Research - Public Administration and Policy

Building on our rich history of research addressing the institutional and political life of local government and public management, our research now reaches beyond these traditional structures and actors to address governance, democracy, leadership, participation, policy-making and service delivery at and across multiple scales and issues.

Our vibrant international research community of early-career and established researchers help to address a range of important global challenges through work on sustainable mobility, institutional design and digitisation. Our engaged scholarship is theoretically-driven, and demonstrates a commitment to methodological pluralism, with particular strengths in qualitative, collaborative and participative approaches.

Our research is published extensively in the leading journals in the field, including Urban Studies, Political Studies, Public Administration Review, Governance, Policy Sciences, Policy & Politics, British Journal of Politics and International Relations, Environment and Planning C, and Evidence & Policy. Our researchers have also published a series of influential and highly-cited research monographs and edited collections on topics including institutionalism, policy ideas and design, and sustainability transitions. We are also the home to the leading interdisciplinary journal, Local Government Studies.

Our research has been supported by funders including: the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Urban Europe, and the British Academy. We also play a vital role in a range of cross-University initiatives, such as the Institute for Global Innovation.

Further details of our research outputs and activities can be found on our website.  Find out more about our latest research by browsing our academic and doctoral researcher profiles.