Birmingham University to lead new Third Sector Research Centre
Birmingham University will lead a new Third Sector Research Centre dedicated to analysing the impact of the sector's activities. Working in partnership with the University of Southampton, the centre aims to bring about a step change in the quality and quantity of hard evidence available to support the work of third sector organisations.
It is funded by the Office of the Third Sector (OTS), the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Barrow Cadbury Trust.
The Centre will receive an investment of £10.25 million to create a world class research capacity for charities, social enterprises and small community organisations. It will:
- lead research and analysis into the effectiveness and impact of third sector organisations;
- strengthen the evidence base on the entire sector;
- enhance our understanding of the sector's size and dynamics.
Supporting the work of the Third Sector Research Centre will be two capacity building clusters (CBCs), based at the University of Middlesex and the University of Lincoln, with the CBC in Middlesex focusing specifically on social enterprises.
The CBCs will provide both the next generation of high quality researchers and be a resource for the sector. They will develop activities such as studentships, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, Third Sector placements and an innovative voucher scheme designed to allow Third Sector organisations to “buy in” academic expertise.
Focusing key issues such as the sector's scale, dynamics and effectiveness, the Centre will be led by Professor Pete Alcock of the University of Birmingham. Professor Alcock commented:
“This is an exciting new opportunity to provide an extensive and robust research resource for the Third Sector and to work closely with both policy makers and practitioners in building capacity and engagement. We are pleased to have been chosen to run the Centre and are looking forward commencing work in September.”
Phil Hope, Minister of the Third Sector, said:
“The centre is a very exciting development for the whole sector, bringing academics to work alongside charities, social enterprises and small community groups to build a robust and tangible evidence base to show clearly what impact the sector has on people's lives.”
Drs Astrid Wissenburg, Director of Communications, for the ESRC, said:
“I am delighted with the announcement of the new Third Sector Research Centre. It will form a significant part of our ongoing commitment to provide cutting edge research that will directly impact on the future of society in the UK. The research provided by this Centre will provide a base for strategic development within the Sector.”
Barrow Cadbury Trust Chief Executive, Sukhvinder Kaur Stubbs, said:
“The Barrow Cadbury Trust is very pleased to be joint-funding the Third Sector Research Centre at Birmingham University. We look forward to the significant contribution that the new centre will make to third sector research. We are particularly excited about funding a stream of research within the centre, focusing on the role of the third sector in promoting engagement and participation among disadvantaged groups.”
