91ÖÆƬ³§

A University of Brighton research project exploring the digital lives and wellbeing of refugee young people is placing equity at the heart of how research is done, not just what it studies.

Led by and conducted by postdoctoral researcher , the has received funding of £459,926 from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and brings together researchers at Brighton, the University of Sussex and Universiteit Gent, alongside community partner, the Hummingbird Refugee Project.

Central to the project’s approach is meaningful inclusion. The Hummingbird Project, a Brighton-based charity supporting young refugees, is co-leading the project. From the start, the research proposal was written collaboratively. Five co‑researchers with lived experience of arriving in the UK as young refugees are helping to shape workshops, surveys and engagement activities from the outset, and will be co-producing the outputs. An advisory group spanning community organisations, local authorities, and academic expertise supports the team to reflect on ethics, engagement, access, and impact throughout the research process.

“When we write a funding proposal, we are in a privileged position, as it enables us to convene diverse stakeholders and collaboratively co-design the project,” says Linda. “That is exciting, because we can include people who may not typically have the time or resources to participate, as well as those whose voices are frequently underrepresented.”

For Tessa, who is also taking on the role of the university’s Fixed-term Researcher Representative, the project offers a model of how early career researchers can take on visible, values‑led roles within large collaborative grants.

“Gaining experience working on a collaborative project with a team, backed by funding, is a gamechanger. This project requires humility, teaching us to recognise that the expertise of others – our co-researchers, community organisations and local authorities – is vital for conducting research that is high-quality, relevant, and with potential to have a significant impact.”

From left to right: Professor Linda Morrice (University of Sussex), Linda Tip (Principal Lecturer, University of Brighton), Tessa Ubels (Fixed-term Researcher Representative, University of Brighton) and Samantha Tankard (Project Manager, University of Brighton).

Project launch event

The aim of this investigation into the digital worlds of young people will be to identify safeguarding risks but also, crucially, to explore how engagement with digital tools relates to a sense of belonging, social integration and wellbeing. The hope is that findings will empower young people to stay safe online and help those responsible for their care to better support and protect their wellbeing.

The project runs until December 2027, with future outputs planned, including policy briefs and public engagement activity, demonstrating how equity‑driven research connects directly to Brighton’s wider inclusion and civic engagement priorities.

As the project moves forward, it offers more than findings on digital wellbeing – it provides a blueprint for how research at the University of Brighton can be conducted with integrity, collaboration and care. By embedding equity into everyday research practice, not treating it as an afterthought, initiatives like the Digital Worlds project challenge us all to reflect on whose voices are heard, whose knowledge counts, and how we can improve lives, and work together to enhance inclusive, impactful research cultures across the university.

Visit the Centre for Spatial and Social Justice and the for more information about related research.

Staff related to this story

Principal Lecturer – School of Humanities and Social Science

Centre for Spatial and Social Justice, Understanding childhood and adolescence Research Excellence Group, Care, Health and Emotional Wellbeing , Inclusive Digital Societies Research Excellence Group

Research Fellow – School of Humanities and Social Science

Centre for Spatial and Social Justice, Centre for Arts and Wellbeing, Inclusive Digital Societies Research Excellence Group