UCL Research Informing Policy

UCL research and expertise impacts on public policy

UCL research and expertise impacts on public policy in a variety of ways, from providing advice to Government or policy organisations, undertaking commissioned research, or arriving at new insights that can inform policymaking.

Below are just a few examples of the ways in which UCL research has had impact on public policy. See many more examples.

UCL Economics providing empirical analysis of the effects of a Minimum Wage: This research has since provided the guiding logic for the operations of the Low Pay Commission.
UCL Population Health providing evidence for helping people to stop smoking: UCL research led to the establishment of the NHS Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training in 2009, estimated to have helped 7,500 smokers to quit, saving an estimated 6,500 life years.
UCL Institute of Education leading reforms of NHS neonatal screening processes: The NHS has since maximized the number of UK babies screened for a range of serious but treatable conditions when they are about a week old enabling them to start treatment quickly.
UCL Energy Institute modelling economic feasibility in the energy industry: Energy models developed at UCL have underpinned every major UK government energy policy document on long-term decarbonisation.
UCL Psychiatry exploring alternatives to hospital admissions for mental health: Research has demonstrated the efficacy of community treatment and supported important changes in NHS and international configurations of acute services for severely mentally ill adults
UCL Laws research leading to the creation of the Environmental Tribunal: This also led to acquisition of civil sanction powers by the Environmental Agency and the donation of over £500,000 to environmental charities by businesses under sanction.
UCL Security & Crime Science helping to shape policy and policing practice: Researchers worked closely with police forces, crime prevention practitioners and policymakers to strengthen crime prevention.
UCL Chemistry supporting the creation of a UK e-infrastructure strategy: Recommendations from this strategy have informed government decisions to set up an advisory E-Infrastructure Leadership Council and to allocate £354 million to improving the UK's high-performance computing capabilities and wider infrastructure.
UCL Philosophy underpinning changes in social care: Work on social care budgets provided the intellectual framework for pioneering work on self-directed support and shaped government policies, improving health and quality of life for more than 600,000 disabled citizens and their carers.
UCL Eastman Dental Institute highlighting the problem of inequalities in oral health: Research suggesting an urgent need for a more evidence-based, integrated public health approach to inequalities in oral health, influencing both local and national policies and the development of clinical practice guidelines.
UCL Medical Sciences informing policy on the effects of recreational drug use: Research on cannabis, ketamine and MDMA (ecstasy) has influenced government policy and legal proceedings in the UK and abroad.
UCL Pharmacy improving the way patients take new medicines: Research underpinned the design and implementation of the NHS's New Medicines Service, in which pharmacists help patients who are starting certain new medicines, which has provided better patient outcomes at reduced costs.