CKM 2025 Gathering: Community Bursary Scheme

Individuals, either independent or affiliated with a specific organisation or community group. We’re primarily a Gathering for the network, but you don't already need to be a member of Community Knowledge Matters to apply as long as you’re passionate about community-led research!

Note that the General Registration for the event (i.e. those who are not applying for the bursary) is different and will be open soon.

People should apply as individuals. During the form, there will be space to fill in information about the organisation or institutions you are affiliated with (if any).

We are looking to bring together a mix of both grassroots individuals with lived experience, communities, researchers, practitioners and policy makers. To ensure we make the most of the bursaries, we may have to prioritise allocating one bursary per organisation.

These bursaries are designated to support people who would not otherwise be able to attend and benefit from the Gathering.

All individuals are eligible, but we will be prioritising individuals with diverse lived experiences, along with community based organisations in rural and island Scotland to join us. We also recognise there are others working in this area who may not be able to attend otherwise, e.g. independent researchers and practitioners.

We will be looking to support the involvement of both those new to community-led or driven research as well as those who are more experienced.

These bursaries are designated to support people who would not otherwise be able to attend the event (e.g don’t have other funding sources), and we will be allocating these on the basis of ensuring a balance and diversity of attendees, as far as possible.

We are looking to include a wide range of perspectives - bringing in both those individuals who are completely new to community-led research as well as those who are more experienced to take part and share their learning.

We’re a community network foregrounding rural voices (including Highlands and Islands and wider), and so priority will be given to people coming from a community, grassroots and/or lived experience lens, and participants primarily living and/or working in rural and island Scotland.

We also welcome practitioners, researchers and policy makers to join the Gathering, and share experiences and develop actions collaboratively, and recognise that there may be those who also may not be able to attend otherwise - for example, independent researchers and students - and so welcome applications for the bursary too.

Yes, people who got a bursary to come to last year’s Gathering are able to apply this year as well. We will be seeking to balance supporting both those who have been involved in the network as well as new voices.

Note that the General Registration for the event (i.e. those who are not applying for the bursary) is different and will be open soon.

We’re a network particularly centring communities and therefore will be generally prioritising bursaries for those coming from a community, grassroots and/or lived experience.

One of our core aims are to break down the barriers and the binaries between communities, researcher, practitioners and policy makers and so the Gathering will very much be welcoming different participants together and the multiple hats people often wear.

We also recognise that researchers in institutions often have access to travel grants and/or wider support and so encourage researchers in this position to not apply for a bursary. However if you do not have this support - or are an independent researcher - and would not be able to join otherwise, then please do apply.

This is also the case for students who are interested in community-led research, please do apply for the bursary if you would like to come.

The expressions of interest for a bursary will open on Thursday 5 June and close on Monday 30 June 6pm. The decisions will be shared by Wednesday 30 July and we may operate a "waiting list" and if possible open another round of the bursaries once the main programme is out depending on capacity and interest.

Note that the General Registration for the event (i.e. those who are not applying for the bursary) is different and will be open soon.

We will also host an information session on Thursday 12 June at 1pm if you'd like to find out more about the network and the bursary process. Sign up for this here.

We encourage you to apply for the bursary early and give a realistic indication of anticipated costs of attending to allow us to allocate as fairly as possible and make the most of the funding to allow more people to join.

The decisions will be shared by Wednesday 30 July and we may operate a "waiting list" and if possible open another round of the bursaries once the main programme is out depending on capacity and level of interest.

We’re a network foregrounding rural and island voices (both Highlands and Islands and otherwise). We're especially keen for people primarily living and/or working in rural and island Scotland to join us.

However, we might consider applications from other parts of Scotland to cover the costs of travel, accommodation and/or accessibility expenses of people who would not otherwise be able to attend the Gathering. Similarly we may also be able to welcome a few community organisations in UK to share learning. However, we cannot cover expenses of individuals from outwith the UK unfortunately and encourage those internationally to join the Gathering online.

We’re primarily a Gathering for the network, but you don't need to be an existing member of Community Knowledge Matters to apply to join us.

The bursaries are able to cover:

• costs of travel (fuel and public transport) 

• Accommodation

• Accessibility expenses and needs

• Additional support needs or requirements to enable you to participate (e.g. provision of childcare).

We are not able to reimburse for alcohol expenses and there is an expense cap for meals.

Whilst there isn’t a specific amount that is a maximum, we have a limited bursary pot overall and so will be doing the best we can to ensure a wide range of people can attend.

Please give a realistic indication of anticipated expenses to attend to allow us to allocate as fairly as possible, and we’ll consider this on a case-by-case basis and may have further conversations with applicants to understand the needs and support available

Yes, we can offer complete and partial bursaries on a case by case basis e.g. if you have access to some funding which we can complement. Please fill out the form and let us know your specific needs.

Note that the General Registration for the event (i.e. those who are not applying for the bursary) is different and will be open soon.

If your Bursary Application is successful you won’t need to register for the event. Otherwise, please do. We will let you know if you are successful as soon as possible.

After the deadline, the requests will be considered as a whole and the results of expressions of interest will be announced by 30 July.

We will let you know if you are successful by email and then ask you to book your own travel to and from Inverness as soon as possible, and we will make an expense form available to claim this back promptly.

If you’re not successful in this round, we may operate a "waiting list" and/or open another round of the bursaries once the main programme is out depending on capacity and availability.