The Sheffield team was delighted to be able to use bridging funding from the School for Social Care Research to support two Early Career Researchers in 2025 to submit grant proposals, work on publications and gain post-doctoral employment.
The bridging fund has enabled me to work on developing publications based on my thesis work (February - April 2025). One paper has been submitted to a high-quality journal, the Journal of Documentation, and is currently being revised in line with the reviewers’ recommendations ("The role of online groups for autistic people in users’ autism information journeys"). A second paper is being developed for submission to the Journal for Medical Internet Research, a leading academic journal in medical Informatics ("Balancing the benefits and risks of using online autism groups for social support: a qualitative study of autistic users' experiences”). I am also carrying out exploratory work for an application for an SSCR grant. The bridging fund has allowed me to attend relevant seminars and networking events to develop my professional knowledge in the area of social care research, such as a seminar on improving adult social care for seldom heard groups. I will soon be starting work as a Research Associate providing support to the NIHR-funded eDirect (Evaluating Digital Interventions for People with Type 2 Diabetes and depREssion/anxiety ComorbidiTies) project (NIHR304983), and the bridging fund enabled me to undertake further work before this project commenced.
In summary, the bridging fund has helped me with the transition from completing my PhD to working on other projects and continuing my professional development.
Dr Suzanne Duffin
April 2025
The SSCR bridging funding provided invaluable support for developing my research proposal on exploring how homecare workers approach relationship building and emotional engagement in their work. The funding created dedicated time and space to build my understanding of the social care landscape, its systemic challenges, and the diverse research approaches addressing these issues. The opportunity also allowed me to reflect on my previous academic endeavours and fully explore potential new directions for it. I identified connections between my established interests in emotion and humour in everyday life, and emerging questions in social care provision that I had not previously considered. I have also been guided in strengthening my proposal writing skills and put in contact with a wealth of potential collaborators and support systems. The connections formed with other SSCR member centres proved particularly valuable, introducing me to a community of researchers tackling similar challenges from different perspectives. The support has effectively positioned me to pursue larger research grants that could lead to leading a research team and making meaningful contributions to homecare practice.
Dr Adam Carter
May 2025