This project will develop a new Hub for delivering research methods courses, transforming research training, enhancing accessibility and inclusion, and fostering community engagement of social science researchers across the UK.
Overview
Current research skills training and capacity building often operate within rigid structures, requiring researchers to attend in-person workshops or completing generic online modules. This approach reduces potential engagement opportunities, impact insights and diversity of training that does not align to the rapidly changing needs of social sciences researchers.
The Research Capability Hub is an innovative programme using the Open University’s existing and innovative technology infrastructures with PolicyWISE’s four nations engagement, as well as expert partnerships. This will enhance research skills training and capacity building for social scientists through scalable, co-created, and personalised approaches.
The Hub will address gaps in training provision that supports personalised learning journeys, fosters community-driven research skills development, and connects research with policy engagement. It will tackle the challenge of traditional training approaches that are often centralised, inflexible, and resource intensive.
The role of IET
The Research Capability Hub is a collaboration between the Institute of Educational Technology (IET) and the Faculty of Business and Law.
Management of the Hub will be provided by the Director, Prof. Rienties (IET), Co-Directors, a Senior Hub Manager and Hub Manager.
In the initial phases of the project, IET will lead on curating relevant existing resources and ensuring platform adaptability through working with stakeholders to co-create a taxonomy of capabilities and personalised needs. A UK-wide needs analysis will be undertaken to identify researcher and co-creator community needs.
A number of co-created scalable courses will be developed during the Hub’s lifecycle, providing a personalised approach for researchers.
People
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Greg Roach
Research programmes
Funders
- Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)