Research in the College of Social Sciences
We respond to the ever-changing challenges in society, with priority research in education, health, and social care; responsible business, economic growth, and social inequality; international security, peace, and resilience; public policy, data, and AI.
A destination of choice for many, the College is home to many world-leading researchers, with our research receiving over c.£50m in external research awards between 2022-25. Our dynamic and collaborative research environment prioritises interdisciplinarity and innovation, working with global academic institutions to inform and shape insight into worldwide challenges, driving change on a national and international level.
We support the development of our researchers and research support staff at all career stages, building a supportive and inclusive research culture that encourages new ideas, synergised ways of working, and world-class research methodology.
We are committed to sustainable research design and practice, together with a strong mission to drive social change for a Fairer World.
Our research in action
IMPACT: Transforming Adult Social Care
IMPACT: Transforming Adult Social Care
The story
IMPACT is the UK centre for implementing evidence in adult social care. Funded by a £15m grant from the ESRC and The Health Foundation, IMPACT works across the four nations to get evidence of what works in practice to make a difference to services and to people’s lives.
Many care workers are undervalued and underpaid, while those needing support can struggle to access services. IMPACT addresses these challenges by ensuring that the way care is organised and delivered is evidence-informed, supporting practical changes on the ground and influencing national policy. IMPACT takes an inclusive approach to evidence, drawing on insights from research, lived experience and practice knowledge. The centre is driven by a vision that good support shouldn’t just be about ‘services’ but about having a life.
On the Horizon
IMPACT runs practical projects across the UK. In September 2025, it will launch 22 more projects, with a similar number the next year. From 2028, IMPACT will shift to a new funding model, becoming a more permanent feature of the social care landscape.
WMREDI: Helping city regions to grow better
WMREDI: Helping city regions to grow better
The Story
The West Midlands Regional Economic Development Institute (WMREDI) is funded by a major award from the Research England Development (RED) Fund and matched funding from the University of Birmingham and regional stakeholders totalling £11.5m. The Institute was launched at a pivotal point in devolution, fulfilling a need for analytical tools to select regional investments and opportunities that would make the biggest difference on the largest scale. The Institute developed an integrated, regional data hub to improve how social innovations are selected, shaped and promoted, which included the Children in Trouble Dashboard, Homelessness in the West Midlands prediction tool, and The Levelling Up Commitment to Sustainable Development Goals Dashboard.
The Horizon
Offering a springboard for the work of WMREDI, the City-Region Economic Development Institute (City-REDI), established by the University of Birmingham in 2015, is leading the Local Policy Innovation Partnership (LPIP) Hub, investigating the social, community, economic and environmental priorities that contribute towards inclusive sustainable economic growth.
Centre for AI in Government (CAIG): Innovating AI for democracy
Centre for AI in Government (CAIG): Innovating AI for democracy
The Story
As AI plays more of a role in our everyday lives, from democratic processes to international affairs, the ability to use the digital tools in an ethical way that serves public purpose is more important than ever.
The Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Government (CAIG) explores how we can harness the power of artificial intelligence to serve democratic governance, sustainability, and public good by embedding social science expertise into the development and application of advanced AI tools. The Centre is leading research into democracy and misinformation in super-diverse societies and developing new approaches to information resilience. The Centre also hosts two new postgraduate programmes – MSc AI and Government and MSc AI and Sustainable Development.
The Horizon
Through its involvement in CATALYSE – a Horizon Europe project – and the Lancet Countdown – a global initiative – the Centre contributes to shaping responses to the health impacts of climate change at multiple scales. As part of this work, the Centre is developing analytical tools to understand how political actors and public institutions engage with climate-health challenges.
