Castles Quilt produced jointly by u3as in Wales
u3a Research and Shared Learning Projects take many forms. Some are devised on a national or regional basis, and others are devised and run by the members themselves. Projects cover anything that stimulates the interest of those taking part. Some may want to work with a university department, others might be counting species for a local wildlife initiative, but they are all valid and valued.
There may be organisations in your own area that you can partner with for a project: local history societies, arts groups, libraries, museums, town twinning committees and so on.
Help and advice
The Research and Shared Learning Committee oversees all projects and can provide help and advice about any part of a project, from approaching a potential partner organisation to overall project planning and delivery.
The Research and Shared Learning Committee also manages the research database which has a list of projects undertaken by u3a members to date; this would be a good place to start if you are looking for project ideas. If you are looking for projects that are available for you to join in with at the moment, the projects page details projects currently in progress and examples of recent projects.
If you're looking to get started on a project, try using our ACTIVE Project methodology which is designed to help get you up and running quickly.
ACTIVE Project Methodology (123.7 KB)
If you're considering research in depth, the below guides may help you. If you have any further questions, please contact us.
Research - The Ethical Implications - Sept 21 (89.6 KB)
External Research with U3A members as Research Subjects (166.43 KB)
Research Requests - Sept 21 (88.02 KB)
Contact
There are both national and regional contacts in the Research and Shared Learning Committee listed below that you can contact for assistance with your project. We also run a mailing list with news about opportunities about Research and Shared Learning. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you would like to join the mailing list.