Research Email Briefing 43

What is Positive Steps

Has Positive Steps had any impact on your organisation? Is it likely to? Do you know very little about it? We invite NICVA members to complete a short online survey about the impact Positive Steps has had on their organisation.

Conference

Out On Your Own: a conference on the Mental Health of Young Gay and Bisexual Men, 29 March 2006, Hilton Hotel, Lanyon Place, Belfast.

Research Associates' Register

Rural Community Network invites applications for inclusion on our Research Associates’ register.

Calls for proposals on community engagement

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation is calling for proposals on community engagement in governance in dynamic and diverse neighbourhoods.

Publish your own research online

Like to make research more accessible? Got a research publication to plug or some research news to share? Now is the time to publish your research online. Publish it on Community NI free of charge.

What is Positive Steps?

Has Positive Steps had any impact on your organisation? Is it likely to? Do you know very little about it?

We invite NICVA members to complete a short online survey about the impact Positive Steps has had on their organisation.

We are attempting to monitor the impact of Positive Steps on the sector since its publication in March 2005 to ensure that its recommendations are being met.

NICVA recently mailed out a survey asking about the impact Positive Steps, the follow up document to the Task Force report, has had on your organisation, since its publication in March 2005.

The postal strike has played havoc with the receipt of responses, so we would be grateful if you could literally take two minutes to complete the six question online survey at www.nicva.org/index.cfm/section/news/key/090206PosStepsSurv

Conference

Out on Your Own: a conference on the Mental Health of Young Gay and Bisexual Men, 29 March 2006, Hilton Hotel, Lanyon Place, Belfast.

Over the last three years, The Rainbow Project's 'Boyz II Men' programme has been engaged in new research into the mental health of young gay and bisexual men in Northern Ireland. The research findings are now complete and will be launched at a major conference next month.

The research reveals the incidence of poor mental health, suicidal thoughts and self-harm among young gay and bisexual men. It also examines how young gay and bisexual men's mental health has been affected by society's attitudes to people of non-heterosexual orientation.

This conference is a unique chance to learn first-hand about the mental health of young gay and bisexual men. Moreover, it will also provide an opportunity to learn about other research and best practice in this area, and encourage informed discussion on the subject.

If you are interested in attending the conference, please download the information and booking form from The Rainbow Project website www.rainbow-project.org

Places are limited, so to avoid disappointment, please book early.

Research Associates' Register

Rural Community Network invites applications for inclusion on their Research Associates’ register. The Rural Community Network is seeking people who have an established track record in community focused social research and an expertise in issues affecting rural communities particularly around rural poverty, disadvantage and social exclusion.

In the first instance, interested candidates should send an up to date curriculum vitae, a statement of their research interests, an example of their recent work and details of three referees to:

Teresa McKernan
Rural Community Network
38a Oldtown Street
Cookstown

Co Tyrone BT80 8EF
028 8676 6670

028 8676 6006
teresa@ruralcommunitynetwork.org

The closing date for this round of applications is 28 February 2006.

Calls for proposals on community engagement

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation is calling for proposals on community engagement in governance in dynamic and diverse neighbourhoods .

Aims and focus of the study

In funding this study the JRF therefore aims to:

· Examine the relationship between the nature of communities in particular areas and community engagement in governance, specifically minority communities.

· Explore what ‘community representation’ means in differentneighbourhoods where a number of distinct communities live.

Methods

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation does not have any preconceived ideas on methods but the methods suggested need to address the aims of the project. The approved project needs to involve primary research in more than one area of the UK which contains some of the communities described above. Action research methods will be less relevant for this particular call. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has already commissioned work on routes and barriers to engagement in governance so will not be looking for projects focused on that subject area. Applicants should note that this call is for projects associated with governance and community engagement rather than the nature of community engagement more broadly.

Applicants will be expected to build upon rather than duplicate work done under the recent ESRC Governance programme, studies commissioned by the Centre for Active Citizenship and government departments, particularly ODPM, Home Office and the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit and other work commissioned by the Foundation. Applicants will need to set out how their proposals build on existing research.

The Foundation is interested in proposals which will result in policy and practice recommendations which may bring about change and these should be generalisable nationally where possible.

Timescale and resources

Proposals should be submitted by 7 March 2006 at 2pm.

Awards will be confirmed in May 2006 and proposers should be available to begin work by July 2006. Studies must be completed and final reports submitted within 18 months of the start date.

Up to £70,000 is available for work under this heading. We are looking to fund one larger project or two small ones.

How to apply

It is essential that you read the How to apply for funding section of our website before submitting your proposal.

For further background knowledge on this study, click here

Publish your own research online

Like to make research more accessible? Got a research publication to plug or some research news to share? Now is the time to publish your research online. Publish it on Community NI, free of charge. Follow the simple online form found at:

http://www.communityni.org/index.cfm

What is Community NI?

Community NI has been developed by the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) to promote the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland. The website was officially launched in April 2005.

Publish your information

The principle behind the site is that every voluntary and community organisation will be signposted and have the opportunity to publish information, whether that be a newsletter, press release, job advertisement or event. Community NI aims to be the first central online source of information about the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland. It gives voluntary and community organisations the chance to promote themselves on the internet and to share their resources and expertise.

Thanks to everyone who sent information that has been included in NICVA Research Update 43. Please remember to send information about research that you have undertaken and requests for information that you would like included in the next update. Also remember to let others know about NICVA Research Updates. To register send an email entitled ‘NICVA Research Updates’ to andrea.burke@nicva.org

Andrea Burke
Research Assistant

NICVA
61 Duncairn Gardens
BELFAST BT15 2GB

028 9087 7777
028 9087 7799
andrea.burke@nicva.org

www.nicva.org and www.communityni.org