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Short Abstract

The RISE project empowers Social Economy Organisations to pursue engaged research. By bridging gaps with academia through EU-funded training, it builds skills in collaboration, communication, and ethics advancing inclusive, evidence-based innovation across Europe.

Abstract

Societal challenges demand co-created solutions, yet a significant skills gap often impedes meaningful research partnerships between Social Economy Organisations (SEOs) and academia. SEOs frequently lack the tools and methodologies to effectively navigate the research landscape, limiting their capacity for impactful, evidence-based work. The RISE project, an EU-funded initiative, directly addresses this gap by empowering non-academic actors to become ‘research-ready’ in evidence-based practice, moving beyond traditional dissemination models.

RISE focuses on building core competencies through an engaged research training program. Initial findings from our ‘gaps and barriers’ workshops reveal diverse participant confidence levels and highlight key disconnects between SEOs and academic researchers, including issues in networking, communication, goal alignment, and funding. Workshops also identified critical challenges in competencies like sustainability planning, interdisciplinary research, and intellectual property management, alongside concerns regarding ethics and participant retention. We will share best practices and lessons learned through our workshops designed to fill in those gaps, and empower SEOs engaging in the research and funding landscape.

This session is ideal for academics interested in equitable partnership models, leaders from the third and public sectors seeking to enhance evidence-based practice, and policymakers aiming to foster a more robust and applied knowledge ecosystem. The RISE approach offers a tangible blueprint for a collaborative, effective, and socially engaged research culture in Europe.