Collaboration and engagement
Our collaboration and engagement
Collaborating for research excellence and for the benefit of society
The unique combination of the breadth and depth of our research, initiatives made possible by key donations, and the collegiate structure, provide significant opportunities for individual scholars in narrow areas of specialism to collaborate with other world leaders to form multi- and interdisciplinary research groups and centres, with strong multi-institutional collaborations and partnerships that engage with the outside world. In this way, Oxford's social science researchers are ideally placed to push new multi- and interdisciplinary boundaries and explore cutting-edge research.
Our strong reputation for theoretical intellectual scholarship is complemented by high quality research co-produced with practitioners in the fields of social work, education, law, museums, and business (with corporations and SMEs). Through wider engagement with society, we also work with external stakeholders to set agenda and share expertise through collaborative work, to develop and maintain partnerships with external bodies, and to promote the application of social science research outside of the academic community. Our influence on policymaking is particularly extensive, both within the UK and beyond. Our researchers regularly advise international governments and multi-lateral agencies, UK government departments and local government authorities, as well as working with intermediary non-governmental organisations that lobby and encourage policy change.
Research in collaboration
Here you can explore highlights from our researchers' collaborations and engagement with academic, policymaking, and business partners, as well as the wider public and community:
Collaboration highlights
Partnering with policymakers
Engaging with industry
Hear from our researchers and their partners
https://www.youtube.com/embed/um6dVNxD1no
Opportunities to engage with our researchers
Festival of Social Science
Join us for a weekend of fascinating, free, family-friendly events at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford this October! The Festival of Social Science is a celebration of creative, engaging and impactful work that social science researchers do to help us understand and influence the world around us.
Business Engagement Seed Fund
A flexible fund offering small amounts of funding (up to £4,000) to enable researchers to build mutually beneficial partnerships with external stakeholders (such as businesses, industry bodies, and not-for-profit organisations) in meaningful and productive two-way discussions.
Social Sciences Engagement Fellowships
This scheme enables social sciences researchers to spend up to 6 months funded time embedded with or visiting non-academic partners, or for practitioners from those organisations to spend time embedded with a team/department at Oxford, to build lasting partnerships, develop new engagement skills and experiences, and grow research impact.
OPEN Seed Fund
In collaboration with the UK Civil Service Policy Profession, awards of up to £5,000 are avalable to support partnerships between policymakers – anywhere in the world – and researchers at Oxford, enabling them to share evidence, experience, and expertise.
OPEN Peer Mentoring Scheme
Following a successful pilot in 2021/22, OPEN and the UK Civil Service Policy Profession Unit are inviting Expressions of Interest from those who would like to take part in the OPEN Peer Mentoring Scheme.
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Oxford SDG Impact Lab launches to enable graduate students to further the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Children and families get hands-on with Oxford research to explore their environments at the ESRC Festival of Social Science
New joint Oxford-Wits project to study human mobility in Global South
Dieter Schwarz Foundation and Oxford announce major research collaboration on artificial intelligence, government
G20 Peoples' Climate Vote: Large majority back action
Read more on ox.ac.uk
Major UKRI funding awarded to collaborative programme exploring mental health outcomes for care-experienced young people
Read on education.ox.ac.uk
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Collaboration and engagement support and advice
Our approach to supporting collaboration and engagement across the Social Sciences Division has been highly successful in the last ten years, with the volume of research awards continuing to rise and the development of a large number of research centres and groupings. Researchers at Oxford receive significant support and guidance in the development of their research, including career development, research and impact funding, research project design and management, and research outputs from academic and administrative colleagues across the University, division and departments.
If you are a researcher at Oxford, please visit our Support for Researchers page to find out more.
New page coming soon!
Who can help me?
If you are interested to learn more about opportunities to engage with Oxford social sciences researchers - whether in research collaboration, matters relating to public policy, industry collaboration, or public and community engagement - please get in touch below: