The Participatory Research Network (PRN@TUoS)
A cross-faculty initiative bringing together like-minded researchers
About us
The Participatory Research Network at the University of Sheffield (PRN@TUoS) is an established cross-faculty network that supports participatory research and researchers.
It's a space for all people, from any discipline or practice, to come together to:
- enjoy and celebrate participatory research
- learn from each other, and discuss the challenges and barriers to doing participatory research in academia
- change and re-shape some of the University structures in which participatory research is embedded
Watch our short video explaining who we are.
Our key principles
We aim to shape and support University research cultures by:
- Ensuring academics, students, researchers and professional services colleagues at all levels across the University benefit from cross-faculty spaces and connections created through PRN.
- Ensuring everything we do remains committed to the researcher concordat - we have a strong postgraduate (PGR) and early career (ECR) presence in PRN, both in the Committee and in the wider PRN community, and want to nurture and support research careers.
- Supporting developments towards more inclusive research principles which centre equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in how we think about and carry out research with others, both inside and outside of the University.
Learn more about how PRN was established
Our community
PRN is currently co-led by a vibrant committee of 16 academics, early and mid-career researchers, postgraduate colleagues, and professional services staff from 12 different departments.
Our broader PRN membership has grown to 160 members across all 5 faculties - find out how to get involved.
Our research projects and outputs
We support Research England institutional Participatory Research calls.
PGR experiences of participatory research
We've led two funded research projects which have creatively explored PGR experiences of participatory research in University research cultures.
The politics and practicalities of payment in participatory research
In July 2023 we hosted an event on the politics of renumeration in participatory research.
View our artistic outcomes from the day
Events and activities
Click on the events below to find out more.
Useful resources for participatory researchers
Reading list
Our committee members have created a collaborative, inter-disciplinary reading list outlining key texts related to participatory research. This is a living resource that we'll continue to update.
Get involved
Join the mailing list
Join our mailing list to learn more about PRN, associated events, training and resources - contact us at PRN@sheffield.ac.uk.
Join the network
We're very keen to welcome new members, either as part of the PRN committee or the wider research network.
The committee is non-hierarchical, inclusive and co-led. Catch up meetings are held monthly online, but committee members can contribute as and when they can. The non-hierarchical and relaxed approach to meetings is central to our belief that the network is beneficial, rather than additional labour, to its members.
Members of the wider network are encouraged to submit ideas of events or issues they'd like to discuss.
Overall, PRN is a space that brings together researchers from all disciplines with similar interests in ensuring research is participatory, ethical and meaningfully engaged with different kinds of communities.
If you'd like to get involved, please email Kirsty Liddiard, PRN Lead: k.liddiard@sheffield.ac.uk.
Contact us
Please also get in touch at PRN@sheffield.ac.uk if you have:
- a participatory research project that you'd like to be showcased or promoted through PRN
- any ideas for participatory research-related events that we could support
- any other questions
Follow us on Twitter (@PRNTUOS)
Our work
How we understand being ‘human’ differs between disciplines and has changed radically over time. We are living in an age marked by rapid growth in knowledge about the human body and brain, and new technologies with the potential to change them.