Contents

Latest News
Policy and Research
Campaign for Social Science
Fellows' News
Member Societies' News
Events

New Campaign hub on Good Growth

The Good Growth project will explore ways which might make it possible for the UK to achieve growth that is fair, inclusive, carefully targeted in the right regions and sectors, and environmentally sustainable.

You can visit the hub now, where you can read: 

• Dr Aveek Bhattacharya, Research Director at the Social Market Foundation: Is there a trade-off between raising economic growth and tackling inequality?
• Professor Richard Blundell FAcSS, David Ricardo Chair of Political Economy at University College London, Professor Rachel Griffith FAcSS, Professor of Economics at the University of Manchester, and Professor Sally McNally, Professor of Economics at University of Surrey: Policies to promote productivity and wage growth for less educated workers
• Jack Jeffrey, a Researcher at the Fairness Foundation: From unequal gains to shared wealth: crafting an economy that works for everyone
• Dr Ed Jones, Senior Lecturer in Economics at Bangor University: What we measure, matters.
• Dr Anandadeep Mandal, Associate Professor in Finance at the University of Birmingham: Good Growth: Prosperity with Purpose – A Blueprint for a Fairer Future

We’ll be adding new content to the hub throughout 2025. Stay tuned for more comment pieces, event recordings and other materials.  

If you and/or your colleagues are interested in submitting an evidence-led comment piece for the new hub on Good Growth, or indeed for any of our existing hubs, please contact Steve Grundy, Senior Campaign Manager at s.grundy@acss.org.uk to discuss your idea. 

Save the date: AcSS 2025 Annual General Meeting

The Academy of Social Sciences’ 2025 Annual General Meeting will take place online on Wednesday 18 June between 4pm-5.15pm. All Fellows are invited to attend and an agenda and other relevant information, including a joining link, will be circulated closer to the time.

The latest episodes this season have included: 

• Professor Brendan Burchell and Professor Clare Kelliher FAcSS exploring historical movements for work-life balance and the benefits of shorter workweeks on productivity and wellbeing.  
• Professor Jane Monckton-Smith discussing her world-renowned research into the pattern of domestic abuse which is being used to inform policy and save lives. (Content warning: this episode covers themes of domestic abuse, violence against women and domestic homicide.) 
• Professor Lee Elliot-Major OBE FAcSS sharing his research into the decline of social mobility in the UK and the need for a broader understanding of systemic barriers. 
• Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organisation, sharing her thoughts during this period of uncertainty in world trade, perspectives on women in leadership positions and her beliefs on creating positive change in the world. 

The We Society will be back for season 8. Follow us on social media to get the latest updates and subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Aimed at non-specialist audiences and seeking to raise awareness of the social sciences and their contributions, do please share it with anyone whom you think might be interested.   

REF 2029 Panel recruitment

As a reminder, open recruitment for the REF 2029 sub-panels remains open, with the closing date for REF 2029 sub-panel member roles and other panel expert roles being midday 28 April 2025. 

REF 2029 encourages suitably qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply and they are keen to hear from individuals who can bring unique perspectives to the panels, including experiences beyond academia and those with an understanding of diverse research practices, outputs, impacts and engagement practice. 

As an Academy, we encourage Fellows with suitable expertise to apply for positions on relevant sub-panels in Panel C and other main panels as appropriate. 

More information about the roles, including criteria and how to apply is available on the REF 2029 website. 

Fellowship renewal

Thank you to all of our Fellows who have renewed their Fellowship for 2025.

Your Fellowship is a visible sign to the wider world of the importance of the social sciences and the excellence of its expert research and practitioner communities in contributing knowledge, understanding and actions in support of society, the economy, people and places. Your Fellowship of the Academy also contributes in many other ways from advice and contact networks to funding and it is all essential to our work to promote the social sciences in the UK for public benefit.

All Fellows should have received a communication from the Academy about renewing their Fellowship. If you are a Fellow and have not received this, please contact us at administrator@acss.org.uk

Policy update

In a challenging month for the UK’s HE sector, this month’s Policy Update picks out some of the emerging messages about the state of university finances and the political backdrop. We also take a dive into plans for reform of post-16 education in England, with a white paper expected in the summer.

Watch now: How to address inequalities as part of ‘good growth’

The recording of our first event in the Good Growth series (see new hub above) is available to view.   

In this webinar our panel of experts offered their insights, based on research evidence, for how the new UK Government might seek to balance its economic priorities against large and growing inequalities across society. The webinar also featured a response from Paul Johnson CBE FAcSS, Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies. 

The speakers were: 

• Professor Heejung Chung, Professor of Work and Employment, King's College London / Director for the King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership 
  
• Professor Matthew Johnson FAcSS, Professor of Public Policy, Northumbria University 
• Professor Katherine Smith FAcSS, Professor of Public Health Policy, University of Strathclyde 

This was the first of several events on Good Growth. Watch out for more to come throughout the year.  

Read now: The Sustainability Integrity Challenge: Fighting Fraud for Genuine Impact

The Campaign recently published a new piece on the Climate and Sustainability hub. Dr Rasha Kassem, Senior Lecturer in Accounting at Aston University, wrote for us about how fraud can threaten the effectiveness of green initiatives and impact negatively on public trust. The piece explores the relationship between sustainability and fraud and discusses how we can tackle the issue to better enable a sustainable future.

Obituary: Professor Paul White FAcSS

The Academy was sad to hear the news of the recent death of Professor Paul White FAcSS. Paul was Emeritus Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield, and a Public Orator for the University. He was recognised as a leading figure in his research areas which included population change, migration, social change and urban structures in Europe. From 2004 to 2014 Paul served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Learning and Teaching at the University of Sheffield, and in 2016 he was awarded an OBE “for services to higher education”. Our condolences go to his family, friends and colleagues who worked with him during the course of his distinguished career.

New books by FAcSS

• Changemakers. Radical Strategies for Social Movement Organising, Holggate, J. and Page, J. (2025) Bristol University Press 
• The Balancing Act: An Evidence-Based Approach to Teaching Phones, Reading and Writing, Wyse, D. and Hacking, C. (2024) Routledge 
• Integrity: The Rise of a Distinctive Western Idea and Its Destiny, Albrow, M. (2024) Polity
• International Cooperation When Mistrust Deepens, Perri 6, and Heims, E. (2024) Oxford University Press. We have been advised that the following promotion code will provide a 30% discount when ordering through OUP: ASFLYQ6
• Thinking Through Family. Narratives of Care Experienced Lives, Boddy, J. with Hanrahan, F. and Wheeler, B. (2023) Bristol University Press
• Social Science: A Very Short Introduction, Betts, A. (2024) Oxford University Press
• Rethinking rural studies, Brown, D. and Shucksmith, M. (2024) Elgar
• New Perspectives on Intergovernmental Relations: Crisis and Reform, Kuhlmann, S., Laffin, M., Wayenberg, E. and Bergstrom, T. (eds) (2024) Palgrave Macmillan Cham
• The Sociology of Emotions. Feminist, Cultural and Sociological Perspectives, Brooks, A. (2024) Bristol University Press
• Creating Empowering Environments for People with Dementia, Charras, K., Hogervorst, E., Wallcook, S., Kuliga, S. and Woods, B. (eds) (2024) Routledge
• Volunteering in the UK: the spirit of service, Mohan, J. (2024) Manchester University Press
• Criminal Psychology in Action: A Project Based Approach, Canter. D (2004) Routledge
• Pandemic Societies: A Critical Public Health Perspective, Petersen, A. (2024) Bristol University Press
• The New Governance of Religious Diversity, Modood, T. and Sealy, T. (2024) Polity Books
• The Resilience of Multiculturalism: Ideas, Politics, Practice, Sealy, T., Uberoi, V. and Meer, N. (2024) Edinburgh University Press
• The Handbook of Creative Data Analysis, edited by Kara, H., Mannay, D. and Roy, A. (2024) Bristol University Press
• Contesting the World: Norm Research in Theory and Practice, Orchard, P. and Wiener, A. eds (2024) Cambridge University Press
• Trade Unions and the British Industrial Relations Crisis: An Intellectual Biography of Hugh Clegg, Ackers, P. (2024) Routledge
• Intellectual leadership, higher education and precarious times, Fitzgerald, T., Gunter, H.M., and Nixon, J. (Eds.) (2024) London: Bloomsbury
• Critical Education Policy and Leadership Studies: The Intellectual Contributions of Helen M. Gunter, Fitzgerald, T. and Courtney, S.J. (Eds.) (2023) Cham, Switzerland: Springer (A festschrift of Professor Helen Gunter FAcSS’ work).
  

If you are an Academy Fellow and have a new book you would like included in these listings, please email us with a link to your publication at media@acss.org.uk

BAICE news 

Would your institution like to host the BAICE Conference in 2026? BAICE is excited to open the call for expressions of interest (EOI) from colleagues in the field of international and comparative education, in relation to hosting the BAICE Conference 2026. The BAICE Conference is held every two years, in September. It attracts around 300 colleagues. It can be held at any higher education institution in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. This is an exciting opportunity for a team of colleagues to work closely with the BAICE Executive Committee and lead on the intellectual and logistical agenda for the conference. BAICE has a fantastic conference support team, whose extensive skillset can be drawn on as required, creating a tailored support package for hosts that aligns with institutional administrative support. Find out more. 

BAICE is deeply saddened by the loss of two cherished members of our community, Keith Watson and Arif Naveed, in recent months. We honour their significant contributions to Comparative and International Education and remember them as truly remarkable individuals. Read the obituaries: Keith Watson and Arif Naveed. 

Ten volumes of the Bristol Studies in Comparative and International Education have been published since it was relaunched by Bristol University Press in 2023. The series, founded by Professor Michael Crossley, has a 30-year history, additional Series Editors*, a diverse International Advisory Board, and commitment to engage with comparative international and interdisciplinary perspectives, with ‘an emphasis on education for social, environmental and epistemic justice’. BUP supports ’new thinking that challenges injustice and inequality within and beyond academia’, and the series prioritises research that bridges theory, policy and practice, while supporting early career researchers worldwide. Examples include: Decolonising Education for Sustainable Futures (Hutchinson et al., 2023); policy mobilities through assemblage theory (Lewis and Spratt, 2024); collective memory work in post-conflict Peru (Vásquez,2025). For details of these and other volumes, and how to submit a proposal visit: Bristol Studies Series. 

*Series Editors: Professors Michael Crossley, Leon Tikly and Angeline M. Barrett CIRE / University of Bristol, and Professor Julia Paulson, University of Saskatchewan. 

BERA news

The British Educational Research Association (BERA) is delighted to announce that Professor Mhairi Beaton (Leeds Beckett University) has been elected as the next President of BERA. She will assume the role of Vice-President from 1 January 2026 before stepping into the Presidency on 1 January 2027 for a two-year term. Find out more.  

BERA is delighted to announce that their 2025/2026 Small Grants Fund, which aims to support research focusing on Additional Support Needs (ASN)/Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in educational settings, is open. £5,000 per project is available with the deadline for applications being 24 May 2025. Find out more.  

Read BERA’s Blog Special Issue - Beyond ‘navel gazing’: Autoethnography as a catalyst for change. 

BERA’s blog series, 10 Years of the BERA blog, celebrates one decade of the BERA Blog, as an important and growing space to explore current and varied issues and questions of concern to the education community. Find out more.  

Two of BERA’s journals, British Educational Research Journal and Curriculum Journal, have announced their annual Editors’ Choice Awards, recognising papers published in their 2024 volumes. Find out more. 

BISA news

A new British Academy report on Politics and International Relations (PIR) provision in UK higher education shows a 20% increase in first degree enrolments and a 41% rise in postgraduate taught enrolments between 2011/12 and 2022/23, with PIR graduates earning a median salary up to £9,000 more than the average graduate ten years after leaving university. Juliet Dryden, BISA Director/CEO sat on the report advisory committee. You can find out more and access the report on the BISA website.

The Political Studies Association (PSA) has also reviewed the report which you can view on their website. 

DSA news

Navigating crisis: dangers and opportunities in development is the theme of the 2025 annual conference from the Development Studies Association. The conference will be hosted by the Centre for Development Studies at the University of Bath and is hybrid. Early bird registration opens 21 March and all are welcome including students, activists, practitioners and researchers from across disciplines. Find out more.  

DSA council member Dr Eyob Balcha Gebremariam’s recent paper argues that mainstream social science and development studies are guilty of perpetuating epistemic injustice by discrediting other forms of knowledges, knowers and meaning-making processes. Read more.

DSA Council member Prof Peter Taylor shares analysis of the USAID freeze, with examples of short-term impacts and predictions of longer-term consequences. Read now.  

PSA news

The Political Studies Association (PSA) is seeking new trustees. The call is open to all with nominations due by 10 March 2025. Find out more. 

The Political Studies Association’s new 2025-28 strategic plan marks their 75th anniversary and looks to shape their future. Find out more.  

The PSA is also encouraging social scientists to apply for the REF 2029 sub panels. Find out more.  

Becoming a member of the PSA is now easier with their new go-cardless scheme. Find out more.  

Call for papers: SLS 2025 Annual Conference

The Society of Legal Scholars (SLS) is holding its annual conference between 2-4 September 2025 at the University of Leeds. The Call for Papers has now been issued and the deadline for submissions is 4 April 2025. Registration for the conference will open on 6 May. Full details of the conference can be found here.  

The SLS is the learned society for those who teach law in a university or similar institution or who are otherwise engaged in legal scholarship. The SLS has over 2,700 members. You can find out more about the society on the SLS website. 

Call for papers: UKAPA Annual Conference 2025

The call for papers, panels and roundtables for the UK Association for Public Administration’s 2025 Annual Conference is now open. The conference will be held at Ulster University, Belfast, between Thursday 11 – Friday 12 September 2025. The theme for the conference is the Future of Public Administration. The deadline for abstract submissions is Monday 5 May 2025. Find out more.