16/04/2026
Apply Now: £15,000 Funding for Community Tension Research.
Background
There continues to be challenges faced by police services in the UK, including in Scotland, and in local communities surrounding issues of tensions, hatred, exploitation and fear.
Although extremism and disorder in UK politics and society is not a new development, police must consider how it addresses the new ways in which it is manifesting, online and on social media, and through misinformation and disinformation.
To build and maintain trust and confidence, policing must learn from examples of good practice in engaging with communities that are targeted (or indirectly impacted) by extremism and hatred directed towards minoritised communities in the UK. Policing should also consider this challenge in the context of youth engagement by ensuring that young people are heard, respected, and have their needs met within their local community.
We want to deepen our understanding about what networks of safety work well, why this is the case and any examples of leading practice from around the UK or internationally that can support our knowledge base; the questions posed below we hope are helpful to sharper areas of focus for interested researchers.
We know that there are times where information spreads through informal networks – community groups, grass roots organisations, social groups and more – in the immediate phase following an incident, or when there is planned activity within a local area. We want to enhance our understanding of where there are opportunities to further leverage networks (informal and formal) which play an important role in community life to ensure communities have access to relevant and assured information at the right time.
This RRF topic directly supports priorities identified within Police Scotland’s *Strategic Threat, Harm and Risk Assessment (STHRA)* and support progress towards commitments within our three-year business plan and 2030 Vision for policing in Scotland.
Proposed areas of focus for researchers to consider:
• What networks can support the police with their community tensions monitoring role?
• Should, and how, can the police, working with and within local networks, be more proactive in this space to deal with information and misinformation flows?
• Are there any areas where this is working well and what can we learn from this?
• How can the police contribute locally to various networks to build a trusted relationship, and therefore, service?
• How should the police operate when dealing with real-time threats to community cohesion caused by online and offline information/misinformation/disinformation?
Information for applicants.
• Eligibility
Applications are welcome from any researchers (who do not need to be based in Scotland or at a university, although knowledge of the Scottish context is important). Priority will be given to bids involving staff based at a SIPR member University. We encourage interdisciplinary partnerships and proposals can be submitted by a single institution or across organisations (and can include national and international academic and non-academic partners).
To discuss your application prior to submission please contact either SIPR Director Dr Andrew Wooff ([email protected]) or SIPR Head of Operations, Monica Craig ([email protected]).
• Anticipated timescale(s) for completion
Notifications of Intent to apply must be provided by 8 May 2026.
The closing date for applications is 29 May 2026. The successful project will be notified by 19 June 2026.
Projects must be able to start research by 31 July 2026 at the latest and provide the completed evaluation by end of July 2027.
• Value
A total of £15,000 will be available to one successful team. Proposals which include co-funding from other sources are welcome.
Application and Award Process
• Application
A short application form is available to download if you click here
Strict word limits are in place for each section. Applications which go over the word limit will be excluded from consideration.
Applicants are required to complete the relevant application form (download from above link) including the following information:
Administrative Summary including:
Working title
Lead institution
Collaborating institution(s), where applicable
Details of each named investigator (name, position, institution/organisation), with confirmation that a CV is attached for each
For non‑SIPR HEIs only: a brief description of the organisation’s relevant experience and/or accreditations (maximum 150 words)
Project Summary including:
Description which details the project’s background, aims and objectives,
methodology, and timeline and how it meets the core themes of the call.
Description of the intended benefits and impacts of the project including clear indication of the expected outputs/ outcomes of the project.
Where access to police data or personnel is required, a letter of support from Police Scotland (or the relevant external body) should be provided.
Please ensure you contact Police Scotland’s Research and Strategy Team as earlier as possible to discuss ([email protected]).
Budget Summary:
State whether any cash or in‑kind co‑funding has been secured and confirm that supporting letters are provided where applicable.
Provide a summary of the requested budget, including any cash or in‑kind contributions from other organisations.
Confirm whether institutional overheads are waived and provide supporting evidence where required.
• Submission
Please ensure you submit your completed applications along with all attachments to [email protected] ensuring you cc Monica Craig, SIPR Head of Operations ([email protected]) by no later than 23:59 on Friday 29 May 2026.
Any applications received after this time will not be considered by the panel.
Apply Now
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