Using secondary data analysis to learn about violence prevention

Introduction

This is our fourth call for secondary data analysis projects—studies that use existing datasets to deliver clear, policy-relevant evidence on children and young people’s involvement in crime and violence. For details of our current funded projects click below. 

This round prioritises studies with genuinely rigorous causal designs. We are looking for projects that can produce credible, defensible evidence about the impact of policies, practices and interventions, as well as the underlying drivers of criminal and violent behaviour among children and young people. 

Research focus

This year we’re looking to fund projects with three main focuses:  

1. Sector specific work: Research that expands our knowledge of what drives or prevents children and young people’s involvement in violence, within the context of health, social care and youth justice. We are particularly keen to fund studies with a strong causal design.  
2. Drivers and broader context of violence: We wish to fund studies that expand our understanding of how specific vulnerabilities and protective factors combine to predict children’s involvement in violence. We are also interested in learning more about the drivers and contexts of children’s involvement in gender-based violence, criminal exploitation and violence online.
3. Racial disproportionality: We also welcome applications that contribute to our understanding of racialised disproportionality amongst those at risk of involvement of violence and in the sectors and services that support them. This includes both the drivers of racial disproportionality and what works to address these injustices.

Full details and the specific research questions we’re interested in answering are set out in the call for proposals.

We will also consider proposals outside the listed questions if they present a credible strategy for identifying the causal impact of relevant policies, practices or interventions across any of YEF’s seven priority sectors. Guidance on how we assess causal claims is available here.  

Race equity

At the YEF, we have a particular focus on race equity. This means, in addition to funding research that sheds light on the experiences of children and young people from Black, Asian and other minority backgrounds, we also want to ensure research is conducted in a way that accounts for potential sources of bias and that projects are able to fully account for the racialised context of their research and findings. Research teams should be aware of this as they put their proposals together and have plans to ensure race is fully accounted for in their work.  

Budgets 

We anticipate projects will take between 18 and 24 months to complete. We do not set an upper ceiling on the amount we fund per project. Previous projects have been awarded between £100,000-£200,000. Applicants will need to make the case for the budget and timelines they submit. All applications will need to include a completed budget template. 

Submitting applications 

To apply, you’ll need to submit an online application. For details on the questions we ask and the scoring criteria we use, see our call for proposals. You’ll also need to submit a completed budget template. We will not accept applications or budget templates submitted via email.  

Questions

If you have any questions, please first read our FAQs. If you’re still unsure, please email Elizabeth Yarrow:  liz.yarrow@youthendowmentfund.org.uk, 
copying in data@youthendowmentfund.org.uk.