Research in Action · Community
RinA is an international community of practitioners who inquire reflexively into their work as they are doing it. We offer sustained but flexible support to members, to strengthen how they perceive and act inside complex social and ecological contexts, seeing more of the consequences and impacts.
RinA is for people already embedded in projects, practices and organisations concerned to change the way we live and work for the sake of a healthier planet.
Our community includes people working in:
You might be:
You do need:
You do not need to be an academic or wanting to undertake research along traditional academic lines. We welcome and encourage curiosity and exchange across and beyond the usual disciplinary boundaries.
As a first encounter, we encourage you to participate in our webinars and other public activities so that you can learn more about RinA's approach. See What's happening for the latest events →
For those keen to deepen reflexive practice, most people begin with our 6-month foundational programme:
An entry point into RinA's way of working
This is a space to test whether this approach — and this community — is right for you. There is no formal application process. We begin with a conversation.
Space of Beginnings is run in English by RinA Fellows Ruth Cross and Anna Lena Hahn, with a similar programme running in Portuguese through Escola Schumacher Brasil led by RinA Fellows Beatriz Tadema and Juliana Schneider.
After Space of Beginnings, you may choose to continue into the RinA Research Fellowship — a practice-based research pathway for people who want to develop, articulate and share their inquiry publicly. It typically takes 3–5 years. The Fellowship is recognised through the Schumacher Society.
The Fellowship unfolds in four stages:
There is no single topic. Inquiries emerge from each practitioner's context. The common thread is not what people research, but how:
This is research that shifts perception — and changes how action happens.
We welcome expressions of interest on an ongoing basis. Cohorts begin on a rolling basis — once a small group is ready to start.