Social science research is sold short by UK policy engagement

From April the National Living Wage will increase to £11.44 per hour for all those aged 21 and over – a welcome uplift for those over 21 now paid a minimum wage of £10.18 per hour.

When it was introduced in 2016, the legislation raised the wages of more than 1.5 million workers, though it only applied to those aged 25 or over prior to April 2021. Living wage levels were also lower, starting at £7.50 an hour for a 25-year-old in April 2017, or £7.05 for a 21-year-old, though this still represented higher wages for many workers.

What many people might not appreciate is that the National Living Wage – and the subsequent reforms designed to eliminate low pay and the gender wage gap – have been informed by university-based social science research whose impact is felt in many different ways by communities, families and organisations across the country.

From law and economics to business and management, politics, sociology, behavioural psychology, geography and more, the social sciences constantly touch our daily lives. Yet their contributions to nearly every aspect of society, nationally and internationally, is often little understood, or overlooked, beyond academia.

In a new collaboration, the British Academy and the Academy of Social Sciences commissioned a major study that showcases the depth and breadth of the impact UK social science and humanities research has on society. Drawing on more than 4,000 impact case studies from the Research Excellence Framework 2021 database, the report highlights how the social sciences, in particular, contribute to tackling societal challenges, including improving economic productivity, contributing to people’s health and well-being, addressing education inequalities and helping to mitigate the effects of climate change.

For example, social scientists developed the “evidence-based policing” approach, which has been used by police authorities around the world, resulting in changes to policy and practice, including selecting locations to patrol against knife crime in the UK and the widespread global use of body-worn video cameras. In the healthcare sector, it is estimated that prescribed medicine wastage costs the NHS approximately £300 million annually. After a review by social scientists, the New Medicine Service, which was introduced on a fixed-term basis to support people starting new medications for long-term conditions, was formally adopted by NHS England. The increased number of patients taking their medications correctly because of the consultations the service provided has resulted in savings of an estimated £558 million for the NHS since 2014. Examples like these, and thousands more, are due to the expertise of social scientists across the UK’s universities.

And the impact doesn’t end there. Social science research transcends disciplinary boundaries to deliver impact for society too, complementing STEM, medical and humanities research. One example includes research that has greatly enhanced satellite technology and its applications, specifically the European Space Agency and European Commission’s capability to monitor global vegetation from space in near real-time. The innovative data products arising from this have also benefited agricultural and environmental service providers, enabling timely and targeted responses to poor harvests and disease outbreaks, thus helping to underpin food security.

So how can the benefits of such research, and that which does not feature in the Research Excellence Framework impact case studies, be used more fully? How can we capitalise on the skills and expertise of social scientists in tackling society’s most pressing challenges?

To lever more sustained benefits, I would argue for attention in three areas.

First, the expertise of social scientists needs to be better engaged, embedded and used in decision-making frameworks so that research outcomes can inform policy and practice further. Helpful moves in this direction include the UKRI Policy Fellowships and the recently announced Parliamentary Thematic Research Leads, in which mid-career researchers will spend three days a week in Westminster working on issues including AI and digital, transport, crime and justice, and health.

But more needs to be done. Last year, the Department for Science, Technology and Innovation outlined its vision for Britain as a “science and technology superpower” by launching its STEM-centred Science and Technology Framework. Based on the impact that UK social science research is delivering for society, and its global standing, the UK is probably already a social science superpower.

Surely then, for the social sciences to more directly contribute to the UK’s technological, social, economic and environmental priorities, a similarly structured Social Science Framework would enable policymakers to capitalise more systematically on the strength of the UK’s whole research and innovation system, leading to more integrated thinking and strategies.

Great strides have been made with the government’s “What Works Centres” in capturing, sharing and translating research into practice in some specific areas. However, beyond the research and impact funding and assessment envelopes, it can be a challenge for much excellent “research into impact” to be shared, adopted and adapted more widely and over longer timeframes.

I don’t have an answer, but I pose the question as to how our systems might better support, facilitate and encourage scalable innovations to be applied in other places, scenarios and communities.

Finally, to capitalise on what the social sciences can offer in terms of real-world insight and impact, the pipeline of social science talent is key. This starts with inspiring young minds in secondary schools right through to developing high-end skills and innovation at post-doctoral research levels. The Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated the synergies between STEM and the social sciences in delivering workable approaches to societal challenges for all to see. The case for a balanced school curriculum that has strengths across social science, STEM and the arts and humanities is equally clear.

As the world faces an increasing number of complex challenges, a thriving research and innovation system that draws on the strengths of all disciplines and continues to support successful, sustained and societally beneficial impacts could not be more vital.

Rita Gardner is chief executive of the UK’s Academy of Social Sciences.