ERICA Community Led Research Scheme - Community Application Form - Call For Ideas

The Scheme is funded by the Wellcome Trust and delivered through a partnership between: University College Cork, Health Research Charities Ireland and the British Science Association. The scheme supports Health Research Charities Ireland (HRCI) Charities to identify and explore issues that matter to them through research. We believe that Charities and the communities they serve have valuable knowledge, experience, and ideas and should play a leading role in shaping research that affects peoples’ lives.

Funding is available to support HRCI Charities and UCC Researchers to co-design research around issues that are important to people and communities. HRCI Charities will work alongside a UCC researcher(s) to develop and carry out a research project based on a topic identified by the Charity and the people or communities they serve.

We particularly welcome ideas from HRCI Charities interested in exploring issues affecting people or communities traditionally underrepresented in research and who may be experiencing health and well-being inequalities. You do not need previous research involvement or experience to apply.  This will be an opportunity to learn new skills etc.

Projects will be established in 2026, and will run for twelve months. Ahead of or before completing a Call for Ideas below, please notify us of your interest in the scheme by October 16th by sending an email to Michelle O’Riordan, Education and Public Engagement Officer at ERICAproject@ucc.ie 

General Information

The ERICA Community Led Research Scheme is putting HRCI Charities and the people and communities they serve  at the heart of their own research process – inviting them to develop and deliver a research project – by working with a UCC researcher(s). The Scheme is funded by the Wellcome Trust and delivered through a partnership between: University College Cork, Health Research Charities Ireland and the British Science Association.

HRCI Charities will partner with UCC researchers, across the entirety of the research life cycle. This partnership will define and deliver a research project and research findings that can inform the work of the Charity and potentially influence public policy, thereby delivering real world value and benefit (impact) for the people and communities the Charity serves.

For HRCI Charities, this is a unique opportunity to be part of a research scheme with people and community at its heart. If you have any questions that aren’t answered below, please get in touch at ERICAproject@ucc.ie (Place ERICA in the subject line).

What is Community Led Research?

Community Led Research places people and communities at the centre of the research process. Rather than UCC researchers deciding what ideas to investigate, people and communities help to identify the issues that matter most to them and then work collaboratively with researchers to explore them. Research projects are then co-designed together.

Community Led Research is a form of Engaged Research - which aims to improve, understand, or investigate issues of public interest where people and communities are involved across all aspects of the research process. It is an inclusive approach that moves beyond the mind-set of conducting research on people. Rather it encourages research with people. It includes practices such as public patient involvement, or participatory action research as well as concepts such as co-production or co-creation of research. It involves approaches from the arts, humanities, social sciences as well as health/public health.

Research Ideas

We encourage ideas that explore issues affecting people or communities traditionally underrepresented in research and who may be experiencing health and well-being inequalities. Ideas for research can be new or build on existing work by the Charity. We particularly encourage ideas around:

• Communities experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage.
• Minority ethnic communities including Travellers.
• Migrant and refugee communities.
• People experiencing health and well-being inequalities.
• Disabled people.
• Neurodivergent people.
• People living with rare diseases.
• People experiencing mental health difficulties.
• Other groups that have traditionally had limited opportunities to participate in research.

We are looking for ideas that have the potential to lead to longer-term community and researcher relationships and generate new knowledge or approaches. The aim is that the researcher will respond to, and will work alongside people and community, contributing their expertise to flesh out and support and develop the idea into a research project. This is not about a 'one off' consultancy or advisory role, but an ongoing community and researcher collaboration of true partnership.

You don’t need to have a fully formed idea to be able to apply at this stage. A Charity can suggest an issue it knows matters to its community. You also don’t need to have experience with research projects. If you complete the Call for Ideas - the UCC ERICA Team will then help you explore what is possible and guide you through the next steps. We will also provide support to help you explore how you might work with a researcher on a research project.

The ERICA Community Led Research Scheme is aligned with the HRCI PPI Ignite partnering guide.

Who Can Apply?

The Call for Ideas must be submitted by a HRCI Member Charity or a Charity in the process of becoming a HRCI member. A designated representative of your Charity should act as a single point of contact with the UCC ERICA Team.

Resources Available

A total of €200,000 is available for the scheme and we expect to fund up to 10 ideas. Funding will be distributed equitably between the Charity and Researcher. Funding may vary across the range of ideas suggested.

The scheme is aligned with the HRCI fair market value guide. Charities will receive funding to support their involvement in research project delivery. Funding may be used for:

• Staff time, project coordination and overhead.
• People and Community participant involvement costs.
• Project related travel and subsistence.
• Project related venue hire and catering.
• Materials and equipment required for project activities.
• Communications and dissemination activities.
• Accessibility supports.
• Other reasonable project-related costs. 

The ERICA team will provide support in developing budgets for the successful projects.

How the Call for Ideas will be assessed

Call for Ideas will be reviewed by an assessment panel against the following criteria:

Each Call for Ideas will be reviewed by an assessment panel comprised of UCC, BSA, an independent international expert and an independent community organisation. Please note that submitting a Call for Ideas does not guarantee inclusion in the scheme.

Conflict of Interest

Applicants and those involved in the assessment process must declare any actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest that could influence, or be seen to influence, the fair assessment of Call for Ideas submissions. Any conflicts identified will be managed appropriately to ensure a fair and transparent process.

Got a Query?

Contact Michelle O’Riordan, Education and Public Engagement Officer: ERICAproject@ucc.ie