Researchers in this field are predominantly located in several departments, centres and group based in the University's College of Social Sciences.

• Health Services Management Centre (HSMC) - HSMC works closely with the National Health Service and advises the NHS and Government on policy and practice around health services management and social care. HSMC was recently re-awarded for the fourth time the contract to run the education programme for the NHS's Management Trainee Scheme, its "fast-track" management trainee scheme.  MTS was recently named the UK's best graduate employer by the 2011 Guardian UK 300 survey of top graduate employers.  
• Institute of Local Government Studies (INLOGOV) - INLOGOV has over 40 years' experience working with local government and the public sector, and works closely with practitioners to bridge the gap between theory and practice. It has been a key contributor to the Birmingham/DEMOS Policy Commission on "Future of Local Public Services".
• International Development Department (IDD) - IDD's research activities contribute to and challenge contemporary debates in development studies and policy, particularly related to the relationships between governance, development and poverty reduction. It runs the Governance and Social Development Resource Centre, which provides provides just-in-time research services to the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the Australian Government’s international development agency AusAID, and many other international agencies.
• Institute of Applied Social Studies (IASS) - IASS's research focuses around three research themes: families, communities, and justice; health and social care; and wealth, welfare and well-being. IASS runs the oldest continually-running social work course in the UK and does cutting edge research in areas such as financial health, counter-terrorism and policing, and social work.  
• ESRC Third Sector Research Centre (TSRC) - TSRC offers third sector organisations and policy-makers access and input into robust research, aiming to bridge the gap between research and the third sector. It is a collaborative venture between the Universities of Birmingham and Southampton, with contributions from Middlesex and Kent. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, the Office of the Third Sector, and the Barrow Cadbury Trust.
• NGO UK, Non-Governmental Organisations 1945-97 - This Leverhulme-funded project examines the history of NGOs in Britain since 1945. It addresses questions regarding the specific dynamics of NGO influence within three key sectors - international aid and development; environmentalism; and homelessness - thereby enabling evaluation of the main characteristics and role of the sector as well as its socio-political influence.
• Birmingham Business School - The Birmingham Business School was the UK's first business school, established in 1902. Well into its second century, its research and teaching continue to make it relevant to business and the public sector. Its departments and research centres are diverse in nature, and many touch on issues relating to public services and the third sector, such as leadership, procurement and commissioning, economic development, and ageing.
• Birmingham Policy Commissions - The Birmingham Policy Commissions bring leading figures from the public, private and third sectors together with Birmingham academics to generate new thinking on contemporary issues of global, national and civic concern. They tackle issues such as the shape and nature of local public services in a ‘big society’, the future use of energy, and the challenges of security and freedom.

Over 200 researchers work in this area at the University of Birmingham. Below are a few names to illustrate the diversity of work we do in this area. More detail can be found on the departmental and team pages located above.

• Professor Peter Alcock directs the Third Sector Research Centre and is closely involved in high-level work with not-for-profit organisations and government on the future of the sector.
• Professor Tony Bovaird is an expert in strategic management, performance management and evaluation in the public sector at both local and national level.
• Dr Caroline Chapain researches economic development and the impact of economic change on business, government and communities. 
• Professor Jon Glasby is an expert on the future of social care and health services, advising government and professional bodies. In 2010, his report on the future of social care was used by Downing Street to shape the UK Government's policy in this area.  
• Professor Stephen Gorard is an expert in educational effectiveness and equity. His research is society-wide and lifelong in scope, and he regularly contributes to policy and media discussions around education.
• Professor Paul Jackson advises UK and overseas governments on post-conflict reconstruction, including public service and third sector roles. He is currently mediating between the government and Maoist insurgents in Nepal.
• Dr Chris Lonsdale is at the forefront of developments in public-private partnerships and the role of business in delivering public services.
• Professor Martin Powell is an expert on health and social policy, researching the effectiveness and impact of the change in the health services, including  innovations such as choice and consumerism, decentralisation, and partnership.
• Dr Emma Smith is an expert in educational provision and social justice, researching the effects of student background and educational provision on future life chances.
• Professor Helen Sullivan leads the first Birmingham Policy Commission and studies the changing relationships between public services and communities in the UK and internationally.
• Professor Sue White is an expert in social work and advisees governments and the social work professionals on the ways to address the complex problems facing the profession.