Community Research Initiative

Welcome to the Community Research Initiative

Also known as "CRIS" to our friends

We bring people together across the student-community divide to explore the possibility of co-designing research to create a positive social impact. Whether its through your course or as a volunteer, our programme is here to take your research skills from classroom to community.

Explore our offers

Masters programmes

PhD programmes

Undergraduate programmes

Curious about how your research could make a difference?

Working with a UCL student has made a massive impact on our organisation, particularly because we are so grassroots and wouldn't have been able to do this research on our own.
-South Asian Health Action

Check out our full impact gallery

Join us at an upcoming Community Research Initiative event

Give it a Go

Show Up and Write

11/08/2026 | 14:00 - 16:00

Welcome to Show Up And Write!Are you in the thick of dissertation or thesis writing and wishing you didn’t have to do it alone? Looking for a bit of motivation and strength in numbers? Join us for a group writing session at the beautiful Calthorpe Community Garden!

Give it a Go

Community Research in Action Field Trip: Museum of Homelessness

13/08/2026 | 14:00 - 16:00

Discover how community-led research can reshape the stories we tell, the spaces we build, and the futures we imagine. Join us for an immersive visit to the Museum of Homelessness (MOH), the world’s first museum dedicated to homelessness, right here in North London. MOH is not a traditional museum.

Events & Activities

Community Research Initiative Showcase 2026

09/09/2026 | 14:00 - 16:00

Join the Community Research Initiative (or CRIS to our friends) for our annual celebration of our students and communities who did something a little different and worked to co-create research for social impact. This year, we’ll be highlighting our student leaders and community leaders who have bridged the uni