About the CCRI
The partnership between the University of the West of England, Hartpury College, the Royal Agricultural College and the Countryside and Community Research Unit at the University of Gloucestershire makes the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) the largest specialist rural research centre in the UK. It has expertise in all aspects of research in policy and planning for the countryside and the environment of the UK, Europe and further afield.
The CCRI is guided by a Board of Directors and Management Panel
Mission Statement
"The CCRI will guide and influence rural change through rigorous and theoretically sound research of clear policy relevance to the economy, society, environment and governance of the South West region, rural Britain and the rest of Europe emphasising sustainable development, economic regeneration, sustainable environments, local distinctiveness and inclusive processes. To be acknowledged as a centre of excellence in research by academic and practitioner communities and to communicate research findings effectively to public, private and voluntary sectors and all rural stakeholders."
The CCRI has developed a clear focus of undertaking work funded through research grants and other research contracts. This has been both to provide a solid income base for growth, and to ensure the relevance of its work to its client community. Such funding has required the Institute to work as a commercial organisation operating largely on a self-funded basis although remaining clearly within the higher education sector. This commercial way of working, where the Institute responds directly to client needs, remains the central income source for the Institute. All work undertaken by the Institute is quality assured and considered for its ethical appropriateness by the University Research Ethics Committees.
Some 85% of the CCRI’s research is considered, through peer review, to be of international standing and its annual research income from external contracts is in excess of £700,000’
The Institute also boasts a vibrant research student community.
