Research Network Day at SPARK, Cardiff
On July 22nd, 2025, eighteen members of our research network came together for a full-day event hosted at SPARK, Cardiff University’s Social Science Research Park. The day was designed to strengthen collaboration across our community and provide a platform for sharing ideas, showcasing early-stage research, and identifying shared priorities in the field of children and young people’s mental health.
This event was divided into three main sessions: 3-Minute talk presentations, mapping shared interests and opportunities, and spotlight talks, with space throughout the day for informal networking and discussion.
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Session 1: 3MT presentations
In this dynamic opening session, researchers from across the network delivered concise, three-minute presentations introducing their work, interests, and expertise. These short talks served as an engaging way to surface a wide range of projects, methods, and questions relevant to mental health in young people.
This session helped generate conversations and connections early in the day, and several follow-up discussions carried through into the afternoon.
Session 2: Mapping Shared Interests and Opportunities
Following the morning research introductions, the group moved into a structured mapping session aimed at identifying overlapping interests, opportunities for future collaboration, and potential funding ideas.
Members worked together to highlight key themes emerging from the morning talks, including:
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Common methodological approaches
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Shared data sources and challenges
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Exchanging resources such as grant application, research projects.
This session helped lay the groundwork for future project planning and encouraged researchers to think about how their individual work fits into a broader collaborative landscape.
Session 3: Spotlight Talks
The afternoon featured a set of spotlight talks on core topics selected in response to requests from early career researchers (ECRs). These talks provided practical insights and resources on important aspects of conducting and communicating research in this field.
Topics included:
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Mental Health Data Sources – an overview of available datasets, access pathways, and considerations for use in research with young people
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Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) – frameworks, tools, and examples for meaningfully involving young people, families, and communities in research
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Building Impact – strategies for embedding impact into project design and translating findings into real-world benefits for children and young people
The talks sparked thoughtful questions and provided valuable guidance for ECRs as they develop their research plans.
