Policy Engagement for Social Sciences
Our research supports policymakers with evidence-based decision making to achieve real-world impact.
Our academic experts
College of Social Sciences academics and researchers regularly contribute to policy impact, engaging with policymakers and using their research to shape policy. We've highlighted the policy engagement experiences of a few of our experts here.
Influencing government through policy briefs with Dr Meng Tian
"One key lesson I have learned from two decades of research is that academics have a social responsibility to present research-informed evidence that can counter ideology-driven political narratives."
Working within Parliament: Dr Louise Reardon's experience
"I’ve met so many interesting and inspiring people doing roles I never knew existed, and really expanded my horizons in terms of how research can add value."
Dr Sophie King-Hill's work with select committees
"I became involved in policy engagement when I realised that my research could directly inform and improve practice on the ground."
Inside party conferences with Martin Coppack
"I’ve done a bit of everything, from simply attending, to organising fringe events and speaking on stages and in roundtables. It is a great way to reach Parliamentarians and engage with people"
More than 41% of parent carers have thought about suicide
Find out more about the research, watch our film, and be part of the change
Policy Briefs
Education, health, and social care
Education, health, and social care
Inclusive education
- Better support for schools to discuss race inequality and young citizens' wider concerns.
- The causes and implications of exclusion for autistic children and young people.
- Reducing the persistent exclusion of disabled students in Higher Education.
- The experiences of marginalised families with autistic children and young people.
- The Specialist Vision Impairment Workforce and their vital role in unlocking inclusive education and life opportunities for children and young people with vision impairment.
- Evidence-based approaches to addressing issues of teacher recruitment and retention.
- Evidence to support the case for news literacy education to tackle misinformation.
- Parental engagement in Ofsted inspections: Recommendations.
- Ofsted Report Cards: Lessons Learned from Wales and Scotland.
- Inspecting Academy Trusts: Recommendations.
- Early Identification Reduces Impact of Developmental Variation.
Health and social care
- Dengue infections in-utero and the health of children
- How social workers can best support older people
- Preventing suicide among parent carers
- Listening to youth voice to better intersectional mental health support
- Access to mental health support in schools and colleges for children and young people with mild to moderate mental health concerns
- Community-driven change to tackle the UK's health inequalities
- Youth Mental Health Care in Colombia.
Responsible business, economic growth, and social inequality
Responsible business, economic growth, and social inequality
Business, work, and finance
- Realising the well-being benefits of flexible working
- Beneficial constraints: stronger workers’ rights can underpin better work in left-behind UK regions
- Allowing people experiencing menopause to thrive in the workplace
- Unveiling the impact of the cost of living crisis: deepening poverty and policy solutions
- Financial Inclusion
- Preventing and Tackling Food Insecurity through Policy Solutions
- Ecosystem over enterprise: addressing the gaps in scale-up policy
Violence and crime
International security, peace, and resilience
International security, peace, and resilience
Public policy, data, and AI
Public policy, data, and AI
The enduring role of Social Sciences is to understand and improve how people live and experience their lives. This is mission critical if we are to tackle the socio-economic challenges of the twenty-first century. Research from the College of Social Science addresses these challenges head-on by producing world-class evidence-based, data-driven, policy recommendations – with that brings the opportunity to create real-world impact and change, driven by a collective passion and determination to create a fairer world for all.
Support for researchers
Access our guides to the different ways of engaging policymakers.
Latest political commentary
Social Sciences Birmingham
Read expert commentary from Social Sciences academics on everyday social issues and current affairs, linking to their research.