Social Policy Research

The Prospects website has careers information on social researchers. Useful information can also be found on the Social Research Association website while The Policy Library is a good source of information on social, economic and foreign policy issues as well as jobs and events.

The Government Social Research service (GSR) provides government with social research and employs around 1000 researchers across all areas of government. The website contains information about a career in government social research along with relevant web links.

Many of the websites listed below have information on jobs and internships.

Websites

The following is a listing of, for the most part, independent think-tanks which have websites.  Please note that the descriptions of each institution are mostly taken from their websites.

Adam Smith Institute  www.adamsmith.org
ASI is the UK's leading innovator of practical market-economic policies.

Centre for the Analysis of Social Exclusion http://sticerd.lse.ac.uk/case
The Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE) is an ESRC Research Centre, core-funded by the Economic and Social Research Council since October 1997.

Centre for Economic Policy Research  www.cepr.org.uk
CEPR conducts research on a range of economic issues.

Centre for Enterprise  www.cfe.org.uk
The Centre for Enterprise (CfE) works with the public sector, small businesses and individuals. It provides professional support services in the design and management of public programmes for enterprise and skills.

Centre for European Reform www.cer.org.uk
The Centre for European Reform is a think-tank devoted to improving the quality of the debate on the future of the European Union.

Centre Forum  www.centreforum.org 
Liberal think-tank seeking to develop evidence based, long term policy solutions to the problems facing Britain.

Centre for Policy Studies  www.cps.org.uk
The Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) is an independent think-tank which develops and publishes public policy proposals and arranges seminars and lectures on topical policy issues, as part of its mission to influence policy around the world.

Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation  www.csfi.org.uk
The CSFI is an independent think-tank based in London. It was formed in early 1993 to stimulate research into the future of the financial services industry.

David Hume Institute  www.davidhumeinstitute.com
The David Hume Institute promotes research, analysis and debate on public policy issues. Its work is primarily focused in areas linking economics and law, with a particular interest in the interaction between institutional or legal frameworks and market forces.

DEMOS  www.demos.co.uk
Demos is a forum for new ideas which can improve the quality of our lives. As an independent think-tank, the aim of DEMOS is to create an open resource of knowledge and learning that operates beyond traditional parties, identities and disciplines.

European Policy Centre  www.epc.eu
The European Policy Centre (EPC) is an independent, not-for-profit think-tank, committed to making European integration work. It provides information and analysis on the EU policy agenda. EPC aims to promote a balanced dialogue between the different constituencies of its membership, spanning all aspects of economic and social life.

The Fabian Society  www.fabians.org.uk
The Fabian Society aims to explore the political ideas and the policy reforms which will define progressive politics in the future.

The Federal Trust  www.fedtrust.co.uk
The Federal Trust is a think-tank that studies the interactions between regional, national, European and global levels of government.

Foreign Policy Centre  www.fpc.org.uk
The Foreign Policy Centre is a think-tank which aims to broaden perceptions of what foreign policy is, encourage public debate about our foreign policy goals and find new ways to get people involved.

Institute for Development Studies  www.ids.ac.uk/ids
IDS is an internationally-renowned centre for research and teaching on development.  It was established in 1966.

Institute of Economic Affairs  www.iea.org.uk
The IEA seeks to explain free-market ideas to the public, including politicians, students, journalists, businessmen, academics and anyone interested in public policy.

Institute for Fiscal Studies  www.ifs.org.uk
The Institute for Fiscal Studies is a research institute which exists to provide economic analysis independent of government, political party or any other vested interest.

International Institute for Environment and Development   www.iied.org
IIED is an independent, non-profit organization promoting sustainable patterns of world development through collaborative research, policy studies, networking and knowledge dissemination.

International Institute of Strategic Studies  www.iiss.org
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is the world’s leading authority on political-military conflict.

Institute for Public Policy Research www.ippr.org/home
IPPR is an independent think-tank on the centre left.

Joseph Rowntree Foundation  www.jrf.org.uk
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation is one of the largest social policy research and development charities in the UK.

The Kings Fund  www.kingsfund.org.uk
The King's Fund is an independent charitable foundation whose goal is to improve health, especially in London.

National Centre for Social Research  www.natcen.ac.uk
The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) is the largest independent social research institute in Britain.

National Institute of Economic and Social Research  www.niesr.ac.uk
The Institute's objective is to promote, through quantitative research, a deeper understanding of the interaction of economic and social forces that affect people's lives so that they may be improved.

New Economics Foundation  www.neweconomics.org
NEF is an independent think-tank that inspires and demonstrates real economic well-being. It aims to improve quality of life by promoting innovative solutions that challenge mainstream thinking on economic, environment and social issues.

New Local Government Network  www.nlgn.org.uk 
The New Local Government Network (NLGN) was founded in 1996 by a small group of senior local government figures whose stated aim was to make local government more relevant and credible to local people.

New Policy Institute  www.npi.org.uk
The New Policy Institute is a progressive think-tank, founded in 1996. The aim of the NPI is to advance social justice in a market economy.

Overseas Development Institute www.odi.org.uk
ODI is Britain's leading independent think-tank on international development and humanitarian issues.

Policy Exchange  www.policyexchange.org.uk
Policy Exchange is an independent think-tank whose mission is to develop and promote new policy ideas which will foster a free society based on strong communities, personal freedom, limited government, national self-confidence and an enterprise culture.

Policy Network  www.policy-network.net
Policy Network’s objective is the promotion and cross fertilisation of progressive policy ideas among centre-left modernizers.

Policy Research Institute  www.leedsmet.ac.uk/fbl/PRI.htm
The Policy Research Institute is one of the UK’s leading university-based centres for applied economic and social research.

Policy Studies Institute  www.psi.org.uk
Policy Studies Institute (PSI) is one of Britain's leading independent research institutes, conducting research to promote economic well-being and improve quality of life.

Regulatory Policy Institute  www.rpieurope.org
The RPI is an independent research organisation whose objective is the promotion of the study for the public benefit of all aspects of regulatory policy being the regulation of business activity by official or governmental authority.

Royal Institute of International Affairs  www.riia.org
The Royal Institute of International Affairs (RIIA) is one of the world's leading institutes for the analysis of international issues.

Science and Technology Policy Research  www.sussex.ac.uk/spru
SPRU is one of the world leaders in policy research on science, technology and innovation and its wider economic, social and environmental implications.

The Smith Institute  www.smith-institute.org.uk
The Smith Institute is an independent think-tank, which has been set up to undertake research and education in issues that flow from the changing relationship between social values and economic imperatives.

Social Market Foundation  www.smf.co.uk
The SMF was established in 1989 to provide a source of innovative economic and social policy ideas.

 

Updated on 3 May 2013