Adrian Norridge Housing Research Bursary
Call for Research Proposals
Deadline: 17.00 Monday 21st March 2016
Clúid Housing is pleased to announce a competition for the fifth Adrian Norridge Housing Research Bursary, established in honour of Clúid’s founder, Adrian Norridge. The bursary aims to support applied research on housing issues that will be of relevance to the social housing sector in Ireland.
Combatting stigma in social housing
The primary research objective is to identify a range of strategies and measures that will aim to reduce the stigmatisation of social housing in Ireland.
Background to the proposal
Clúid Housing was established in 1994 and has grown to become a major provider of social housing in Ireland with over 5300 social rented homes across the country, and a continuing ambitious development programme that aims to provide some 1500 new homes over the next three years. Further information on Clúid Housing can be found at www.cluid.ie.
The stigmatisation of social housing is a well-established phenomenon that is supported by a wide body of research (for example Davison et al. 2013; Dean and Hastings 2000; Fahey 1999; Fahey et al. 2011; Jacobs and Flanagan 2013; Power 1998; Power and Tunstall 1995; Warr 2006).
Explanations for stigma are generally ‘pathological’, or ‘structural’ (for example Lupton, 2004 and Hastings, 2004). Clúid Housing takes the view that stigma is a function of structural factors such as socio-economic inequalities, rather than pathological explanations which locate the causes of stigma within individual behaviour.
This stigmatisation affects a number of areas of Clúid Housing’s work: opposition to new social housing developments is frequently based on stigma; regeneration projects may be similarly affected; in some cases the image of an estate or part of an estate may be adversely affected by stigma; and Clúid’s tenants may feel the effects of stigma in a range of ways.
Research tasks
An understanding of the nature, causes, and effects of stigmatisation is an essential prerequisite for the development of strategies for combatting stigmatisation. Thus the researchers’ first task will be to identify the different dimensions of stigma that are associated with social housing, with particular reference to social housing in Ireland. This may include distinguishing between different groups, such as local authority tenants and housing association tenants; examining the impact of stigma on different stakeholders, such as tenants, local authorities and/or housing associations, local and national politicians. In addition it may be useful to include an assessment of how austerity and the recession has changed or increased stigma. It may also be worthwhile to consider the extent to which there are hierarchies of stigma among social housing tenants.
This analysis will incorporate a theoretical understanding of stigma (for example Goffman, 1963) whilst at the same time locating it firmly in the real world.
The primary research task will involve developing a suite of strategies and measures that will aim to reduce stigma in social housing. This may include actions that are specific to the development of new housing developments (including combatting NIMBYism); actions that aim to reduce stigma in relation to existing social housing; and actions that relate to national housing policy. In relation to national housing policy it may be useful to examine the likely impact of such policies as the promotion of mixed tenure housing on stigma in social housing.
These measures may target different audiences and may include local initiatives, area-based programmes, national campaigns and within these an array of approaches.
In carrying out this analysis it will be important to be aware that Clúid tenants, in common with most social housing tenants, are characterised by low incomes; a high risk of poverty; a high percentage of lone parent families and high levels of unemployment. Thus as a group they are highly disadvantaged compared with the population as a whole. The research will need to distinguish between the effects of this disadvantage and the effects of stigma, although the two are of course clearly linked.
It is acknowledged that impact assessment of these kinds of measures can be challenging, but researchers will be expected to address this issue.
It is also acknowledged that combatting stigma in social housing is a formidable challenge. However it is not insurmountable, and we believe there are some measures that will have a realistic chance of influencing stigma in the short term, as well as others that will need a longer period and others still that need national leadership.
Finally, this call for proposals is deliberately not prescriptive about methodologies or research strategies and we are open to considering a wide range of approaches.
References
Davison, G. et al, (2013), Understanding and addressing community opposition to affordable housing development, AHURI Final Report No.211, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, Melbourne
Dean, J. and Hastings, A. (2000), Challenging Images: Housing Estates, Stigma and Regeneration, The Policy Press, Bristol
Fahey T, (Ed) (1999), Social Housing in Ireland: A Study of Success, Failure and Lessons Learned, Oak Tree Press, Dublin
Fahey T, Norris M, McCafferty D, Humphreys E, (2011), Combating Social Disadvantage in Social Housing Estates: The policy implications of a ten-year follow-up study, Combat Poverty Agency, Dublin
Goffman, E. (1963) Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity, Simon & Schuster, New York
Hastings, A. (2004), Stigma and social housing estates: beyond pathological explanations, Journal of Housing and the Built Environment 19: 233–254, 2004.
Jacobs, K. and Flanagan, K. (2013), Public housing and the politics of stigma Australian Journal of Social Issues Vol.48 No.3,
Lupton, R. (2004) Poverty Street: The Dynamics of Neighbourhood Decline and Renewal, The Policy Press, Bristol.
Power, A. (1998) Estates on the Edge: The Social Consequences of Mass Housing in Europe, Macmillan, London
Power, A. and Tunstall, R. (1995) Swimming Against the Tide: Polarisation or Progress in 20 Unpopular Council Estates 1980–1995, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, York.
Warr D.J. (2006), There goes the neighbourhood: The malign effects of stigma, Social City, 19, 1-11
Eligibility
Applications are invited from independent researchers, post-graduate researchers at institutions of higher education, housing organisations or other voluntary bodies wishing to undertake research.
Bursary
The amount awarded for the research will be a maximum of €15,000. The final bursary amount will be awarded in line with the merit of the proposal and on the basis of the proposed budget outlined in the application form. Applications can be for sole funding from Clúid, but proposals for projects that have already received other financial support will also be considered.
The bursary amount is all-inclusive, i.e. no additional payment is available for expenses or other disbursements. In particular if VAT is applicable the total research cost, inclusive of VAT, must be a maximum of €15,000. Clúid Housing will however cover the costs of publishing the research report and a public launch. Payment of the bursary will be in 3 stages, linked to the approval of the progress report and completion of the final report. Details of disbursement will be agreed with the researcher selected.
The recipient of the bursary will be responsible for ensuring that any taxation that is applicable is paid in full.
Research proposals
All applications must be submitted using the attached application form. This includes:
· Information on the principal researcher (contact and background information, current curriculum vitae) and any co-researchers, if applicable.
· A summary of the research proposal (max 250 words)
· Applicant’s understanding of the research topic (max 250 words)
· Detailed research proposal (max 750 words)
· Proposed budget including daily rates of researcher(s) where appropriate
· Brief list of current other support for this proposal, if any (grants, awards, etc.)
Evaluation criteria
Evaluation criteria will include:
· The extent to which the proposal addresses the primary research objective
· The relevant experience and research record of the applicant
· The applicant’s understanding of the research topic
· The strength of the methodological model and proposed analysis
Applications will be assessed by the Clúid Housing Research Board.
Successful applicants will be required to supply a current tax clearance certificate.
Timeframe
It is envisaged that the award will be announced in April 2016; the research will be completed by summer 2016, for publication and a launch in the autumn. It is anticipated that the launch will form part of a seminar on the topic of stigma in social housing.
Reporting and output
The recipient of the bursary will be required to submit a brief progress report (3-6 pages) mid-way through the grant period and to attend review meetings with the Research Board as required. The final output will be a research report of publishable standard.
Application Submission
Proposals must be submitted using the attached application form. The deadline for submission is 17.00 on Monday 21st March 2016.
An electronic copy of the application should be submitted to:
Simon Brooke
Head of Policy
Clúid Housing
63-66 Amiens Street
Dublin 1
Email:
Further information
If you have any questions regarding the application process or questions of clarification on this Call for Proposals, please contact Simon Brooke, Head of Policy, Clúid Housing, by email only at .
Adrian Norridge Housing Research Bursary
Combatting stigma in social housing
APPLICATION FORM
SECTION A: PERSONAL DETAILS
1. Principal Researcher Details
Title / First name / Last nameOrganisation
Position
Address
Telephone / Fax / Email
2. Co-researcher(s) Details (if applicable)
Title / First name / Last nameOrganisation
Position
Address
Telephone / Fax / Email
Title / First name / Last name
Organisation
Position
Address
Telephone / Fax / Email
SECTION B: PRINCIPAL RESEARCHER CAREER SUMMARY
Current employment Please state position and companyStart date of current employment
Last employment Please state position and company
Academic qualifications Please include any qualifications and dates obtained
Area(s) of research expertise
Relevant research studies or publications completed in the last 5 years
SECTION C: CO-RESEARCHER(S) CAREER SUMMARY (if applicable)
NameCurrent employment Please state position and company
Start date of current employment
Last employment Please state position and company
Academic qualifications Please include any qualifications and dates obtained
Area of research expertise
Relevant research studies or publications completed in the last 5 years
Name
Current employment Please state position and company
Start date of current employment
Last employment Please state position and company
Academic qualifications Please include any qualifications and dates obtained
Area of research expertise
Relevant research studies or publications completed in the last 5 years
SECTION D: RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Summary Enter a summary of your proposed research project - maximum 250 wordsUnderstanding of the research topic – maximum 250 words
.
Detailed research proposal – This should include methodologies to be applied, main work tasks and a tasks/time chart that includes dates for submission of interim and final reports - maximum 750 words
SECTION E: FINANCIAL DETAILS
Proposed Expenditure
Type / Description / Costs (EURO)Travel
Subsistence
Research expenses
Including daily rates for researcher(s) where appropriate
Other
Sub-total
An electronic copy of the completed application should be submitted to:
Simon Brooke
Head of Policy
Clúid Housing Association
63-66 Amiens Street
Dublin 1
Email:
Closing date 17.00 Monday 21st March 2016