Social Science Research Unit (SSRU)

Promoting evidence-informed policy and practice in education, health and welfare through ethical and participative social research.

Founding Director: Professor Ann Oakley
Director: Professor Sandy Oliver

Founded in 1990, SSRU's mission is to engage in and promote rigorous, ethical and participative social research and to support evidence-informed public policy and practice across a range of domains including education, health and welfare.

Our work is guided by a concern for human rights, social justice and the development of human potential. To this end, we engage in:

research and scholarship of international significance
the communication of evidence to relevant audiences
high quality, research-informed learning and teaching programmes, consultancy and other work.

Our staff

Founding Director

Ann Oakley, Professor of Sociology and Social Policy

Director of Centre

Sandy Oliver, Professor of Public Policy

Assistant Director

James Thomas, Professor of Social Research and Policy

Professors

Berry Mayall, Professor of Childhood Studies
David Gough, Professor of Evidence-Informed Policy and Practice
Priscilla Alderson, Professor of Childhood Studies

Staff

Alison O'Mara-Eves, Senior Research Officer
Antonia Simon, Research Officer
Aris Komporozos-Athanasiou, Lecturer in Social Theory and Social Policy
Carol Vigurs, Research Officer
Chris Maidment, Research Associate
Claire Stansfield, Research Officer
Dylan Kneale, Research Officer
Gillian Stokes, Research Officer
Ginny Brunton, Senior Research Officer
Ian Shemilt, Senior Lecturer in Economics and Evidence Synthesis Methodology
Irene Kwan, Research Officer
Janice Tripney, Lecturer in Social Policy
Jeff Brunton, Research Officer
Jonathan Sharples, Professorial Research Associate
Karen Schucan-Bird, Research Officer
Kate Hinds, Research Officer
Katy Sutcliffe, Research Officer
Kelly Dickson, Research Officer
Kirrily Pells, Lecturer in Childhood Studies
Mark Newman, Reader in Evidence-Informed Policy and Practice in Education and Social Policy
Mary Sawtell, Research Officer
Meena Khatwa, Research Associate
Meg Wiggins, Senior Research Officer
Michelle Richardson, Research Officer
Mukdarut Bangpan, Research Officer
Preethy D'Souza, Research Associate
Rachel Rosen, Lecturer in Childhood
Rebecca Rees, Senior Lecturer in Evidence Informed Policy and Practice
Ruth Stewart, Research Officer
Sarah Lester, Research Officer
Sergio Graziosi, Information Systems Officer

Find more about our researchers, publications, activities, groups and themes: UCL Research Portal, IRIS

Study with us

Teaching is an important part of our work as it allows us to disseminate our innovative research methodologies and findings to social science researchers, policy-makers and practitioners.

Masters

Systematic Reviews for Social Policy and Practice MSc
Social Policy and Social Research MSc
Sociology of Childhood and Children's Rights MA

Short courses

We offer bespoke training courses and a number of stand-alone courses in research methods, with a particular focus on evidence-synthesis for policy and practice:

Critical Realism and Healthcare: an Introduction
Synthesising and Using Evidence in Medical and Healthcare Professionals' Education (Masterclass)
Systematic Reviews for Policy and Practice: Diversity, Design and Debate
Systematic Reviews: Meta-Analysis, Qualitative Synthesis, Mixed Methods Synthesis
Research Engagement, Participation and Impact
Social Policy: Theory, Practice and Research
Theories of Childhood and Society
Children's Rights in Practice
Researching Childhood

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