We are excited to share the fantastic news that multiple members of the SPRINT Project research team have successfully secured funding from the QR Research and Knowledge Exchange funds. These grants will enable us to further our research into psychologically informed environments and the safety of performance settings. Keep reading to learn more about these projects and their impact.
From Guidelines to Action: Feasibility of Psychologically Informed Research Cultures in Emotionally Demanding Research
Principal Investigator: Dr Mary Quinton
Co-Investigators: Prof. Jenn Cumming, Dr Grace Tidmarsh
Project Partner: Mind
The proposed project aims to address the mental health challenges faced by researchers involved in Emotionally Demanding Research (EDR). Building on previous work that explored best practice for safeguarding researchers' mental health in EDR across academic and non-academic contexts, the project seeks to determine the acceptability and feasibility of implementing co-designed guidelines to address this important issue. With support from the QR Research and Knowledge Exchange Enhancing Research Culture Fund, this project takes a systems approach intending to benefit not only researchers, but also supervisors, managers, and the broader research community, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and psychologically safe research culture.
The new insights gained in this project will reduce the knowledge to practice gap and contribute towards a better understanding of how to implement a more psychologically informed and inclusive research culture.
From Stage to Safety: Advancing Policy for a Safer Dance Environment
Principal Investigator: Dr Mary Quinton
Co-Investigators: Prof. Jenn Cumming, Dr Yoon Jin Kim, Dr Sarah-Jane Fenton, Dr Georgia Bird
Project Partners: OneDance UK, National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science, Birmingham Royal Ballet
Harassment and abuse are major concerns in the dance sector, where safeguarding policies remain inconsistent due to a lack of regulation. Building on four years of research, the SPRINT team is working with industry experts and organisations to drive meaningful policy change.
With support from the QR Research and Knowledge Exchange Policy Support fund, we will survey UK dance organisations to assess safeguarding progress, hold focus groups with key stakeholders (e.g., physiotherapists, GPs) to understand their role in identifying harm, and analyse existing policies to create clearer, evidence-based safeguarding standards. By working closely with the sector, we aim to develop practical recommendations that will strengthen protections and ensure safer dance environments for all.
What’s next?
This funding is a big step forward for the SPRINT Project! It will help us put research into action, making a real difference for people working in emotionally demanding settings and performance environments. A huge thank you to our funders for making this possible. We’re excited to keep you updated as things develop. If you want to stay in the loop, be sure to sign up for our blog.
For more information, visit our project pages: Researcher Mental Health & Safeguarding & Abuse
And if you have any thoughts or questions, drop us a question!
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