SPACE - Safety Theme Research Grant
Understanding and improving officer wellbeing pathways
The Scottish Policing Academic Centre of Excellence (SPACE) is a UKRI funded Centre of Excellence which builds on the Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR) model. SPACE focuses on key policing Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) to improve Safety, build Prevention, and maximise the use of Analytics in a manner that inspires Confidence and meets high Ethical standards.
Focus of grant
The purpose of this call is to explore a key priority area within the ‘Safety’ theme related to officer wellbeing initiatives. In the 2024 HMICS report, “Frontline Focus – Wellbeing”, several recommendations were made concerning the experiences of officers and staff, in order to create a more proactive and preventative approach to wellbeing. Given this, SPACE is providing funding to explore key evidence gaps in this area, working closely with Police Scotland’s Professional Services Directorate (PSD) and the wellbeing team.
In particular, there is a growing focus on the impact of officers on duty modifications. While Police Scotland had 16,402 full-time equivalent officers at the end of June this year, 2,915 are currently classed as being on modified duties. As was reported at the Scottish Police Authority’s people committee, 39,078 working days had been lost to officer long-term absence in the first quarter of 2026-27.
The central focus should be on understanding and improving officer wellbeing pathways, including what effective organisational support should look like at different stages of an officer’s experience. Proposals should consider the full system of support available to staff and officers, and identify points where individuals may be falling between existing services or organisational responsibilities.
This should not be limited to officers undergoing investigation and could explore a wide range of elements of the experience of modified duties including:
· maintaining and supporting wellbeing
· suicide prevention
· professional standards
· available (or missing) support mechanisms
· understanding of meaningful employment
The bid should be developed closely with Police Scotland’s Professional Standards and wellbeing function, given the interest in understanding PSD-related wellbeing gaps.
Research questions
There are a number of interlinked challenges relating to this which a research project could explore, including some or all of the following:
· To what extent do the current experiences of duty restrictions and/ or modifications impact on the wellbeing of police officers?
· With respect to duty restrictions, what are the opportunities and challenges of peer-to-peer welfare officer support and are there way(s) these role(s) could be developed and enhanced further? What are the wider organisation
· To what extent are police officers on duty restriction and/ or modification given ‘meaningful roles’ and are there ways to enhance officer’s experiences of duty restriction and modifications?
· What are the impacts at Divisional level on the way that those on duty restriction and/or modifications are allocated?
· What are the opportunities and barriers for supporting officers back to their substantive role following a period of duty restriction and/or modifications?
Exepected outcomes and outputs
We anticipate that applicants will provide a detailed knowledge exchange and dissemination plan, with outputs that will ideally move beyond simply describing the problem, and instead generate actionable recommendations for organisational pathways, interventions, and support mechanisms.
Contact for further discussion
If you would like to discuss the suitability of your project idea to ensure it would be appropriate for the remit of this call, please contact Professor Andrew Wooff (a.wooff@napier.ac.uk) or Monica Craig (SPACE Centre Manager – m.craig2@napier.ac.uk)
Information for applicants
• Eligibility
Applications are welcomed from researchers with expertise in the areas identified above.
Principal Investigators (PI) must be based at a SIPR University, with their relevant HEI as the administering organisation. Applications from Early Career Researchers are particularly welcomed.
• Value
The maximum grant value from SPACE per application will be £30,000, though smaller applications are also welcome. We welcome proposals which include co-funding from other sources (which may bring the total project value above £30,000).
All applications submitted will be costed on the basis of full economic costs (FEC). If a grant is awarded, SPACE will provide funding at 80% of the FEC with the remaining 20% covered by the administering institution. In effect, this means that for a project costed at £30,000 at 80% full economic costing, the maximum total value awarded from SPACE will be £24,000.
• Assessment Process
To ensure that funded projects are of high quality, all applications will be subject to a robust evaluation process. This will include review and assessment against a set of criteria by an independent panel comprising of senior academics, police personnel or other stakeholders, including representatives from the SPACE Management Committee and Advisory Group.
Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:
· The extent to which the proposed project meets the requirements of the call outlined above, with appropriate methodological design and ethical considerations;
· The suitability and eligibility of the proposed team (i.e., Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator’s experience and expertise in the field of study);
· The project’s feasibility and value for money (i.e., a project’s ambition, risk management plans and ability to deliver outcomes to budget and within timescales); and
· The Dissemination/ Knowledge Exchange (KE) plans, pathways to impact, outputs and potential benefits/impact (i.e., project legacy and potential to influence police and practice). Please note, it is expected that some of the requested funding will be budgeted to undertaking KE and/or Dissemination activities as part of the grant.
• Application process
Full applications are due by Friday 20th November, however, applicants are required to submit an Expression of Interest by Friday 30th October 2026. This should include:
· Working title of the proposal;
· Research questions being addressed;
· The Principal Investigator’s name and institution;
· Name(s) and institution(s) of any co-investigators;
· Whether your project will require access from Police Scotland to either data or personnel.
For the full application, applicants are required to complete the relevant form including the following information:
• Terms
Only one application is permitted from any applicant for this call.
Projects should be a maximum of 12 months in duration, commencing as soon as possible but no later than 30 January 2027 and completed no later than (i.e., acceptance of final research report) by 30 January 2028.
This call covers 80% funding of the full economic cost (fEC), with the remaining 20% funded by the institution.
Successful applicants will be required to enter into a funding agreement with Edinburgh Napier University). 50% funding will be provided on commencement of the project with 25% paid on the provision of a mid-term report, and the remaining 25% provided on delivery of the final report. The final research report will be published by SPACE and SPACE must be acknowledged in all media and publications resulting from the project. Funded projects will be required to report back on publications, impacts and where this funding has enabled the generation of external income.
• Timetable
The dates below are indicative only and may be subject to change.
Item | Expected Dates (tbc.) |
|---|---|
Grant call launched | wc 5/10/26 |
Expressions of Interest (via email) | 30th October 2026 |
Closing date for applications | Friday 20th November 2026 |
Applications sent to award panel | Mon 23rd November 2026 |
Award panel meets | Week beginning 30th November 2026 |
Decisions announced | Early December 2026 |
Ineligible costs
These grants will not cover the following costs:
· Endowments;
· Individual items of equipment;
· A shortfall resulting from a withdrawal of or deficiency in public finance;
· Sites, buildings or other capital expenditure; and
· Student tuition fees or stipends.
For more information, please contact
Monica Craig – Centre Manager m.craig2@napier.ac.uk