How we work

We are happy to collaborate with you in a flexible manner, supporting your aims however we can. Here is how our partnership could work to make your research project a success:

1) You include Edge of the Field as your research project partner at the bid writing stage.

This is typically done as part of the initial funding application, signalling your intention to maximise the impact of your research to the funding council. However, you can addEdge of the Field into research projects that are already in progress. There is always funding available for impact, engagement, and ‘follow-on’ activities, so speak to your research support team about ways in which you might fund a partnership with us.

2) You invite us to host a discovery workshops with everyone contributing to the research.

These workshops are a great way to kickstart our partnership. We host a series of interactive activities that explore how your team works, clarify the aims of your research, create shared alignment between all parties, and define Edge of the Field’s place in your research project.

3) Briefs are co-authored formalising the packages of work Edge of the Field will undertake.

These briefs ensure we are all clear on our roles and responsibilities, and we are all working towards the same, shared goals for the research project. The briefs are not ‘set in stone’ and regularly evolve as the project research progresses.

4) You invite us to contribute to your research activities.We deliver the best possible outcomes when we are active participants in your research activities, gaining an intimate understanding of your research practice, ways of working, and partner organisations. We make positive contributions to these activities, bringing our expertise in facilitation, community engagement, and inclusive research practice.

5) We deliver the agreed research outputs.

These might be immersive experiences, films, websites, news articles, exhibitions, artworks, or more conventional written research outputs. Our team and extensive network can deliver impactful, mixed media outputs, as well as co-authoring journal articles and book chapters for publication.

6) We evaluate our partnership and define opportunities for continuous improvement.

We see every project as an opportunity to advance our skills and improve our performance. As the research projects draws to a close, we will arrange formal processes of evaluation and reflection. The insight we generate will be shared with everyone participating in the research, so we can all identify opportunities for continuous improvement.