Third Sector Research Partnership
This project piloted pro bono research to support small Third Sector organisations (TSOs), which play a highly effective role in meeting the needs of our most disadvantaged citizens.
Research shows that these organisations face resource and skills limitations that prevent them from engaging in research activity that evidences their impact, improves practice and influences public policy.
Led by a team at SPARK, our Social Science Research Park, this project brought academic and research expertise into grassroots TSOs enabling them to better understand complex issues affecting communities, and co-create knowledge that is accessible, relevant and useable to drive positive evidence-based change.
The Third Sector Research Partnership (TSRP) is an innovative collaboration between voluntary organisations and academic institutions, aiming to strengthen the Third Sector’s ‘place’ in the research ecosystem in Wales. Established in 2023 by SPARK, the partnership includes representatives from Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA), Cardiff Third Sector Council (C3SC), and the University of South Wales – each working with some of our most vulnerable citizens including refugees and asylum seekers, people experiencing poverty, young unemployed people, people with mental health challenges, people with learning disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people.
The TSOs identified a number of topics they would like to research, including, for example, how to build a whole school approach to children growing their own food, and understanding the impact of a physical support ‘hub’ on the integration of asylum seekers and refugees. A survey of SPARK staff revealed that 40% were willing to provide pro bono support to TSOs, helping them develop research questions, design methodologies, collect and analyse data, and other key tasks.
The Civic Mission and Public Engagement Progression funding enabled testing the feasibility of this new SPARK pro bono research support scheme, establishing new Third Sector and academic collaborations. Pilot activities included:
- supporting TSOs to ‘translate’ their research support needs into 10-hour requests for pro bono support
- identifying and ‘matching’ TSOs to academics with relevant expertise
- facilitating a ‘Kickstarter’ event bringing together TSOs and academics to build relationships and frame the pro bono support scheme
- co-designing partnership agreements between TSOs and academics
- launching and delivering against a minimum of five pro bono research support plans
- placing university students in SPARK to support TSOs and benefit from research-related tasks and experience
This pilot has the potential for progression and impact post-pilot involving wider recruitment and matching of Cardiff University academics and TSOs to address research and evidence needs. Deeper collaborations through longer-term research partnerships could be established, where meaningful research is co-designed and co-produced with communities, and in ways that directly inform TSOs’ practice and work.
