Living Well news

Three people in brightly coloured cycling clothes and wearing helmets, riding their bikes

OU study: Transplant athletes match elite performance

A new study led by The Open University’s Professor Bart Rienties, and to be published in Progress in Transplantation in December, reveals that high-intensity transplant athletes can not only meet but greatly exceed existing physical activity guidelines.

15th August 2025
A green fidget spinner in a person's hand

Empowering autistic children through innovative support

The Open University has awarded funding through its Open Societal Challenges platform to support a groundbreaking research project in partnership with the charity Transforming Autism.

20th February 2025
A teacher reading to a group of school children who are wearing white collared shirts and blue jumpers

Verbal wins OSC grant for social media resilience project

In a significant boost to youth mental health initiatives, Verbal, a charity based in Londonderry and working across the island of Ireland, dedicated to improving wellbeing through storytelling, has secured £25k funding from the Open Societal Challenges grant for their innovative project, "Beyond ‘Liking’ or ‘Not Liking’: Co-Created Stories for Social Media Resilience."

12th February 2025
A girl with long dark hair, wearing a white t-shirt and jeans, sitting and hugging her knees

Suffolk Mind wins OSC funding for mental health research

Suffolk Mind, an independent mental health charity, has been awarded an Open Societal Challenges (OSC) funding grant to undertake a new research project which aims to address low response rates and the under-representation of mental health service users in research and evaluation activities.

7th February 2025
A child holding a red, a green and a yellow leaf in their hands

Researchers find that disadvantaged young people benefit from supported nature activities

Open University researchers have produced new evidence which suggests that disadvantaged and vulnerable young people benefit from supported nature-focused activities.

6th February 2025
Two hands clasped together

Ruth Strauss Foundation secures OSC grant for lung cancer support research

The Ruth Strauss Foundation (RSF) has been awarded funding through the Open Societal Challenges competition to support a pioneering research project aimed at improving the wellbeing of individuals and families affected by non-smoking-related lung cancer (NSLC).

30th January 2025
A blond-haired, teenage boy, with his face in his hands, looking sad

YSS secures OSC grant to investigate impact of online media exposure on children of prisoners

Youth Support Services, a leading charity dedicated to supporting vulnerable children and young people, has been awarded an Open Societal Challenges funding grant for its research project exploring the psychological impact of online media exposure on children affected by familial crimes.

23rd January 2025
A group of African children

CHIVA Africa wins OSC grant to tackle HIV adherence issues in children

CHIVA Africa, a leading charity focused on supporting children and adolescents living with HIV, has been awarded an Open Societal Challenges funding grant to advance its project in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa to address barriers to antiretroviral therapy.

16th January 2025
A pregnant woman, standing in front of a wooden fence and wearing a pink top, a floral jacket and green trousers, cradling her baby bump

OU leads groundbreaking research into policing and well-being

Dr Keely Duddin, a celebrated researcher at The Open University and winner of the Research Excellence Award for Outstanding Early Career Researcher, is at the forefront of addressing pressing issues within UK policing.

10th January 2025
A plant with yellow flowers, with a bee on it

Crichton Trust's "Regenerative Greenspace" project receives OSC funding

The Crichton Trust has secured a significant milestone in its journey toward sustainability and innovation, receiving an Open Societal Challenges (OSC) funding grant for its project on "Developing a Framework for a Tool to Measure Progress Towards Regenerative and Heritage Greenspace".

9th January 2025
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