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: Dr Rebecca Rees

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.

About us

Focus areas

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 team

Founding Director

• Ann Oakley, Professor of Sociology and Social Policy.

Director of Centre

• Rebecca Rees, Professor of Social Policy.

Assistant Director

• James Thomas, Professor of Social Research and Policy.

Professors

• David Gough, Professor of Evidence-Informed Policy and Practice
• Carol Rivas, Professor of Health and Social Care
• Jonathan Sharples, Professorial Research Fellow
• Sandy Oliver, Professor of Public Policy

Honorary researchers and professors

• Jonathan Breckon, Honorary Senior Research Fellow
• Priscilla Alderson, Professor Emerita of Childhood Studies
• Virginia Morrow, Visiting Professor

Staff

• Alison O'Mara-Eves, Senior Research Officer.
• Antonia Simon, Research Officer.
• Ailbhe Finnerty 
• Anastasia Koryakina
• Anna Tsalapatanis
• Aris Komporozos-Athanasiou, Lecturer in Social Theory and Social Policy.
• Carol Vigurs, Research Officer.
• Claire Stansfield, Research Officer.
• Deniz Arzuk - Lecturer in Childhood and Programme Leader MA Sociology of Childhood and Children’s Rights.
• Dylan Kneale, Research Officer.
• Gareth Hollands
• Gillian Stokes, Research Officer.
• Hayley Jones, Lecturer in International Social Policy.
• Ian Shemilt, Senior Lecturer in Economics and Evidence Synthesis Methodology.
• Irene Kwan, Research Officer.
• Janice Tripney, Lecturer in Social Policy.
• Karen Schucan-Bird, Research Officer.
• Kate Hinds, Research Officer.
• Katy Sutcliffe, Research Officer.
• Kelly Dickson, Research Officer.
• Kirrily Pells, Lecturer in Childhood Studies.
• Kusha Anand
• Lionel Openshaw
• Mark Newman, Reader in Evidence-Informed Policy and Practice in Education and Social Policy.
• Mary Sawtell, Research Officer.
• Matteo Tiratelli
• Mel Bond
• Meena Khatwa, Research Associate.
• Meg Wiggins, Senior Research Officer.
• Michelle Richardson, Research Officer.
• Mukdarut Bangpan, Research Officer.
• Nelly Ali
• Patrick O'Driscoll
• Preethy D'Souza, Research Associate.
• Rachael Edwards
• Rachel Rosen, Lecturer in Childhood.
• Veronica Osorio Calderon
• Roch Dunin-Wąsowicz
• Rosa Mendizabal-Espinosa
• Sarah Lester, Research Officer.
• Sergio Graziosi, Information Systems Officer.
• Zak Ghouze

Funders

For their generous support, we would like to thank:

• Arthritis Research UK,
• Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID),
• British Academy,
• British Council,
• Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA),
• Department for Business Innovation & Skills (BIS),
• Department for Education (DfE),
• Department for International Development (DfID),
• Department of Health (DH),
• Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC),
• Education Endowment Foundation (EEF),
• European Commission (EC),
• European Food Standards Agency (EFSA),
• Health Education England (HEE NHS),
• Health Education North Central and East London,
• Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF),
• International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie),
• Islington Council,
• Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC),
• Leverhulme Trust,
• London School of Economics,
• and Political Science (LSE),
• Medical Research Council (MRC),
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE),
• National Institute for Health Research (NIHR),
• Office of the Children's Commissioner (OCC),
• Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) / International Development Research Centre (IDRC),
• Research Councils UK (RCUK),
• SHINE Trust,
• Sightsavers,
• University College London (UCL) / IOE Strategic Fund,
• World Bank,
• World Health Organization (WHO).

Study with us

Programmes

We teach and supervise undergraduate, Master's, PhD and post-doctoral students across the social sciences.

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.

Master's

• Social Policy and Social Research MSc
• Social Policy and Social Research (with Systematic Reviews) MSc
• Sociology of Childhood and Children's Rights MA

Short courses

We also offer bespoke training courses and a number of stand-alone courses in research methods.

View all IOE short courses

Our activities

Our broad strands of work are:

• Childhood, gender and society;
• Evaluations of social interventions;
• Perspectives, participation and research;
• Evidence for Policy and Practice.