Title: Third Sector Research Centre
Funder: Economic and Social Research Council

Abstract: The Third Sector Research Centre will bring together established experts from a range of disciplines to conduct research that will lead to a better understanding of the key patterns, processes and impacts of developments in the third sector, and of the implications for policy towards the sector. The Centre will be led by Prof. Pete Alcock (University of Birmingham) and will be based on a joint programme of research and knowledge transfer shared between Birmingham and the University of Southampton, where Prof. John Mohan will also act as Deputy Director. The institutions have complementary strengths. The Centre's research agenda and programme are rooted in close collaboration with key organisations (including ACEVO, NCVO, Guidestar - see Partners) and reflect priorities identified by these organisations. Partner organisations will play a strategic role in steering the research programmes, with individual organisations engaging more closely with specific, and relevant, areas of activity. At Birmingham the Centre will be based in the new College of Social Sciences. It will include contributions from Social Policy, Public Policy (including Local Government Studies) and the Birmingham Business School (including the Centre for Public Service Partnerships). The Southampton base is the School of Social Sciences, where staff will have links with (1)Southampton Statistical Sciences Research Institute (S3RI) which has a particular focus on the application of statistics in policy (2) the hub of the National Centre for Research Methods and (3) the Centre for population change (CPC). The proposed research programme is organised around four key strands of activity. We will: (1) review the existingevidence base (2) analyse the theoretical and policy context to place British research in a wider frame of reference, (3) develop a robust and comprehensive quantitative analysis of the impacts of third sector activities with a parallel qualitative programme, and utilise these to develop (4) work streams on (a) organisational development, partnership working and service delivery; (b) engagement, participation, campaigning, diversity and social cohesion. The Centre's research will bring methodological quality and breadth, ranging from complex quantitative modelling and indepth qualitative studies, to Delphi work and action research with policy makers and practitioners. This will overcome shortcomings of existing research and significantly enhance the evidence base; it will also provide models for innovative research design and methodological development which will underpin future activity both within the Centre and beyond. As well as making an important substantive contribution to our understanding of trends and processes of third sector development, the Centre will, by creating new research posts, provide a substantial boost to future research capacity in this area. Given the pace of third sector development and associated policy initiatives, the centre will be ideally placed to assess questions about the contribution of the third sector in its various forms Its findings will therefore be of significance well beyond the UK as will its policy relevance. A substantial range of outputs are anticipated including edited academic volumes and refereed journal papers, and discussion papers and policy briefings designed to transmit important messages to the range of potential audiences. We will host and participate in national and international conferences and make substantial contributions to academic and sector debates. We will deploy the latest communications technologies, including the development of an extensive and inter-active website as part of broader strategy of knowledge transfer with the the NCVO, and with other agency partners. We will also generate resources for the academic and practitioner community by producing syntheses of the existing literature and public use versions of data sets.


Research activity codes: 8.5 RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (HEALTH SERVICES);1.5 RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (UNDERPINNING)
Health categories: GENERIC HEALTH RELEVANCE