Register your interest now
bobu
bobu is a Brighton-based safety training organisation founded by Luciana Cousin and Nick Cousin. It exists because the existing infrastructure of LGBTQ+ safety, policies, diversity statements, HR processes, safe space stickers, responds to harm after it has already happened. bobu works in the gap before that: the 30-second window in which a person's nervous system registers threat, calculates…
Description

Join the Bobu research team for: “Back off, back up!” Evidencing the Bobu Shift for enhancing power and bravery among LGBTQIA+ indivduals inpublic settings in the UK 

The Research Volunteering programme through the Community Research Initiative gives YOU the power to take your research and classroom skills out into the community to create a positive social impact. Through our bite size projects, you’ll work with a group of interdisciplinary peers and organisational allies to tackle a project that will draw on your research skills. These projects are flexible and designed with students in mind to give you amazing experience to fuel your CV, explore new skills, and meet other likeminded students. Each opportunity is unique, make sure to check out our page for more information.

All about the organisation

bobu is a Brighton-based safety training organisation founded by Luciana Cousin and Nick Cousin. It exists because the existing infrastructure of LGBTQ+ safety, policies, diversity statements, HR processes, safe space stickers, responds to harm after it has already happened. bobu works in the gap before that: the 30-second window in which a person's nervous system registers threat, calculates risk, and either acts consciously or goes to autopilot.

A bit about the project

This project explores how LGBTQIA+ adults in the UK experience “The Calculation”—the constant scanning, assessing, and navigating of safety in public venues. Working with Bobu, an organisation rooted in Buddhism, psychology, and lived queer experience, you’ll help build the evidence base behind their “shift” framework, which aims to empower LGBTQIA+ people to cultivate an internal sense of safeness rather than relying solely on external environments. Your work will contribute to a rapid literature review, early data visualisation, and a credibility‑building report that can support future funding and wider community reach.

What can I expect from this opportunity?
  • Contribute to a rapid literature review exploring concepts like hypervigilance, scanning, and safety‑seeking among LGBTQIA+ adults.
  • Help generate early findings that can be shared during Brighton Pride, supporting real‑world outreach.
  • Gain hands‑on experience with data collection, synthesis, and visualisation.
  • Build confidence organising small events or engagement activities with community members.
  • Develop report‑writing skills while working closely with an organisation grounded in empowerment and lived experience.
How will my work on this project impact the community?
  • Strengthen the evidence base behind a new framework designed to support LGBTQIA+ wellbeing.
  • Help Bobu build credibility with funders, enabling future phases of the project.
  • Contribute to tools that promote personal empowerment and safer experiences in public venues.
  • Support the creation of accessible, digestible findings that can reach a wider LGBTQIA+ audience.
  • Lay the groundwork for long‑term research that could influence safety initiatives led by Bobu
Duties

What key tasks will the volunteer team be responsible for?

Scoping and Co-Defining Key Concepts
  • Identify and map relevant search terms such as hypervigilance, scanning, and situational awareness.
  • Explore how these concepts appear in LGBTQIA+ research and related psychological literature.
  • Work with Bobu to build a clear search strategy to guide the rapid review.
Conducting the Rapid Literature Review
  • Run structured searches across academic and grey literature.
  • Focus on UK‑based research involving LGBTQIA+ adults and safety‑related behaviours.
  • Extract and organise key findings for synthesis.
Synthesising and Visualising Findings
  • Bring together themes across the literature into a coherent narrative.
  • Create simple, engaging visual summaries to communicate early insights.
  • Optional if timing is right: Prepare preliminary results for Brighton Pride outreach.
Writing Up the Final Report
  • Develop a concise, evidence‑based report that supports Bobu’s credibility with funders.
  • Present findings in a way that is accessible to both community audiences and stakeholders.
  • Highlight gaps, opportunities, and recommendations for future phases of research.

Time commitment

This opportunity was designed with students in mind, meaning it can be flexible around your studies.
For this project we are expecting around 3 months for the work to be completed.
We will work with you to establish a schedule of tasks that work for the whole team.
Application deadline

Causes

This organisation is one of our community partner organisations.

Like all volunteer recruiters we work with, they have signed up to our service standards, agreeing to abide by our policy on partnership working to keep you safe and supported whilst you volunteer.

You’ll never be out of pocket for volunteering through us – with in-London travel expenses to and from your volunteering guaranteed.

In addition, the team here at Students’ Union UCL Volunteering Service is here to support you throughout your volunteering journey – you can get in touch with us at any time.