Partner organisations

Partner organisations who have submitted an expression of interest to support a CENTRE-UB fellowship application.

Name of Organisation	Forest Research
Contact person	Jen Clements
Contact email	jen.clements@forestresearch.gov.uk
Area(s) of interest	Land manager behaviours, climate change, forest disturbance, plant health, wellbeing, wildlife management and applied environmental social science.

Name of Organisation	Cowry Consulting
Contact person	Ruth Canagarajah
Contact email	ruthcanagarajah@cowryconsulting.com
Area(s) of interest	New methodologies in Natural Language Processing and Social Network Analysis as applied to complex, adaptive public sector challenges such as crime, corruption, gender-based violence Applying behavioural science to the public sector Building up ML and experimental platforms for larger deployable tests

Name of Organisation	Gordon Moody
Contact person	Dr Rosalind Baker-Frampton
Contact email	rosalind.baker-frampton@gordonmoody.org.uk
Area(s) of interest	Gambling; gambling harm; gambling harm treatment; women and harmful gambling; menstrual cycle and its effects on gambling harm; adverse childhood events and gambling harm

Name of Organisation	National Police Chief Council
Contact person	Carolyn Lovell
Contact email	carolyn.lovell@npcc.police.uk
Area(s) of interest	Women in the CJS and Women who offend Nature and prevalence of online VAWG particularly emerging threats such as impact of generative AI Relationship between online and offline VAWG and extent of overlap with perpetrators/victims Whether digital evidence can mitigate some of the challenges of reliance on victim testimony in VAWG cases? Effectiveness of non-CJ interventions in reducing revictimization in VAWG (particularly DA and stalking & harassment) Also please see our ARI via https://science.police.uk/site/assets/files/4138/npcc_policing_aris_report-1.pdf

Name of Organisation	QinetiQ
Contact person	Hannah State-Davey
Contact email	hmsdavey@QinetiQ.com
Area(s) of interest	Behavioural Analytics: This area of research would focus on evaluating Behavioural Analytic (BA) solutions for enhanced understanding of human characteristics and behaviour to understand the benefits and challenges associated with implementation of BA solutions; contribute to the advancement of BA research and developments by identifying areas for improvement; and exploring new applications of solutions and technology developed by QinetiQ. This will include supporting stakeholder engagement to prioritise use cases to solve defence and security operational challenges, collecting stakeholder feedback; and defining a roadmap for further development and integration of BA solutions. Influence: This area of research would focus on an experimental programme of work to better understand the social (e.g. peer influence) and psychological factors (e.g. demographic factors) that affect individual-level susceptibility and resistance to online influence, such as disinformation. Specifically, the research would explore susceptibility / resistance to newer and subtler forms of influence such as via doctored images and deep fakes in comparison to more explicit methods (e.g. text-based messaging). There is also a need to identify effective counter-influence approaches to new forms of influence attempts, such as subsequent corrections provided. The objective is to identify measurable indicators of susceptibility / resilience to online influence attempts and effective counter-strategies to better understand how to support people in being more resilient to them.

Name of Organisation	Office for Health Improvement and Disparities
Contact person	Anna Sallis
Contact email	anna.sallis@dhsc.gov.uk
Area(s) of interest	We are interested in hosting a doctoral researcher and/or post-doctoral fellow aligned with the broad areas of disease prevention and public health improvement. Specific policy areas of interest include: cardiovascular disease, obesity, tobacco and vaping, HIV, as well as strategic work around diet, physical activity, mental health and digital health interventions. However, we are happy to review innovative proposals on areas across the prevention and public health space, including proposals covering multiple policy areas

Name of Organisation	Environment Agency
Contact person	Peter Bailey, Social Science Manager
Contact email	peter.bailey@environment-agency.gov.uk
Area(s) of interest	The Environment Agency is the main environmental regulator in England. We also are the lead agency for managing water and flooding. Business, household and individual behaviour are important for many of our work areas such as: business response to environmental regulation and encouraging good environmental performance individual and household preparedness for flood events and response to warnings individual and household water use water recreation such as boating, angling and swimming The Environment Agency has a number of science and evidence teams in Head Office that would be interesting in partnering with a Behavioural Science Fellow with research interests in these areas. There are also opportunities to work with other GB environment and nature agencies and government departments as part of our environment social science networks.

Name of Organisation	Met Office
Contact person	Helen Roberts
Contact email	helen.roberts@metoffice.gov.uk
Area(s) of interest	We are interested in how climate change will impact crime, including correlations between weather and crime rates and types, with an examination of the multifaceted impacts of climate change on crime patterns, human behaviour and societal vulnerabilities. This will explore both direct impacts (such as the influence of temperature and weather more generally, including extreme weather events on crime patterns and behaviour) and indirect impacts (including socio-economic disruptions leading to heightened vulnerability), addressing gaps in understanding how climate change shapes crime patterns and exacerbates vulnerabilities, providing essential guidance for effective responses to emerging climate challenges. We would like to evidence whether climate attribution fatigue is something we should be wary of. With the increasing scientific capability to attribute single extreme weather events to anthropogenic climate change, should we be selective about when and how to include this context in communications about extreme weather events? We are also interested in behavioural response to weather, and weather warnings, how do people make decisions about actions to take following weather warnings, and how we can optimise public response to keep people safe.

Name of organisation	The National Police Chiefs’ Council
Contact person	Nicola York and Dr Tarsem Cooner
Contact email	Nicola.York@herts.police.uk t.s.cooner@bham.ac.uk
Area(s) of interest	The National Police Chiefs’ Council and Dr Tarsem Singh Cooner would like to offer the opportunity of conducting a fellowship under their mentorship to co-create 360-degree video-based training materials regarding attending domestic violence incidents to equip response officers, among other policing personnel, with the knowledge and skills to respond in a trauma-informed manner to female perpetrators of domestic abuse. The fellow would gain experience in researching and creating the scripts for such films to ensure they are realistic and impart the desired knowledge and skills, creating the films and accompanying materials, and evaluating responses to them. Dr Cooner has designed training materials including 360-degree films for social workers regarding child safeguarding scenarios and you can find out more about this here.

Name of organisation	Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR)
Contact person	Helen Miller-Bakewell
Contact email	regulation@statistics.gov.uk
Area(s) of interest	OSR provides independent regulation of all official statistics produced in the UK: we aim to enhance public confidence in the trustworthiness, quality and value of statistics produced by government. OSR maintains the Code of Practice for Statistics, which sets the standards that producers of official statistics should commit to. OSR also reports publicly on system-wide issues, and on the way that statistics are being used in public debate, challenging publicly when expected standards are not met. OSR has many areas of research interest. These are framed around our vision of statistics that serve the public good, and our focus on how statistics are produced, used and valued to achieve this vision. Areas where an improved understanding of human behaviour, and hence behavioural research, would be useful include (but are not limited to!): 1. Encouraging and enabling producers of statistics to work in ways that align with the Code. 2. Understanding and encouraging the use of statistics and evidence in decision making. 3. Understanding and preventing misuse of statistics and evidence. 4. Communicating statistics in a way that drives behavioural change. 5. Effective communication of uncertainty in statistics. More information is given in our statement on Areas of Research Interest.

Name of organisation	Natural England
Contact person	Isabelle Cardinal
Contact email	Isabelle.cardinal@naturalengland.org.uk
Area(s) of interest	Natural England is the government’s advisor on the natural environment. We provide practical advice, grounded in science, on how best to safeguard England’s natural wealth for the benefit of everyone. Business and individual behaviour is important for may of our areas of work, including: Responsible recreation in green and blue spaces Land management for nature (from new housing developments to farming practices) Species reintroductions There is high level interest in doing more work on behavioural research across Natural England’s research and operation areas. There are also opportunities to work with other GB environment and nature agencies as part of the environmental social science network.

Name of organisation	Department for Energy and Net Zero
Contact person	Lindsey Jarvis
Contact email	Lindsey.Jarvis@energysecurity.gov.uk
Area(s) of interest	Our behavioural researchers in DESNZ aim to provide expertise in behavioural science to meet the policy, delivery and strategic needs of colleagues. This is achieved through promoting the understanding, use and value of behavioural research in areas such decarbonising homes, helping consumers adopt new technologies and engaging with the public on the transition to net zero.Our approach to embedding behavioural insights in policy thinking includes: Independent research: commissioning primary and secondary analysis and bringing in expert thinking on behavioural challenges Advice and support: reviewing evidence in a systematic way, mapping behavioural journeys and barriers, running policy-solution workshops Central guidance: providing a library of resources, running upskilling seminars and training events. Our areas of interest include: Engagement with different age groups on climate change and energy sustainability: Are there innovative approaches to engaging with young people on climate issues at different ages? How do these differ with engagement techniques that could be used with older people? Which approaches would be best at different ages and life stages across the public? Technological spillovers: How do good or bad experiences with one green technology e.g. solar panels, heat pumps etc. affect likelihood of taking up further measures? What are the customer journeys through adoption of low carbon technologies and how can people be best supported to make decisions? Adaptation: what influences the public in making decisions on residential cooling? What are the motivations that could be harnessed to support them to take both larger actions such as making purchases for cooling as well as heating, e.g. heat pumps, loft insulation and shutters; and smaller actions such as managing heat in homes in summer through opening/closing windows etc.

Name of organisation	National Trust
Contact person	Bev Jarvis / Anita Weatherby
Contact email	bev.jarvis@nationaltrust.org.uk anita.weatherby@nationaltrust.org.uk
Area(s) of interest	Explore what culture means to people, to consider how the National Trust and its partners can best serve and benefit people and communities. Explore and understand the barriers and motivations of people to accessing nature, and explore associations between levels of access and taking action for nature. Explore and understand the types of pro-nature behaviours people are participating in e.g., creating nature friendly spaces, active travel (walking / cycling etc.), taking action for nature etc. and explore attitudes, beliefs and barriers.

Name of organisation	University of Birmingham and Birmingham City Council (Major Events team)
Contact person	Dr Shushu Chen
Contact email	s.chen.5@bham.ac.uk
Area(s) of interest	Major sporting events can deliver significant social, economic, and cultural benefits to host communities, but these outcomes must be deliberately cultivated. Research shows marginalised groups are often excluded from such benefits, deepening inequalities. Local communities are increasingly demanding representation in these events, but structural barriers persist. Addressing these challenges requires targeted, evidence-based planning to ensure broad community benefits. The University of Birmingham is at the forefront of enhancing host community engagement in major sporting events, employing an interdisciplinary approach. Building upon insights from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Dr Shushu Chen, Prof Jet Veldhuijzen van Zanten, Dr Mary Quinton, and Prof Mark Lee are collaborating with Birmingham City Council on strategies for the city’s major sporting initiatives, including the 2026 European Athletics Championship. This fellowship aims to translate research into actionable outcomes, supporting the city's "Golden Decade" strategies. The fellowship will focus on three main pillars: Knowledge Exchange and Toolkits: Data-driven development of a "Major Sporting Event Engagement Toolkit" for host residents, alongside educational workshops to raise awareness among stakeholders. These will include capacity-building seminars to empower local communities. Workshops and seminars will undergo evaluation to assess feasibility, with dissemination strategies implemented to maximise toolkit impact. Practical outcomes, including policy briefings, will also be developed. Behavioural Research Application: This fellowship provides hands-on experience in translating behavioural research into real-world applications by collaborating with local council, sporting organisations, and charities. Fellows will gain expertise in public engagement, policy impact measurement, and evidence application. Professional Development: Fellows will benefit from mentoring and co-development opportunities, helping them acquire critical skills in applying academic insights to non-academic, policy-oriented contexts.

Name of organisation	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)
Contact person	Aspasia Papa / Elinor Lovering
Contact email	Aspasia.Papa@communities.gov.uk / Elinor.Lovering@communities.gov.uk
Area(s) of interest	We are interested in hosting a Research Fellow at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to conduct impactful behavioural research work and play a critical role in embedding behavioural insight in the design and delivery of our work. Through the partnership between leading academics at the University of Birmingham and MHCLG, the fellow will have the opportunity to facilitate knowledge exchange between government and academia, inform policy making and sector and government practices. They will co-design, shape and carry out high-profile behavioural research associated with the Grenfell Inquiry Phase 2 report. The objectives of this work are to: Identify specific behaviours driving poor actions across the Construction Products sector, for example, action at odds with safety and working in the public interest. This would build on existing systems mapping through a behaviour systems map, and select areas of focus to help improve culture within the sector. Determine what mechanisms would be most beneficial, supported by behavioural insights, to promote a culture change in the Construction Products sector towards a greater focus on safety. Identify how findings from this research can inform non-legislative options to improve culture in a complex and large sector, as well as being involved in creating a legacy of safety following the system-wide failure that resulted in the Grenfell tragedy. The fellow will have the opportunity to be involved in other high-profile research projects across our strategic themes, related to residents, buildings and the built environment sector. They will be part of a welcoming analytical community and work with multidisciplinary teams both in MHCLG and across government. They will also have access to development opportunities, tailored to their personal and career goals and aspirations, including in-house courses, civil service training, research seminars, mentoring and coaching by policy and analytical colleagues.

Name of organisation	The James Hutton Institute
Contact name	Tony Craig
Contact email	tony.craig@hutton.ac.uk
Area(s) of interest	The Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences (SEGS) department of the James Hutton Institute conducts critical and engaged social science, and is one of the largest and well-regarded interdisciplinary environmental social science departments in the UK. We have a strong portfolio of policy-focussed research, and aim to provide high quality social scientific evidence to help policymakers have a good foundation of independent academic knowledge to build on. We have a particular interest in understanding pro-environmental behaviour, and behaviour change, and would be happy to discuss any proposals in this broad area. Example areas of interest include: Multi-level and interdisciplinary approaches to environmental behaviour change Use of computer simulation models (such as agent based models) to understand the dynamics of behaviour change Understanding how physical, social and temporal factors influence pro-environmental behaviours Designing pro-environmental behaviour interventions based on social scientific evidence