The Jean Golding Institute aims to support collaborations between the University of Bristol and charities, community organisations and social enterprises in Bristol to make better use of their data. We can offer free technical support to teams that would benefit from collaborating with data experts. Our aim is to support your mission and generate a deeper relationship between the social sector and University research. 

What is data?  

Data is any information that has been collected and can be used to answer questions or provide insights. It can come in various forms beyond just numbers in tables. Here are some examples of different types of data: 

• Surveys: These can offer insights into people's preferences, experiences, or opinions. 
• Geographical Information: Examples include data on rainfall patterns, which can be used for environmental studies or agricultural planning. 
• Mapping: Geographic data that can help locate services or analyse spatial relationships. 
• Text: Written data such as webchats, which can provide qualitative insights into user experiences. 
• Behavioural information: Data on user actions, like Facebook ‘likes’ or other social media sites, which can be used to study behaviour patterns. These type of data will need to be anonymised so as to protect privacy (we can help with this as well). 

These diverse types of data can be used across various fields to answer specific questions, understand trends, and make informed decisions. 

What could you do with your data? 

We will discuss your needs and how our team can work with you. For example, if you want to start a new campaign you may want to quantify how previous campaigns have gone. Or you may want to create visuals to demonstrate to your stakeholders the impact of your work.   

Previously, we worked with an international NGO with a large dataset. We helped develop an app for potential collaborators to explore their data and understand if it could be used in future projects. 

What can we offer? And what is the time commitment? 

We have created a short expression of interest to understand your needs. After receiving this, we will set up a 1-hour meeting to discuss your aims, and discuss if the data that your organisation has can be used to tackle your query.  

If your organisation is interested in this free service, we will provide a workplan with detailed information including what may be required from your organisation. We anticipate that we will need a main contact that can be reached to ask questions about the data and provide updates on the work. For example, we may need to organise a few 30-minute meetings to show you the progress and get your input. We will also need to organise a 1-hour evaluation meeting to close the project and discuss next steps. 

We’re seeking projects that can take place over the summer until early autumn (August – October 2024). To help us consider your request for free support, please complete the expression of interest form below. 

Please complete an online expression of interest form (MS office form link). 

Deadline: 15 July 2024. 

The JGI team will get back to you within one week, to discuss your request. If demand exceeds our current resource levels, we’ll meet with applicants to help prioritise projects. If you have any questions, please email jgi-admin@bristol.ac.uk. 

You can find more about the impact of our work on our website (https://www.bristol.ac.uk/golding/)