Trust and confidence in policing: Research & Innovation Consortium

Open UKRI funding opportunity · Grant. Closes 2026-10-27. Total fund £2 million. Opportunity page: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/trust-and-confidence-in-policing-research-innovation-consortium/

Apply for funding to develop and test dynamic tools and approaches to measure public trust and confidence in policing.

The consortium will develop methods to capture the views of the wider community, underrepresented groups, groups who are a priority for policing and their partners, with particular focus on the voices of under-18s and victims and survivors of violence against women and girls.

Project leads must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for UKRI funding.

The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £2 million. UKRI will fund 80% of the FEC.

The Consortium must start by 1 February 2027 for a duration of 36 months.

What we're looking for Aim

The core aims of this consortium are to:

- develop novel, engaging and dynamic methods which support police and their partners to gain real time feedback on trust and confidence

- test new and innovative ways of improving trust and confidence in the police

Scope

As part of the Safer Streets Research and Development Missions Accelerator Programme (R&D MAP), UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) is launching a funding opportunity focused on understanding trust and confidence in policing in the UK.

The aim is to develop new, engaging and dynamic ways of measuring communities’ views, which address gaps in current approaches and remain affordable for police and their partners.

Public trust and confidence in policing have declined in recent years, thought to be driven by a range of factors. Strategies, such as the Safer Streets Mission and the Police Reform White Paper, have been introduced to address this. Currently trust and confidence in policing in England and Wales is measured through several valuable tools, including:

- Crime Survey for England and Wales (Office for National Statistics)

- the…