How can we make the most of participatory/ co-design approaches with different groups in society, including digital engagement, to generate new ideas, learn from existing practice, and build consensus for the future of policy?

Background

The research areas identified in this document rely on a wide range of research tools and approaches, spanning disciplines across the sciences and social sciences. This section is not an exhaustive list of the tools and approaches of interest to Defra. It identifies some areas of particular relevance and change, which will be important in addressing the challenges faced by Defra and represented throughout this document.

Societies demand resource from the environment and shape that environment. The social science of human-nature interactions is of fundamental importance to Defra.

Next steps

Get in touch with ari.comment@go-science.gov.uk

Source

This question was published as part of the set of ARIs in this document:

DEFRA Research and innovation interests GOVUK

Related UKRI funded projects

  • Ecological Citizens: Tools, technologies and means to enable sustainable digital citizens

    To realise the transformational impact of digital technologies on aspects of community life, cultural experiences, future society, and the economy, the RCA proposes to host a DE Network+ focused on digital interventions ...

    Funded by: EPSRC

    Lead research organisation: Royal College of Art

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project focuses on using digital technology to enable citizens to control the impact they have on the natural environment and design their own experiences involving products, which aligns with the goal of generating new ideas and building consensus for the future of policy.

  • Coevolutionary approach to unlock the transformative potential of nature-based solutions for more inclusive and resilient communities

    Nature-based solutions (NBS) are governance techniques and models that directly and cost-effectively benefit both nature and humans. Despite the progress in NBS design and implementation, the socio-political challenge is...

    Funded by: Horizon Europe Guarantee

    Lead research organisation: THE JAMES HUTTON INSTITUTE

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project uses participatory and digital transdisciplinary methodologies to co-create nature-based solutions with local actors, which aligns with the question's focus on participatory/co-design approaches for policy development.

  • VOICE - Valorising Artist-led Innovation through Citizen Engagement

    VOICE aims to address the complex social and cultural constructs that play a vital role in knowledge valorisation and supporting systemic change in societal response to environmental and ecological sustainability. Arts a...

    Funded by: Horizon Europe Guarantee

    Lead research organisation: BRUNEL UNIVERSITY LONDON

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project focuses on participatory approaches, co-design, and digital engagement to address environmental and ecological sustainability, aligning with the question's objectives.

  • Researching the creation of people centred Systems Innovation as a Service

    This research project aims to help define and create a new, systemic practice and platform to approach environmental initiatives within cities that encourages citizen engagement. This enables funding and action to be de...

    Funded by: Innovate UK

    Lead research organisation: SOURCE CONSCIENCE LTD

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project focuses on creating a systemic practice and platform for citizen engagement in environmental initiatives, aligning with the goal of generating new ideas and building consensus for policy.

  • Pan-African network for the arts in environmentally sustainable development

    This project uses the arts as a way to facilitate communication between citizens and policy actors, on issues of environmentally sustainable development. The project will establish a network of people across Africa to tr...

    Funded by: AHRC

    Lead research organisation: Institute of Development Studies

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project uses the arts as a way to facilitate communication between citizens and policy actors on issues of environmentally sustainable development, which aligns with the goal of generating new ideas and building consensus for the future of policy. However, it does not directly address the use of participatory/co-design approaches or digital engagement.

  • ENCOMPASS: Engaging Communities, Publics and Society

    Community focused public engagement is a powerful way to bring research closer to the community that it serves; but a major obstacle is how researchers identify community groups that may benefit from such engagement. Soc...

    Funded by: NERC

    Lead research organisation: University of Birmingham

  • Participation's "Others": A Cartography of Creative Listening Practices

    Participation's "Others": A Cartography of Creative Listening Practices asks how participatory research might be extended to become better able to 'listen' to voices that do not fall within the boundaries of th...

    Funded by: AHRC

    Lead research organisation: CARDIFF UNIVERSITY

  • Games Realising Effective and Affective Transformation (societal and cultural domains)

    Games Realising Effective & Affective Transformation (in Societal and cultural domains) Research and innovation in the GREAT project will generate new knowledge of the actual and potential impact of games on European...

    Funded by: Horizon Europe Guarantee

    Lead research organisation: PLAYMOB LIMITED

  • GroundsWell: Community and Data Led Systems Transformation of Urban Green and Blue Space for Population Health - Consortium Development Grant (CDG)

    Those living in low-income areas have a much higher risk of long-term conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, depression, and frailty. Our lifestyle, such as how active we are, what we eat and if we smoke or drink al...

    Funded by: MRC

    Lead research organisation: Queen's University Belfast

  • EDUcating Citizens and organisations in Citizen Science methodologies (EduCS)

    We will pilot an approach to developing capacity in citizen science (CS) in two national organisations not normally engaged with CS. In particular, we will work closely with people from the BBC and the Met Office to desi...

    Funded by: BBSRC

    Lead research organisation: The Open University

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