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Public Engagement
  1. Queen Mary University of London
  2. Public Engagement
  3. Funding
  4. Participatory Research Fund
  5. Apply to the Participatory Research Fund

Apply to the Participatory Research Fund

The Centre for Public Engagement Participatory Research Fund offers grants of up to £10,000 for Queen Mary staff and students to run large-scale participatory research projects.

Applications for the 2025-26 academic year are now open! The deadline for applications is 9:00am, Friday 6 June 2025.

The scheme has been moved earlier this year, to enable a full year for spending. 

Participatory research involves non-academic partners in the research process. This could include contributing to the research question, data collection and analysis and interpretation of results. 

The Research England-funded Participatory Research Grants are a competitive process with a maximum of £10,000 of funding available per project. The Participatory Research Grants are designed to support research projects with a substantial participatory element where participants and community partners are involved in the co-design, implementation and/or dissemination of the research. In this way, applications to the scheme should involve those not necessarily trained in research but who have lived experience of the topic under study, to drive for change. For some good examples of participatory research projects and relevant literature, see here. 

Find out what kind of projects we've funded in the past.

Application Information

Steps:

  1. Familiarise yourself with the Application Guidance: Participatory Research Fund Application Guidelines 2025-26 [PDF 248KB]. We highly recommend you read this thoroughly.
  2. Consider whether you want to join one of the Grant Advice Drop In Sessions (see joining details below). 
  3. Complete the Application Form: Participatory Research Fund Application Form 2025-26 [DOC 295KB]
  4. Submit your completed application to publicengagement@qmul.ac.uk with 'Participatory Research Grant Application - Your Name' in the subject line by 09:00am on Friday 6 June 2025. Late applications will not be accepted. 

You will receive an email as confirmation of receipt. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by Friday 27 June.

All applications to the Participatory Research Grants must meet the following criteria: 

  • The project enables participatory or co-produced research with stakeholders outside of the university. 
  • The communities of the research have been well-defined, or there is a clear plan to better define this community, with a view to improving opportunities for involvement in the future.  
  • There is a clear link to the research being undertaken at Queen Mary University of London. Applications can come from any faculty or institute, at any stage of the research lifecycle. 
  • There are some indications as to how learning from the project will be shared with others 
  • The activity clearly demonstrates a participatory approach to research 

Applicants must be current staff at Queen Mary, with a contract end date no sooner than 1 August 2026. We welcome applications from staff at all career stages and this is not used as a criterion in the selection process.  

Lead applicants must be the individuals who will be responsible for delivering the project and subsequent reporting. External applicants are able to apply to the scheme (for example community groups) as co-applicants  on projects.  

To ensure all applications engage external groups with Queen Mary research, teaching, or services, all submissions must have at least one applicant from within the University who will be held responsible for assisting the delivery of the projects and reporting on outcomes.

Download the application documents below:

The CPE will be running a number of Large Grant and PRF Drop-In Advice Sessions over May and June. These will be held online on Teams. You do not need to register to attend, simply join in at any point in the meeting, staff from the CPE will be available to answer your questions. We will operate on a first come first served basis. Please bookmark the time in your diary. 

If you cannot make any of the dates available, please book one of our fortnightly Advice Surgeries which take place on Thursdays, or email publicengagement@qmul.ac.uk with your questions, if needed we can arrange a call.  

Participatory or co-produced research strengthens research outcomes by involving the communities and users of research, better recognising their experience, needs and preferences, and giving greater agency to communities to implement findings.
— Research England
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