Professor Richard Hastings

A collaborative and open research community

Professor Richard Hastings is an internationally recognised researcher primarily in the field of intellectual disabilities. He joined the University of Birmingham in July 2024 as a 125th Anniversary Chair and is dedicated to collaborating with people with intellectual disabilities and their families,  to improve research evidence that helps address the inequalities they face. 

We sat down with Richard to reflect on his time at the University so far.

What is your research focus and what attracted you to join the University of Birmingham?

My research is focussed on understanding the inequalities experienced by people with learning disabilities (intellectual disabilities in international terminology) and their families. Social and health inequalities are a key focus for University of Birmingham. The University is committed to promoting change for a fairer world, something at the heart of our research. Birmingham also has existing strengths in learning disabilities research that we were keen to connect and build upon.  

How has the University supported your relocation, career and development?

As a part of the Anniversary Chair process, the University brought my senior research colleagues, externally funded research staff and PhD students to Birmingham to establish a new cross-College research institute, the Intellectual Disabilities Research Institute (IDRIS). As a part of this process, we received excellent professional services support from Research Strategy and Services Division and Human Resources to transfer staff and funded research grants from our previous institution. 

What opportunities have you had thanks to your appointment as 125th Anniversary Chair?

In addition to connecting with my new colleagues interested in learning disability research, we have been successful with internal funding competitions for new PhD students and research network development. We have also secured several new externally-funded research grants, with the application process supported by professional services colleagues. 

What impact are you hoping your research will have?

We hope to build IDRIS into a successful interdisciplinary research institute that connects researchers across the University, and engages in meaningful partnerships with people with learning disabilities, their families and external policy and practice organisations. Through high-quality research, we aim to design, develop and test interventions and service delivery models to reduce inequalities especially in education, health and social care systems.

We have found the research culture at Birmingham to be collaborative and open, and there is a genuine commitment from University leaders to support research that leads to positive social change.

What have you achieved during your short time at the University of Birmingham?

IDRIS team members have worked closely with colleagues in the School of Education and the Centre for Evidence and Implementation Science to become the academic lead team working with the Council for Disabled Children on the ‘What Works in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)’ project funded by the Department for Education. IDRIS researchers have also secured over £5million in new funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research for large-scale controlled trial evaluations of mental health interventions for autistic adults and for families of children with learning disabilities.