Institute of Applied Social Research (IASR)

Description

The Institute of Applied Social Research brings together research within the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, producing work which both anticipates and shapes key changes in policy, administration and practice. In the Research Excellence Framework (REF2021) 81% of the Institute's research was assessed to be world-leading or internationally excellent.

The Institute is home to four research centres – The Tilda Goldberg Centre for Social Work and Social Care, the Safer Young Lives Research Centre (formerly The International Centre: Researching child sexual exploitation and trafficking), the Vauxhall Centre for the Study of Crime and the Research Centre for Applied Psychology – and three interdisciplinary research groups which focus on forced migration, substance misuse and ageing and building resilience and wellbeing in the helping professions.

The Institute is recognised for its knowledge and expertise in the following areas:

• Undertaking applied research and evaluation, to inform policy and practice and the delivery of social care and multi-disciplinary services
• Engaging Participant Expert by Experience Researchers in the design and conduct of studies
• Evaluating strengths-based practice to improve social work practice (e.g. motivational interviewing and systemic practice)
• Safeguarding children and young people from child sexual exploitation and other forms of abuse
• Contextual safeguarding
• Research with children looked after and young people negotiating the transition from care to adulthood
• Empirical studies of youth crime and victimisation, policing, the operation of the youth justice and community safety services
• Establishing new ways of understanding the complexities of migration and trafficking
• Understanding the extent of alcohol-related harm and exploring what alcohol treatment approaches work best with older people who misuse alcohol.

Offers funding

No, this infrastructure does not provide funding.

Contact details

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University affiliation(s)

University of Bedfordshire
Vicarage Street
Luton
LU1 3JU