Overview
Keele University has been an international centre for research and teaching in crime and justice since the late 1960s.
The criminology group at the Centre for Social Policy is dedicated to the advancement of research in the fields of crime, punishment and criminal justice, grounded in sociological, theoretical, public policy and systematic empirical approaches. We regard criminology as a multidisciplinary field of study. Research conducted in the Centre reflects its strengths and expertise in policing, crime prevention and community justice, the third sector in criminal justice, victimology, professional practice in criminal justice, cultural representations of crime and punishment, risk, governance and regulation, and race, gender and citizenship in criminal justice. Members also conduct historical, comparative and psychosocial research on crime and justice, deploying a wide range of methodologies.
Facilities
The Centre welcomes postgraduate research students from around the world as members of this community, providing a high standard of facilities, including well equipped office space, postgraduate seminars, an annual postgraduate conference and social events. The inter-disciplinary nature of Faculty provides excellent opportunities for networking both with other postgraduates and with the academic staff at Keele, thus helping postgraduate researchers to achieve their full potential in a stimulating and lively environment.
Research staff and students
The Centre attracts UK, EU, and international post-graduate students studying for full-time and part-time PhD and M.Phil degrees. Centre members produce high quality social scientific work of international significance and of relevance to many user communities. We are a member of the ESRC North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP) We have received major research grants, doctoral and post-doctoral awards from the AHRC, ESRC, the European Union, the British Academy, Nuffield Foundation and Leverhulme Trust, as well as collaborative studentships with voluntary sector and criminal justice agencies. In the latest national Research Excellence Framework (REF2021), 80% of our research is deemed world-leading or internationally excellent.
