Paid Research Opportunity: Plumb Lines

What is Plumb Lines?

Plumb Lines was established through a partnership between Lapidus International and the Plumb family, in memory of Katrina Plumb, a poet, educator, and tireless advocate for underserved voices. 

Plumb Lines projects seek to empower and give voice to communities who face barriers to publishing and promote writing for wellbeing within them. They bring therapeutic and expressive writing to people as a means of expression, healing, and community building.

The first project to be published under the Plumb Lines initiative is ‘Flight: a Plumb Lines Anthology’ that brings together poems on the theme of flying and flight. 

Research Summary

Following the success of a pilot project in 2024-25, the purpose of Plumb Lines 2026-28 is to work alongside and support groups of people whose voices are underrepresented in writing and publishing to create and craft anthologies of individuals’ new written work.  The project is supported by the Katrina Rowan Plumb legacy and Lapidus is privileged to be working with Katrina’s family to contribute to her legacy in this field. 

Our Editor in Chief will lead the development and production of four anthologies of newly created work by participants across 12 groups from 2026-2028. This model reflects upon and extends the successful work undertaken in the pilot phase.  To complement the creation of the  anthologies we are delighted that the family have agreed to support a research component to the project in 2026-27.  In this year the project aims to commence in September 2026 with cohort No 2 of three groups.  Cohort No 3 of a further three groups will commence in March 2027 with all deliverables due by September 2027.  

To implement the research component we are keen to recruit a suitably qualified person who will lead on investigating and reporting on the impact of the project for participants.  

We would like the researcher to use qualitative methodologies, congruent with words and writing for wellbeing and therapeutic purposes. Methodologies included will be poetic and narrative inquiry,  alongside simple written and spoken interviews, to complement the richness of participants’ material and convey their experiences of being involved.

About Lapidus

Lapidus International is an organisation dedicated towards writing for wellbeing, soon to become a Community Interest Company (CIC). We support a diverse membership whose interests include personal writing, facilitation, research and therapy. We deliver a growing programme of events and resources exploring how writing can support mental and emotional wellbeing.

Our work spans professional development, community learning and public engagement, and we are committed to inclusive, accessible and high-quality creative practice.

How to apply

If you are inspired by writing as a means for healing and social connection, we warmly welcome your expression of interest.

The offered fee is up to £4,900. The successful candidate will be contracted on a freelance basis, with responsibility for their own tax deductions and professional insurance. We expect this fee to cover up to 17.5 days or 140 hours.

We welcome applications from all over the world. As a highly collaborative team, we ask that applicants are mindful of time zones and willing to schedule virtual meetings and check-ins at times that work for the Plumb Lines participants and team, based in the UK. 

You will also need to hold the relevant insurances, including professional indemnity insurance, and be willing to provide or obtain any necessary documentation confirming your suitability to work with vulnerable people in the UK, for example a DBS check. Applicants may be asked to provide proof of this documentation at interview.

For full details and how to apply, please review the full Research Specification below. Applications should be sent to chair@lapidus.org.uk by 9:00 am UK time (GMT) on Monday 23 November 2026.