Solent invests more than £145,000 in research projects

In the last two years, 26 projects, pitched to the University by academics and researchers, have received support from Solent's Research Office through their Research, Innovation and Knowledge Exchange (RIKE) project grants scheme. 

Whether it's through raising awareness of local habitats, capturing community voices, or advocating for change, RIKE grants invite staff at Solent to undertake projects that align with key themes, including social policy, the environment and student entrepreneurship. 

The projects supported by Solent include important work by Dr Shakiba Moghadam, Lecturer in Psychology, into the barriers displaced communities in Southampton experience when trying to access mental health support. The project, which was made possible with funds from RIKE, has a personal influence for Shakiba, who says:

"This project holds a special place in my heart, as I was once a child refugee who found sanctuary right here in Southampton.

"It is critical to understand the lived experiences of displaced communities' access to mental health support services and better understand the barriers they face. A comprehensive understanding of such barriers can help future researchers create community focused, participatory, culturally informed interventions which centre the voices of displaced communities and their mental health needs."

Shakiba's research poses opportunities for community-focused collaboration and practical change and will be presented to the Southampton Sanctuary Network, of which Solent University is a founding member.

Elsewhere, 'Mapping Data and Photogrammetry for Heritage and Conservation Projects' was awarded a grant in the 2022/23 academic year. Led by Course Leader for CGI and VFX, Ken Pitts, and lecturer, Alex Scott, this is a multi-faceted research project that utilises digital technology to reconstruct historical sites in Hampshire.

Across three separate strands, the team are enhancing the way community members with limited accessibility can interact with sites of historical interest by creating maps, animations and virtual tours - as well as using drone footage - to bring locations such as Portsmouth Fort Purbrook to life.

Additional focus on local habitats has been led by Lecturer in Media Production, Frankie Murdoch. 'Losing a Landscape' captures the perspectives of 11 residents in Havant, where a new reservoir is being built, amplifying community voices through evocative photography and audio recordings. The project uses imagery, captured and created using environmentally friendly practices, to demonstrate the relationship between people and places.

Projects that also inform teaching approaches and contribute to student success have received funding. Annie Sanger-Davies, Course Leader in Performance, says:

"RIKE funding allowed us to take Charlie Locke and the Quest for Confidence - a children's theatre show written by Musical Theatre students - on a national tour, and it has also refined our practice within the department. Our research is helping us to define processes that help young companies, created by our students and graduates, to develop and produce their own work."