Building Evidence

Raising the standard of evidence and supporting the implementation of evidence into practice

We fund evidence-building in both a research environment and in practice, to advance understanding of what works in prevention and early intervention. We want young people, parents and policy makers to know that support offered is effective and built on solid evidence.

In partnership with UK universities, we have funded both research projects and eight early-mid career Prudence Trust Fellowships in adolescent mental health. We believe that a larger community of talented researchers is needed – those who have the potential to do transformational work over their careers. We support the dissemination of research findings into practice and bring together academics and practitioners working the same fields.

University led research is just one area where understanding is being built. We see value in supporting the voluntary sector to understand and demonstrate the impact of community interventions. They are an essential part of the system to support young people, and their effectiveness is critical.

Our “What’s working in youth mental health?” funding programme has allowed twelve charities so far to build a better understanding of their impact and strengthen their organisational learning culture. In addition to grants, we offer this group wraparound support such as training, mentoring, assessments of data maturity and communities of practice. More widely, we offer training to all our partner charities to support their evaluation practices and raise confidence in data-informed practice.

Our research grants and fellowships are delivered in partnership with UK universities that have a strong commitment to improving the mental health of children and young people. We are currently working with the following universities:

University of Bristol | University of Oxford | University College London | 
King’s College London