Starting a network FAQs
You do not need very much to launch your network — just an idea for a network is enough. Some of our networks started their lives as one-off events, meetings, or reading groups and grew from there. Others began with an idea and a small group of interested students. Below you’ll find some useful answers to our most frequently asked questions about CHASE Research Networks.
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At the earliest stage, you just need:
A name
A brief description of your network
Contact information (this can be a dedicated email address, your personal email address, a twitter account — whatever works best for you)
Once you have these, we can post your information to the CHASE website, and you will officially be a network.
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There is no minimum number of participants required to form a network. Some of our networks are led by small committees of 4-8 and others are led by just one person.
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No, network membership can include students and staff at CHASE institutions, students and staff at non-CHASE institutions, and even people with no current institutional affiliation. For funding purposes, it is helpful to have at least 1-2 people with studentships on your organising committee so that you can access CHASE funding for events and other network activity.
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You do not need a positioning statement or manifesto at the start. Some networks write one as a part of their first meetings. It can be a great way of figuring out how your network is approaching your area. That said, not all of our networks have a positioning statement, manifesto, or constitution.
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While web presence isn’t necessary, it’s a good idea to think about ways to surface materials about your network somewhere that you can regularly update, as well as an online meeting space so as to be inclusive of researchers from across the many institutions that are part of CHASE.
Some networks have websites they run, while others have meeting rooms or chat groups on Discord, WhatsApp and the likes. Others still might have email newsletters or active Twitters and Instagrams. It’s entirely up to you to configure the network however best suits you, taking into consideration how you’d like to reach out to more people and whether you’ll have the time and resources to manage certain platforms.
If you’re thinking about, or have started a website for your network, it might be useful to take a look at how you can make your website more accessible.
If you have any questions or you want to start a network, email us at networks@chase.ac.uk.
To apply to start your Research Network, fill out the form below or get in touch.