With support from UNIC4ER seed funding for capacity building in engaged research with non-traditional researchers, Mary Cronin of the School of Public Health, University College Cork is leading this initiative to enhance the capacity of Traveller representative organisations to engage in research partnerships through training eight members of the ethnic minority Traveller community to work as peer-researchers.
Venue
Cork, Ireland
Date
Partners
APC Microbiome Ireland , The Traveller Visibility Group (TVG)
The Traveller Visibility Group (TVG) in Cork city is the external project partner while Professor Fergus Shanahan and Marc McCarthy of APC Microbiome Ireland, and Dr. Peter Barrett of the School of Public Health, are internal UCC partners. The partners had co-created a research concept for a follow-up study to the discovery that the Traveller community have a unique microbiome which may protect against certain health disorders. The seed funding to include Traveller peer-researchers was a welcome enhancement of this PPI (Public and Patient Involvement) project.
In Autumn 2023, three TVG community development staff became members of the team co-designing a prevalence study of three immune-mediated disorders in the Traveller community. Their involvement provided valuable insights on how best to gather information from the community, as well as key details in relation to the wording and number of questions. The research focus was also extended to include detailed accommodation questions following discussions with peer-researchers on the homelessness crisis in the Traveller community in Cork city. By March 2024 we had developed a family survey to gather data using an online platform; this is, we believe, the first time a large online survey will be undertaken with the Traveller community.
In Spring 2024, two TVG community health workers joined the research team as the survey instrument was fine-tuned and the peer-researchers recently participated in three research training and planning meetings. Training focused on learning about the research cycle, the role of peer-researchers and matters such as ethical research, confidentiality, providing information, securing informed consent, and supporting members of the community to complete the survey. They’ve participated in and led two pilot data collection sessions in April. Three further peer-researchers will be recruited via the Cork Traveller Women’s Network to ensure comprehensive reach into the community and high levels of participation; data collection began in May.
To enhance the capacity building process peer-researchers have been invited to participate in education on PPI through doing a digital badge in UCC and a number have expressed interest in this. All peer-researchers will be actively involved in interpretation and dissemination of findings, along with reflecting on the engaged research process. This work aligns with UNICs focus on superdiversity and inclusion advancing models for capacity building enabling community actors to participate in knowledge partnerships for best practice engaged research.
This Engaged Research initiative is contributing to:
UNIC Seed Fund
