Xiaohongshu
Giving you the power to engage with the community and create useful and useable outcomes from your dissertation
The Community Research Initiative is all about creating socially impactful research with and for the community. To support our students participating in the Community Engaged Dissertation programme we have created a fund to fuel meaningful collaboration, useful and useable outputs, and socially impactful activities throughout the dissertation research process. Whether you’re co‑creating a community output, running an engagement activity, or building something genuinely useful for a local organisation, this fund helps turn your ideas into real‑world impact.
Fund Eligibility
The Community Engagement Fund is designed to support UCL masters students undertaking an engaged dissertation as part of the Community Research Initiative. Due to our limited funding capacity unfortunately, we cannot provide funding for PGR or non-Community Research Initiative students.
- Full Eligibility Criteria
- Eligibility criteria
Co-Create your application
Master’s students working on a community‑engaged dissertation—and their partnering community organisation—need to submit a joint proposal. This fund is all about collaboration, so we want to see you applying as a team.
Be an active and registered student in the Community Research Initiative
You need to be a registered master’s student taking part in the Community Research Initiative and completing a community‑engaged dissertation. If your student status has ended, you won’t be able to apply—so get your proposal in while you’re still enrolled.
Complete your terms of engagement
To apply, you’ll need to have an agreed‑upon terms of engagement document on record with us. We also expect students to have made reasonable efforts to take part in Community Research Initiative programming—because the more you engage, the stronger your project becomes. - What kinds of activities can the impact fund be used for?
- This fund aims to facilitate the creation of useful and useable “community products” from your research or meaningful engagement activities within the research process.
Some examples of ways to use this fund can be used:
Paying lived experience advisory boards
Translating community outputs
Organizing community workshops to share findings
Printing of posters, placards, or informational signage to disseminate research
Creating prototypes from
What are activities that the fund cannot be used for:
Student fees
Conference fees or travel
Compensating research participants
Organisation partnership fees
Research related supplies that should otherwise be funded by the student's department
We know that community engaged research isn't one size fits all. Reach out to our team if you have an idea and we can explore options!
Application Process
Students and community organisations can apply by sending in a short application that outlines what you’re hoping to create, the impact it will have, and a simple breakdown of how you’d like to use the funding. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so you can apply whenever your idea is ready to go. Just make sure you submit while you’re still a registered UCL student—once your student status ends, you won’t be able to apply.
We want to fund as many brilliant ideas as possible, so our assessment process is designed to be supportive, transparent, and focused on what really matters. When you apply to the Community Research Initiative Impact Fund, here’s what we’re looking for:
- What we're looking for in applications
- Meaningful community impact
We want to see how your project will make a real difference for your community partner. Is your “community product” or activity useful and useable? Does it respond to a need they’ve identified? Show us the positive change you’re aiming for.
Commitment to co‑production
This fund champions research done with communities, not on them. We’ll look for evidence that you and your partner are shaping the project together—sharing decisions, ideas, and ownership throughout the process.
Feasibility
Your idea should be exciting, but it also needs to be doable. We’ll check that your plan is achievable with the time, resources, and skills you have.
Clear purpose and outcomes
Tell us what you’re creating and why. Whether it’s a toolkit, workshop, resource, or engagement activity, we want to understand the purpose behind it and how it will be used.
Value for money
We aim to support as many students as possible, so budgets should be sensible and focused on impact. Small amounts can go a long way—show us how you’ll make the most of the funding.
Student motivation and commitment
Passion counts. We love to see applications that show genuine enthusiasm, curiosity, and dedication to working collaboratively with a community partner.
Fund Allocation, Delivery and Reporting
Funds go straight to your community partner The money is transferred to the organisation you’re working with, keeping everything simple and transparent.
You co‑deliver the activities Both partners work side‑by‑side to make the funded activities happen—true co‑production in action.
You’ll report back on the impact At the end of the project, you and your partner will share how the funds were used and the difference they made. Any unused money just gets returned to Students’ Union UCL.