Connecting Local Knowledge with National Innovation in Research

The Isles of Scilly CRN is more than a local initiative – it’s part of a growing UK-wide shift toward a more inclusive, innovative, and community-driven research system. On our islands, people are leading the way in shaping research that is grounded in lived experience, rich in local knowledge, and full of innovative potential, and the CRN is contributing to a national conversation about how research can work better for everyone.

Changing the Research System from the Ground Up

Across the UK, organisations and communities are rethinking how research works – and who it’s for. There’s a growing recognition that research needs to be more responsive, inclusive, and rooted in the real lives of people and communities. That’s exactly what the British Science Association (BSA)’s new essay series, Creating Knowledge Together, explores. This collection of essays brings together the perspectives of researchers, community organisers, and local residents who are reshaping the boundaries of how research is designed, led, and shared.

The series highlights the importance of community-engaged research, where people who are often overlooked in traditional research models become central to the process – not as participants, but as co-creators. It’s about recognising that communities have deep expertise and insight, and that when they are actively involved, research becomes more relevant, more innovative, and more impactful.

This approach is deeply relevant to the Isles of Scilly where we, the CRN, are helping local residents investigate questions that matter to their lives – like the future of sustainable farming, marine conservation, or how access to mainland healthcare shapes island wellbeing. By taking part in research, not just as subjects but as partners, it ensures the research is rooted in the realities of our community – and it’s helping us build a better future from the inside out.

The Isles of Scilly at the ‘Pushing Boundaries’ Event

On June 10th, our Network Lead, Isabel, represented the Isles of Scilly at the Pushing Boundaries event in London, hosted by the Young Foundation. This gathering brought together people from across the UK to explore what it really takes to create a fairer, more inclusive research system – one that welcomes innovation not only from academic institutions but from communities themselves.

Participation in this event places the Isles of Scilly on the national stage as an example of how smaller, remote communities can play a leading role in shaping the future of research. It signals that the islands are not on the margins of research and innovation, but actively contributing to its evolution.

Why It Matters to the Islands

For some, this national context might feel distant, but the implications are very real and very local.

On the Isles of Scilly, community-led innovation means:

• Supporting local livelihoods through research into sustainable horticulture, land use, and the future of traditional industries like fishing and tourism

• Addressing everyday challenges – such as the high cost and limited availability of housing, or the dependency on cars due to sparse transport options – by grounding the research in the lived experience of islanders

• Protecting natural heritage with islanders designing research projects about the local Scilly shrew population or the impact of visitor activity on marine ecosystems

• Improving health and care by examining how remote healthcare access influences wellbeing, and exploring solutions grounded in the realities of island life

This isn’t research for its own sake, it’s research for real change – designed, developed, and delivered with the people who live here. It’s about making a difference in what matters most: decent homes, secure jobs, sustainable travel, and a future that works for Scilly.

A Growing Opportunity for Everyone

The CRN offers support, resources, and training to anyone on the islands who wants to explore a question, problem, or idea through research. You don’t need to be an academic or a scientist – just have a curiosity, interest, and a sense of what matters in our community.

Whether you’re concerned about the local impacts of climate change, curious about how tourism affects the environment, or interested in exploring the heritage and identity of the islands – there’s room for your voice in this network.

Be Part of a National Movement, From Right Here

As the Creating Knowledge Together series and the Pushing Boundaries event show, there’s a real appetite for change in how research is done. We're part of that shift – demonstrating that even small, remote communities can lead the way in innovation and inclusive research.

To learn more about the essay series, visit the British Science Association’s Creating Knowledge Together page.

Want to get involved?... share your ideas with us via our contact form or come in and see us in person at Quay House, on St. Mary's

Because research should begin where the questions matter most – and often, that’s right here at home.