About
The Co-Production Futures Inquiry was a UK-wide Inquiry to identify practical changes that can improve the conditions for doing co-produced and participatory research within UK universities and the Higher Education (HE) sector. This website brings together what we learned, the evidence we collected, and our recommendations for action.
Co-production in university-based research is about building synergies between academic researchers and their research partners (or co-researchers). Partners can be members of the public, community organisations, public sector organisations, central, local, and city-regional government, or the private sector.
What we did
Between 2024-2026, the Inquiry gathered evidence from across the UK to understand what helps participatory and co-produced research succeed, and what gets in the way.
We brought together researchers, professional staff within UK universities, funders, community partners and policy-makers to identify practical changes that universities and the wider Higher Education sector can make.
Across the two years, we conducted workshops, interviews, a public Call for Evidence and Ideas, and desk-based secondary analysis. We deliberated on this evidence with a high-profile Inquiry Panel, who helped us to identify actions for change.
The process was overseen by our Community Reference Group and was supported by our Participatory Research Funders Group.
Learn more about our Inquiry members
Why we did this
Co-produced and participatory approaches are increasingly advocated for by funders, universities and research users as a way to meet growing expectations for universities to undertake excellent research with partners beyond the academy in the most ethical, efficient and impactful ways.
However, the rhetoric around co-production has not been matched by the institutional structures, processes and cultures to facilitate it.
Co-produced and participatory research are often done despite, rather than because of, the institutional context.
Sometimes this means that co-research partners get a raw deal, it can take a toll on individual academic researchers, and we might fail to maximise the opportunities for better collaboration.
It is in this context that we launched the Co-Pro Futures Inquiry in 2024.
We recognised the need for sector-wide reflection on what universities, funders, and policy-makers need to do to support this effectively.
What we learned
Across the UK, people told us that the biggest barriers are not a lack of commitment, but the way universities and the wider research system are organised.
We found barriers across many areas, including:
- funding and payment processes
- ethics and governance
- partnerships with communities
- contracts and intellectual property
- career progression and research assessment
- the ways universities measure success
Our final output brings together this evidence and identifies five practical strategies for change to help universities, funders and the wider research and innovation sector create better conditions for co-produced and participatory research.
