Research development

We bring academics, community leaders, providers, and older people together to shape ideas, scope methods, and plan next steps before formal research begins.

This is early‑stage ideation, pre‑ethics, and focused on asking the right questions with the right partners.

How it works

Research Development Groups (RDGs) are small, time‑bound teams that meet to explore a topic, map stakeholders, agree goals, and outline a workable proposal.

Each RDG is guided by our co‑creation principles and receives practical support, such as facilitation, access to our community of co‑creators, research assistant time, and advice from senior academics.

See RDGs

Who can join

RDGs are open to university researchers, service providers, community leaders, industry partners, and older people who want to progress an idea together. You do not need a finished question. You do need a clear purpose, a commitment to equity, and willingness to involve older people throughout.

Funding and support

We provide seed funding of $5,000 to $10,000 to help RDGs develop proposals, convene workshops, involve co‑creators, and produce public updates. Groups can request tailored support, including training for members who are new to research, literature reviews, and access to co‑creator networks relevant to the topic.

Research Development Proposals

To support CCREATE-AGE in its vision to stimulate co-created ageing research, we will support a transdisciplinary group of people who are interested in co-creating a research proposal (Research Development Groups (RDGs)).

Research proposals should be submitted on the attached form and address research questions related to one or more priorities identified by communities through our 2023 and 2024 listening events. The priorities are:

  • Work income and retirement
  • Ageism
  • Health care access
  • Community transport
  • Maintaining independence in social activities
  • Housing: alternative models, overcrowding or substandard
  • Indigenous communities’ connections: language, wider community, whānau and whenua
  • Importance of Aged Care Facility – healthcare
  • Connecting with education & creativity – purpose
  • Amenities and facilities

  • Safety concerns (including of kaumātua and tāmariki)
  • Intergenerational relationships: support and strain
  • Resilience
  • Food & exercise
  • Preventing memory loss
  • Maintaining garden
  • Addressing social isolation and loneliness
  • Rainbow older people and safe meaningful community connections
  • Ageing and migration experiences: language barriers, culturally appropriate services, belonging, losses, financial, transport, autonomy, intergenerational living

The RDG should:

  • Include at least two experienced researchers at the University of Auckland.
  • Have a chair who will convene the RDG meetings, report progress and maintain communication with CCREATE-AGE project manager.
  • Be transdisciplinary, which means:
    • Cover at least two academic disciplines
    • Involve older people
    • Involve collaborators from at least one sector other than academia i.e., private, public or civic society. For example, practitioners, local council, and voluntary sector representatives and community groups with an interest in the research topic may be useful partners. 

The expected RDG outputs:

  • At least one co-created research proposal with an outcome that will benefit older people in Aotearoa.
  • A public seminar at a CCREATE-AGE forum to describe the work of the RDG.
  • Progress report to CCREATE-AGE.

Applications for 2025 are now closed. Deadline for 2026 applications: to be advised

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Intro to RDGs

Research Development Groups