[WiLT] Big Lottery Research programme - book pre-application seminar by 20th December 2007

[WiL Admin]

Big Lottery Research programme

For areas: UK
Application closing date: 30 March 2009
Total available: up to £25 million

BIG is providing up to £25 million in the UK over 2007-2009 to fund
social and medical research grants in the UK.

The aim of the Research programme is to influence local and national
policy and practice by funding the Third Sector to produce and
disseminate evidence based knowledge. In the longer term the
programme, through producing sound evidence, will aim to help develop
better services and interventions for beneficiaries.

Integral to meeting the aim of the programme will be the following
five outcomes:
1. Improved understanding of issues relating to the Big Lottery Fund's
UK themes and country outcomes
2. Improved Third Sector participation and knowledge in developing,
doing and using research
3. Improved dissemination of Third Sector led research
4. Increased participation of beneficiaries and users in a range of
research roles
5. Improved partnerships between the Third Sector and the research
community.

The programme is demand-led. It will fund high quality social and
medical research on issues identified, and considered important, by
the charitable and voluntary and community sector; and support the use
and dissemination of this research activity. Key is that beneficiaries
and users are involved, in setting the agenda, conducting, managing
and disseminating the research.

Only organisations from the voluntary and community sector are
eligible to apply for funding. The voluntary and community sector is
encouraged to link up with universities and the wider research
community, but universities themselves are ineligible to apply for
funding.

This programme is being delivered for the Big Lottery Fund by Momenta.
Momenta works for the public sector to turn policy into practice by
offering a range of programme management services, including research
management, knowledge transfer, best practice, fund management and
behaviour change programmes.

Help is available to organisations that wish to do research, so that
they have the skills and expertise to lead an application. This
support is being delivered by Third Sector First. Third Sector First
is a collaboration of specialists in research and social policy,
working primarily in the public and 'third' sectors. It is linked
through past or current membership to several of the UK's leading
university research centres and has conducted project evaluations in
many subject areas, including health, social care, community safety,
childcare and addictions.

To apply go to: http://www.bigresearchprogramme.org.uk.


Pre-application seminars have been organised by Momenta. If you are
new to research and want some advice Third Sector First can help
through their seminars.

Designing and managing research workshops:
15 January - Thistle Hotel Manchester
17 January - Regent's College Conference Centre
23 January - Big Lottery Fund, Birmingham Centre

PLEASE NOTE: The last booking date for the January 2008 workshops will
be 20 December 2007.

The workshops will cover developing research questions, organising
research, user involvement, dissemination and ethics. There will be an
opportunity for general questions and discussion.

These events are not designed for professional researchers or
experienced commissioners of research, but for voluntary and community
sector organisations that are relatively or entirely new to research.

* Delegates must first register for the programme and be able to give
their registration number.
* Booking forms will be available by emailing support at 3sf.co.uk.
* Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first
served basis.
* There will be further workshops in May and June 2008.

http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/index/events-uk.htm

Posted on WiLT blog at
http://www.freecharity.org.uk/~womeninlondon/?p=481