Research Opportunities
Information about SIPR Practitioner Fellowships
Police staff and other practitioners with interests in policing are invited to submit proposals to the Institute for Practitioner Fellowships. These provide the opportunity to engage in a piece of policing related research under the supervision and guidance of an academic member of staff. Fellowships can be held for variable lengths of time and should be focused on a specific issue or question. Practitioner Fellows will also agree a set of outputs from their period of study, which might include a briefing paper for the police service and an article or conference presentation co-authored with their academic supervisor. Small amounts of funding are available to cover the costs of travel to and from the host institution and research expenses, such as photocopying and printing.
Those interested in applying for a Practitioner Fellowship are encouraged to contact the Director or one of the Associate Directors of the Scottish Institute for Policing Research.
What are Practitioner Fellowships?
- The Fellowships are aimed at all practitioner groups involved with the policing of Scotland, including police officers and other police staff, those working on policing issues in central and local government, the business community and in the voluntary sector.
- The Fellowships provide an opportunity for practitioners to work together with members of academic staff from the consortium universities on the practical and/or policy applications of a policing topic or issue. Academic staff will provide guidance on issues of research design and methodology, including topics such as data collection and analysis, the relationship with other relevant research, and the writing up and presentation of the project.
- Fellowships can be held for variable lengths of time, but would normally be a minimum of 3 months duration and a maximum of 12 months. Over this period there would be regular one-day or half-day meetings between the Practitioner Fellow and the academic staff to discuss the development and progress of the project.
- Practitioner Fellows will agree a set of outputs from their period of study, which might include a briefing paper for the police service and an article or conference presentation co-authored with their academic supervisor.
What are the key benefits of the Practitioner Fellowship programme?
- By drawing on the expertise of practitioners to undertake rigorous and robust analysis of specific issues, the Fellowship programme aims to make a significant contribution to improving policing in Scotland. Benefits will therefore be felt by organisations, communities and individuals involved in policing, whether as 'providers' or 'consumers'.
- By creating opportunities for regular interaction between practitioners and university researchers, the programme will contribute to processes of knowledge exchange and knowledge transfer. The programme will enhance practitioner awareness and understanding of relevant research, and academic awareness of the key issues facing organisations involved with policing.
- At an individual level too there will be important benefits for practitioner fellows in terms of developing their knowledge and understanding of particular topics as well as enhancing their research skills; for academic staff the programmes offers opportunities to gain important insights into specific issues, forge new research partnerships and expand research networks.
What costs are met by the Fellowship?
- The following Universities have specific funding to support fellows: Abertay, Dundee, Glasgow Caledonian, St Andrews, and West of Scotland. However, this does not preclude fellowships being held at the other consortium universities (Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Napier, Robert Gordon, Stirling and Strathclyde).
- The funding available is only to cover items such as the costs of travel to and from the host institution and research expenses, such as photocopying and printing, inter-library loans, fieldwork, and attendance at conferences. It does not cover salaries.
Who is eligible?
- You should be a member of a practitioner group involved with the policing of Scotland, including police forces and other police organizations, central or local government, the business community and the voluntary sector.
- You should not use a fellowship to support work being undertaken as part of a Higher degree.
How to apply and criteria for assessment
- Applicants should submit their ideas for research to be carried out under this programme (maximum of two A4 pages) to the Director of SIPR indicating the following:
- Your objectives during the fellowship and the added value of the work in terms of its contribution to improvements in policing;
- Your planned activities over the period which you would hold a fellowship and what you see as the key outputs form the fellowship;
- Background information including your name, your organisation, contact details, preferred start date and duration of fellowship; partner university and academic supervisor(s).
- Applicants must also include a letter of support from their line-manager.
- Assessment of your application will be in terms of its potential to contribute to improvements in policing.
Examples of current SIPR Practitioner Fellowships
The effectiveness of police negotiator training Chief Inspector Andy Brown, Scottish Police College
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The development of a Territorial Policing Doctrine Inspector Tony Bone, Strathclyde Police
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Cold Calling Zones Brian Smith, Senior Trading Standards Officer, Angus Council