Institute for Social Justice
Apply for a 2026-27 Community Research Grant
Information about application criteria and how the application process works.
On this page:
Application process | Criteria | Collaboration | Delivery | FAQs | Our current projects
We are inviting proposals from voluntary, charity and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations to our Community Research Grant programme.
The programme provides funding for York St John University academics to work with VCSE organisations within Yorkshire and Humberside. Through this process, we aim to work together to produce research that is co-designed, relevant and impactful.
By research, we mean the generating of new knowledge or understanding about the world. This might include generating evidence about impact, reviewing best-practice, engaging with participants/stakeholders, co-designing new activities, mapping case studies, conducting organisations reviews and more.
In the first stage of the process, we invite proposals from VCSE organisations for research that would be meaningful and impactful for them. The Institute for Social Justice will then select a number of these proposals and 'match' them with University-based researchers, who will be funded to work in partnership to undertake the research.
For 2026-27 we are also collaborating with SHARC (the Scarbrough Coastal Health and Care Research Collaborative) and the Institute for Health and Care Improvement to offer two community research grants focused on the theme of wellbeing and health inequalities within the Scarborough and coastal region.
Application process
What you should include in your proposal
We appreciate how much time can be spent on writing funding bids. We are therefore keeping the proposal stage light touch and will host briefing events to ensure clear understanding of the scheme and its objectives.
We are not expecting VCSE groups to submit an ‘academic’ proposal, nor to frame research methodologies, nor to propose budgets. What we are looking for are themes, issues, questions that concern you along with a sense of how research into this would align with and benefit the purpose of your organisation.
The application form will ask you the following questions:
- Please outline the nature of your organisation, what do you do, how do you deliver it, and what is your community and social impact. (300 words).
- What do you want help with? What do you want to know more about, what questions/issue/theme would you like help researching? (300 words).
- How would you hope this research would benefit your organisation and your ability to delivery on your core purpose? (300 words).
- What support could you offer and how would you facilitate the research to happen? This might include in-kind support (space, time, contacts) that will make the research possible. (300 words)
Deadline and Application
Friday 27 March Noon: Deadline for VCSE applications.
Access the Application form below (Microsoft Forms):
ISJ Community Research Grants 2026
Full application timeline
Phase 1: Proposals from VCSE groups
Monday 2 February 2026: Applications open and Community Research Grants launched.
Briefing events for VCSE organisations, providing an introduction to the grants and an opportunity to ask questions.
- ISJ Briefing event 1. Tuesday 24 February 2026. 2.00pm. Online.
- ISJ Briefing event 2. Wednesday 11 March 2026. 10.00am. Online
You can also make informal enquiries via: ISJ@yorksj.ac.uk
Specific briefing events for applications to the SHARC Wellbeing and Health Inequalities Community Research Grant will also be held:
- SHARC Briefing Event 1: Thursday 26 February 2026 at 2.00pm (Online)
- SHARC Briefing Event 2: Monday 2 March 2026 at 2.00pm (Online)
- SHARC Briefing Event 3: Wednesday 4 March 2026 at 10.00am (Online)
To attend one of these events please email Trevor.Mahon@nhs.net.
Friday 27 March Noon: Deadline for VCSE applications.
Phase 2: Matching proposals with academics
April 2026: Shortlisted proposals will be shared with YSJ researchers, and initial matches will be made.
May to July 2026: Develop full collaborative project proposals, including budgets, to ISJ. This stage will have opportunities for discussion and meetings between VCSE groups and researchers before an agreement to collaborate fully is reached. We are looking for strong and genuine connections and understandings.
1 July 2026: Deadline for full collaborative proposals.September 2026 to July 2027: Projects undertaken.
Criteria
There are 3 criteria for funding.
1. Benefit to VCSE organisation
We are looking for a clear sense of how the research and insights generated will benefit the VCSE organisation and through that support social justice or health inequalities. This might be through evidencing impact, developing best practice, expanding delivery, changing strategies or more.
2. Potential for strong University / VCSE partnership
We will support projects where there is a good match with appropriate York St John research expertise and interest. We are looking for openness to partnerships and genuine connections between academic and community partners. Potential for ongoing collaboration and joint outputs will be advantageous.
3. Benefit to communities
We want to support projects where research has a strong impact and identifiable benefit, particularly for communities experiencing disadvantage or marginalisation. We want to work with VCSE groups that are rooted in their communities and actively involve those most affected in shaping and delivering the research.
For the Institute for Social Justice impact can be in a broad range of social, political, economic or educational contexts. We are looking for proposals that are innovative, are drive by a strong sense of social justice and which utilise the research collaboration to shape and deliver change at individual, organisational or policy levels.
For the SHARC Community Research Grants impact relates to wellbeing and health inequalities within the Scarborough and coastal region. We are looking for proposals that aim to improve physical, mental and social wellbeing. Projects should demonstrate a commitment to tackling barriers to health equity and promoting fair access to services and opportunities.
Collaboration
Community Research Grants are collaborations between the expertise, knowledge and experience of the VCSE sector and that of academic researcher within the University. The success of the projects depends on building solid partnerships. Drawing on our experience of running community research grants we’ve developed five principles for community research in practice:
- Create and maintain effective communications
- Understand each other without assumptions
- Apply flexible and compassionate project management
- Invite curiosity into the research
- Plan outputs that matter
Delivery
Depending on proposals received, we anticipate that the ISJ will support 4 to 6 projects; SHARC will support 2 projects. Each project will be allocated c£10,000 in funding. The support will consist primarily of funding researcher time and expertise to work with your organisation, along with direct research expenses.
Projects can be a maximum of 10 months long, beginning September 2026.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
The Community Research Grant is new, so we may discover unanticipated issues as we go along. However, we have anticipated some FAQs that we hope are useful.
We are looking to support voluntary, charity and social enterprise organisations operating within Yorkshire and Humberside.
Applications to the SHARC Wellbeing and Health Inequalities grant need to be within their geographic focus, which spans Scarborough and neighbouring coastal towns, including Whitby, Filey and Bridlington, encompassing a predominantly coastal and rural population along the North and East Yorkshire coast.
Priority will be given to organisations that have a strong community-led ethos and/or incorporate significant community participation. We are particularly keen to work with smaller, local organisations.
Groups have to be formally constituted in some fashion and have a track record of delivery and social engagement.
The funding will be used by York St John University to support and undertake the research with your organisation.
Note that in the proposal stage you are not asked about budget, which will be developed in collaboration with the academic researchers. It is anticipated that the majority of the budget will be spent on researcher time, however additional costs incurred by your organisations in order to engage with the research are eligible.
This scheme allows you to initiate and commission a piece of research that addresses something of direct interest and benefit to your organisation. This might relate to social, economic or environmental impacts, to developing best practice, or to expanding delivery.
Often research is designed and initiated in universities or government. We are looking to open the process and operate in a more inclusive and democratic manner.
By bringing the process closer to the communities that are most impacted by the research we hope to ensure research is more relevant and impactful. We wish to challenge some of the hierarchical relationships between the researched and the researcher.
We are keeping this broad – any activity that has a strong and clear community and social justice benefit is eligible.
The project will fund qualitative and/or quantitative research from across a range of academic disciplines (such as psychology, sociology, business, sports, arts, humanities, law, linguistics and more).
No priority is being given to a particular research area or methodological approach – research might use a range of approaches as required to address your proposal. We will select proposals where there is a strong match to academic expertise and interest at York St John University.
Proposals will be reviewed against the criteria. The strongest will be circulated to researchers at York St John who will be asked to develop a research proposal in response.
We will then set up conversations between the VCSE groups and researchers to ensure a good and genuine match. Only after this point will successful projects be confirmed.
It may be that your organisation already has a relationship with a York St John University researcher. That is fine, you are still eligible. However, this should not be taken either as an advantage or a disadvantage.
York St John University has made £60,000 available to the Institute for Social Justice to develop community engaged research. SHARC are providing additional funding for two projects focusing on wellbeing and health inequalities.
Typically, grants of between £5,000 and £10,000 are given. Please note, budgets are for delivery of the research collaboration.
Yes.
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Our current projects
Discover collaborative, cross-disciplinary projects which focus on issues including the provision of arts education, community-based performance and digital communication technologies, and engaging lived experience in VCSE activity.
Our previous projects
Learn more about previous projects funded by our research grant programme. Previous projects have focused on issues including access to blue spaces, anti-racism practices and health inequalities.
