages.