School of Education and Social Work

Research

The Departments of Education and Social Work & Social Care have strong commitments to research, producing influential, world-leading reports which shape professional policy and practice nationally and internationally.

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Research with Impact, Sussex Priorities and the ESW Strategic Plan 2019-25

The University's 2025 Research with Impact Strategy provides a structure for our School's Strategic Framework for Research with Impact [PDF 162.91KB] which outlines the aims, objectives and mechanisms underpinning our vision for research and knowledge exchange. For further information about Research at Sussex, see About our research.

Our Research Centres

The School of Education and Social Work provides a robust and nurturing research community with internationally recognised research centres delivering strong externally-facing identities and a ‘research culture without borders’. All research-active staff and doctoral researchers are actively involved with at least one interdisciplinary research centre. These Centres are the key mechanism through which the School's research agenda is developed and implemented through links, networks and knowledge hubs with local, national and international research partners and stakeholders and synergies between research, scholarship and teaching.

Department of Education

The Department of Education boasts three dedicated Research Centres:

Department of Social Work & Social Care

The Department of Social Work and Social Care has two dedicated Research Centres:

The Centre for Innovation and Research in Childhood and Youth (CIRCY) sits across both Departments.

Strategic Development Fund

The University Executive Group (UEG) approved a new governance approach for its Strategic Development Fund (SDF) in relation to supporting research activity at Sussex. The Strategic Development Fund provides time-limited financial support to strategic initiatives which aim to have a transformational impact on the institution.

You will need to log in to view more details on the internal research staff web pages.

Research Staff

The School is dedicated to supporting the ongoing development of our research staff (for example, post-docs, research fellows, research assistants and associates). Research staff form a vital part of the strong research community making valued contributions to research, teaching and learning and community engagement. Two Research staff representatives convene meetings with research staff once a term and contribute  to the School’s research committee - ensuring that their views and concerns are taken seriously.

See more details on the Research Staff web page.

Elements

Elements is the University's platform for the management of research activities, including publications. Full training and support is available for its use.

Elements is an invaluable tool to capture, collect and showcase research. It is also useful for tracking and reviewing REF submissions. Elements has improved the University's REF submission by allowing individuals to upload a variety of evidence easily and in a standardised manner. 

Research Dashboard

The Research Dashboard provides all faculty whose contracts include research with an up to date record of their research profile over the last 5 years. It is linked into HR, Sussex Research Online, Research Finance and PGR databases, in order to present a record for each individual of their current and recent research project awards, research outputs, and PGR supervisions and completions. Information from the Dashboard should be useful for each individual when completing Individual Research Plans, appraisals, curriculum vitae etc. 

You can find your own Dashboard entry in Sussex Direct. Click on the Research tab, and choose  'Research Profile'  from the drop-down menu. This brings up a pdf file with your current record.

REF 2021

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the UK’s system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. It is run by the four funding bodies in the UK. The outcome of REF informs the funding the University receives from Research England to fund our research. The last exercise was conducted in 2021.

The School’s REF preparation and submission was overseen by the school's three Directors of Research and Knowledge Exchange: Professors Gill Hampden-ThompsonRachel Thomson and Janet Boddy. ESW had two Unit of Assessment submissions which were led by Dr Louise Gazeley (UoA23) and Professor Elaine Sharland (UoA20). Dr Kristine Hickle is Academic Lead for Impact.

As with the whole REF exercise, many ESW staff members were involved in a collective endeavour to deliver the best account of the School's research culture and achievements over the last six years. All relevant staff were made aware of the processes for submission and identification of staff and selection of outputs for inclusion in the REF was transparent, consistent, accountable and inclusive. Staff were kept informed and those involved in selection undertook unconscious bias training. Our approach was compliant with the Code of Practice accepted by Research England.

Knowledge Exchange and Impact

Research carried out by staff in the School of Education and Social Work is making a substantial and positive impact to the lives of people globally. Our work is improving policy and practice for children and young people at risk of abuse, neglect, violence, exploitation, and school exclusion. Strong partnerships with practitioners and policy-makers have enabled research on educating refugees, young people’s sexual health, adults in higher education, and children in conflict-affected areas to bring about measurable change in national and international policy. Our research on safeguarding adults, supporting individuals with learning disabilities, and evaluating interventions with parents, children, and families continually shapes the innovative practices of educators and social care professionals both nationally and internationally.

Planning for research impact is integral to the way in which we support academics and doctoral researchers to develop and carry out their research; discussing pathways to impact, planning and measuring impact is at the heart of our research culture. See the Research Impact web page for more details of our events and activities.

Research Ethics and Integrity

See details of how to apply for research ethics review on the 'Research and knowledge exchange' web pages.

Ethics are an essential part of conducting research, and need to be reflected on with considerable care and attention. It is important to ensure that no harm is done to you, your participants, or to the University in pursuit of your research goals. It is also essential to assess the level of risk involved, as well as how you will mitigate it, ie. how you will protect vulnerable individuals in your research sample; what strategies you will employ to avoid restimulating distress or trauma; what information you will provide for your participants with, etc.

In order to support ethical research conduct, a number of resources are available to you:

  • A 10- minute presentation on the ethics process for PGT students in Social Sciences and Humanities. This is a general introduction to ethics at the university and is designed to get researchers thinking about the process from the start of their time with us.
  • A free module from Future Learn offers a downloadable certificate on completion (you might like to submit this certificate with your research ethics application to show that you have taken ethics training as part of the research process).
  • An online ethics drop-in every Wednesday from 2-4pm. Email c-recss@sussex.ac.uk to reserve a place.
Staff Appraisals and Research Mentoring

Annual Appraisal and performance review is carried out for all staff; the School-level process allows for the identification of areas of strength and opportunities for development, including career progression goals. All appraisers must participate in centrally provided training.

The appraisal review document is used to record achievements in a wide range of areas (teaching, research and scholarship, external activity) over the previous 12 months. The form also enables the inclusion of evidence from existing quality assurance tools in use within the School, such as module assessment forms, module comment forms, and feedback from staff-student liaison meetings - as well as the more traditional indicators of performance (publications, awards, research grant approval etc).Individual Research Plans should be appended to Appraisal documents.

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The aim of Research Mentoring is to encourage Faculty to thrive at all career stages as part of a vibrant research culture.

During 2021, the School of Education & Social Work reviewed its approach to mentoring and as a result separated all aspects of performance management from mentoring. Research mentoring matches were reviewed in light of recommendations from that work, including encouraging a closer proximity between matches in terms of career stage. The new model of mentoring is consistent with the approach supported across the University, including central training and resources. Specialist support for research activity (including support and peer review for bidding and publications) should be sought in the first instance through research centres.

Mentors and mentees are allocated 6 hours annually for this relationship and the expectation is that meetings take place at least once a term and ideally every two months, with agendas led by mentees. Mentoring matches will always be open for review, with the expectation that changes take place after 2-3 years. Any requests for changing mentors need to be made in advance of workload planning, so during the autumn academic semester. Mentees and mentors are encouraged to draw on university resources for mentoring (for example the mentoring community of practice guidance web pages for mentors/mentees). Additional training and support events are held within the School to support mentoring.

Individual Research Plans

All research-active staff have a research mentor with whom they meet at least once per term. All 'Category A' staff produce an Individual Research Plan (IRP) through ongoing discussion with their mentor. Other research staff are encouraged to do similarly. IRPs facilitate planning and support for achievement of individual research, impact and career objectives. They are reviewed annually to identify individual and collective research training and support needs, and guide actions to meet these. 

FORMS - Individual Research Plan 2023 [DOC 57.50KB]

Research Study Leave

The School's Research Study Leave Policy is consistent with university guidance on Study Leave for Research and meets the particular needs of the School.

All 'category A' staff may apply for funded study leave (normally one term every three years) subject to submission and approval of a research and impact plan evaluated against set criteria. Relevant faculty may also apply for shorter periods of 'exceptional study leave' for bidding, writing and impact activity within a tight timeframe.

The Research Study Leave Policy combines a rights-based approach to ‘standard research study leave’ and a needs-based approach to ‘exceptional research leave’ to maximise short-term flexibilities when required. It intends to ensure equity and transparency of the decision-making process, and the spirit of collegiality in which research study leave is resourced and undertaken.

Research Data Management

The University of Sussex recognises that a systematic and rigorous approach to research data management is fundamental to good research practice. To that end, it has established a Research Data Management Policy to set out and guide the approach of the institution and all researchers working within or for it:

Research Funding and Support

The School of Education and Social Work has a vibrant and thriving research culture with over 50 researchers working on projects across 6 research centres.

Research - as well as Professional Services - staff within the School work alongside staff in Research and Knowledge Exchange from the development and finance stage of bids in order to increase and deliver our portfolio of projects.

Once a funding opportunity is identified and/or you have been approached to conduct some research, please complete the Research Development Proforma: 2022/23.

See also the Workflow and Guidance: External research funding web pages for advice on the process for developing research bids and securing external funding for different types of research and consultancy projects.

See guidance on how to create a proposal.

The Research Development session 'Costing Your Research Proposal' was organised in Jan 2020 by the Research Development Officer and Directors of Research and Knowledge Exchange. The session provided up-to-date information on the Research Development Office, support offered, and an overview of types of funders and their funding models. It also covered things to consider when costing a bid.

Guidance and Planning Docs