King's College London

Background

Lambeth HDRC is a place-based research and evaluation partnership hosted by Lambeth Council and funded by the NIHR. It aims to build research capacity and capability within the local authority to better understand and act on the wider determinants of health. The collaboration brings together local government, academic partners, and community stakeholders to co-produce evidence that informs policy and practice, with a focus on reducing health inequalities.

As one of 30 national HDRCs, Lambeth HDRC supports a culture of evidence-informed decision-making and contributes new research where gaps exist. It offers researchers a unique opportunity to collaborate with a local authority embedded in community systems. The HDRC looks for opportunities to leverage local data, service team knowledge, and lived experience expertise, enabling research that is methodologically robust and grounded in real-world contexts.

Research Focus

Lambeth HDRC’s research priorities are co-designed with local communities through our Community Knowledge Network (CKN), which provides a structured model for equitable community involvement in research. The HDRC’s research focus is on:

• Data linkage and intelligence – integrating NHS and council datasets to understand and address health inequalities.
• Evaluation of local interventions – including work with PHIRST and with academic partners in areas including youth violence, housing, and financial resilience.

• Participatory research – supporting fellowships and embedded researcher roles to lead community-driven inquiry and integrating CKN members into research projects.

Opportunities for collaboration

Lambeth HDRC works with academic partners to:

• Apply for research grants, support research-focused relationship building and enable collaborations relating to the local authority services and Lambeth community priorities (eg through joint grant applications).
• Host NIHR fellowships, including Pre-doctoral Local Authority Fellows (PLAF).
• Support embedded researcher placements and joint appointments with service areas.
• Co-design and deliver evaluations of local programmes and pilots.
• Develop shared approaches to knowledge mobilisation and dissemination.

Methods

The HDRC uses mixed-methods approaches and prioritises inclusive approaches that centre lived experience and community knowledge.

Timeframe

2022–2027

Funding

Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) under the Health Determinants Research Collaboration programme.

Outputs

The HDRC produces a range of outputs including:

• Academic publications and conference presentations
• Community reports and visual tools
• Policy and evidence briefings
• Research and evaluation frameworks
• Co-produced podcasts and animations