Trial Accelerator Fund and Evaluation Development Fund Strategic Coordination

The UKRI Trial Accelerator Fund (TAF) and UKRI Evaluation Development Fund (EDF) are two separate but complementary programmes that will support research trials and related evaluation activity that improve our understanding of approaches that are effective in spreading opportunities and reducing spatial disparities in outcomes for people and places across the UK. The funds will support researchers working with partners in other sectors and local communities to test and measure the impact of different interventions using robust counterfactual impact evaluation methods wherever possible.

City-REDI will develop a programme involving workshops, policy briefings, in-person and online events, case studies and podcasts to share knowledge with stakeholders across the TAF, EDF and LPIP programmes. The cohort of projects will ensure that stakeholders have access to emerging evidence on what works to address place-based inequalities within and across areas of the UKRI.

The aims are to:

Enhance the impact and profile of the LPIPs programme by connecting stakeholders within the LPIPs network to emerging evidence on what works to address place-based inequalities.

Be known by key local and national stakeholders as a reliable source of robust causal evidence on reducing spatial disparities.

Support individual grant holders from a broader TAF programme community/cohort to share learnings and findings.

Build sustainable partnerships with key local LPIP stakeholders and support the exchange of knowledge between TAF, EDF and LPIP programmes.

Forge greater cohesion across investments supported by the Creating Opportunities, Improving Outcomes strategic theme.

Objectives

The UKRI Creating Opportunities, Improving Outcomes strategic theme aims to improve outcomes for people and places across the UK by identifying solutions that promote economic and social prosperity. Within this, the Trial Accelerator Fund and Evaluation Development Fund Strategic Coordination Hub will:

Connect and convene TAF/EDF grant holders, enabling the sharing of learnings on the role of ‘place’ in experimental research to reduce spatial disparities.

Support grant holders in strengthening their connections with local stakeholders across the LPIP network.

Ensure local stakeholders from the LPIP network can share ideas with TAF grants to inform their trial development.

Ensure findings from trials and related evaluation activities undertaken by TAF and EDF grant holders are shared with the relevant members of the LPIP network.

Team

Professor Rebecca Riley

Johannes Read

Reen Blake-Carr

Sarah Jeffery

Evaluation Development Fund projects

Title	Institution
NIESR Living Standards Evaluation Project	National Institute of Economic and Social Research
Evaluating the impact of Sure Start (Northern Ireland) using a naturally occurring experiment and a longitudinal birth cohort	University of Cardiff
Creating Better Opportunities in the South West Through a Growth-Mindset-of-Opportunity Intervention	University of Exeter
Tackling Youth Loneliness in Urban Areas: Measuring feasibility, acceptability and benefits of a social interaction intervention	Queen Mary, University of London
Tackling planning delays and housing under-supply across England: Can inter-municipal cooperation between local planning authorities help?	University of Southampton
The Role of Demand Responsive Transport in Connecting People to Opportunities in Less Densely Populated Areas	University of West of England
Evaluating the BabblePlay app intervention to encourage vocalising in infants with Down Syndrome	University of York
Harm reduction in homelessness services: evaluating Simon Community Scotland’s Safer Spaces approach	King’s College London
Parent Power: Evaluating a UK-wide place-based parental engagement intervention to reduce educational inequalities	King’s College London
Unlocking Innovative Potential: Experimentation Fund	NESTA
The effectiveness of public support for high-potential businesses	NESTA
Co-Stars Feasibility Evaluation	University of Birmingham
Do free schools increase opportunities and reduce disparities in economic and social outcomes?	Manchester Metropolitan University

Trial Accelerator Fund projects:

Partnership for Change: RCT of Infant Parent Support teams to address place-based inequalities for struggling families	University of Glasgow
PHOENIx for severe and multiple disadvantage	University of Edinburgh
CHESS: Civic Health Equity: from Silos to Systems	University of Liverpool
From the centre to the periphery: evaluating the Opportunity Areas program	University of Bath

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Local Policy Innovation Partnership Hub

The Local Policy Innovation Partnership (LPIP) Hub seeks to address nationwide issues through local partnership and place.