How does 'trust' influence partnership synergy within Participatory Research in the voluntary and community sector?

Supervised by Professor Jessica Pykett and Dr Gerald Jordan together with Birmingham Voluntary Services Council

To apply for this project, please include ‘Pykett & Birmingham Voluntary Services Council’  as the project descriptor in the subject heading of your email. 

Birmingham Voluntary Services Council (BVSC) Research has been commissioned to develop a Community Research Hub (CRH) for Birmingham City Council Public Health. The hub will deliver ten Community Research (CR) projects over of three-year period (2024-2027), all of which will be undertaken with the purpose of shaping public health policy and practice, with a focus upon the reduction of health inequalities and underserved populations. CR represents a particular model of Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR). This studentship will undertake an in depth evaluation of this Hub, investigating the role of trust in the development of partnership synergy within CBPR activity. 

We are looking for a highly talented and dedicated PhD student with a 1st class or 2:1 degree in the field of social policy. An MSc degree in a relevant area is desirable though not necessary. Previous experience working in a learning/research co-ordinating role in a voluntary sector infrastructure organisation is essential. The candidate will have demonstrable evidence of evaluation skills, experience of applied community work, working to connect different levels from strategic to community, co-ordinating research activity across academic and non-academic sectors and a good understanding of the research and community engagement landscape in Birmingham. 

Informal enquiries about the project prior to application can be directed to Professor Jessica Pykett