Building Capability in Behavioural Research: reflections from the first NCBR conference

From tackling climate change and improving health outcomes to navigating the opportunities and challenges of AI, understanding behaviour is essential to addressing some of society's most pressing issues.

As part of the ESRC-funded National Capability in Behavioural Research investment, BR-UK and Centre-UB share an ambition to strengthen behavioural research to enable us to address today’s complex societal challenges.

On 30 June 2026, researchers, practitioners and policymakers from across the UK came together at the University of Birmingham for the Building Capability in Behavioural Research 2026 Conference (BCBR 2026), jointly hosted by the Behavioural Research UK (BR-UK) and University of Birmingham | Centre-UB. The conference provided an opportunity, not only to showcase behavioural research, but also to explore a bigger question: what do we need to do to build the capability, connections and infrastructure needed for behavioural research to have greater impact?

Behavioural research for a changing world

The conference focused on three major themes: Digital and AI, Environment and Sustainability, and Health. Across the programme, the research presented confirmed that behavioural research is being applied across a range of issues from misinformation and online decision-making to healthcare, healthy lifestyles, climate adaptation, low-carbon housing and energy consumption.

Keynote speakers

The keynote speakers addressed complementary aspects of this challenge. Professor Ralph Hertwig, Director of the Center for Adaptive Rationality, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, explored how “boosts” can help strengthen people's decision-making capabilities. His examples, such as the car‑exiting technique, known as Dutch Reach, where you open the door with your far hand, forcing your body to turn and check for cyclists or traffic, significantly reducing “dooring” crashes, illustrated how simple, low-cost interventions can build competence and support agency in everyday decisions.

Professor Paul Taylor, UK Government's Chief Scientific Adviser for policing and chair of the Government's Social and Behavioural Science for Emergencies, meanwhile focused on the future of behavioural research and policy, considering how research can be made more timely, practical and impactful, from asking the right questions to ensuring findings get translated into real-world settings. Together, these perspectives raised important questions about how behavioural research can both support behaviour change and inform real-world decisions.

The conference debate “Who Owns Trust? Experts or Citizens?”, further highlighted the challenges behavioural researchers face in a world where people encounter information from institutions, peers, social media and increasingly AI systems. Both teams ultimately converged on rejecting the dichotomy, arguing that meaningful engagement itself requires expertise, and that citizens with lived experience are experts to some extent. The discussion underscored the need for behavioural research that is rigorous, socially informed and responsive to rapidly changing technological contexts.

A diverse community

One of the clearest messages from BCBR 2026 was the strong interest in behavioural research across sectors and disciplines. Abstracts were submitted from 20 countries; while most came from the UK, the range of submissions highlights both the national and international interest in the event [ fig 1]

Map showing the countries from which abstracts submissions were received

The breadth of sectors represented was just as striking. Abstracts came from academic, public-sector, private-sector and third-sector organisations, reflecting the increasingly interdisciplinary and cross-sector nature of behavioural research. Responses to our interactive Mentimeter on the day also showed the wide range of expertise in the room, including behavioural science, psychology, public health, economics, social sciences and sustainability, as seen below.

Mentimeter output

Capability is about community

When prompted to reflect on reasons for attending the conference, people mainly reported three things: networking, inspiration and learning. These were also the benefits they mentioned most often afterward, a good sign that the event delivered what attendees were looking for.

Attendees also told us they left with:

• more motivation and confidence;
• new career and funding opportunities; and
• fresh ideas about where their research could go next.

Most importantly, people left ready to take action. Their plans included:

• keeping in touch with new contacts;
• continuing their learning and sharing ideas with colleagues;
• developing research ideas and grant applications; and
• putting what they had learned into practice.

This suggests the value of the conference will continue well beyond the day itself.

Investing in the next generation

The conference was preceded by a dedicated workshop for early- and mid-career researchers supported via the National Capability in Behavioural Research investment ESRC have made in BR-UK and Centre-UB. Held at the University of Birmingham, the workshop brought together 46 researchers, including 26 PhD researchers and 20 Fellows. Sessions focused on networking, career development, narrative CVs and funding opportunities in behavioural research. This was the first opportunity for many researchers from the two programmes to meet as a single cohort, reinforcing the role that community-building plays in capability development.

BCBR 2026 was one step towards building a stronger and more connected behavioural research community. The challenge now is to maintain the connections formed in Birmingham, turn conversations into collaborations, and continue developing the people, partnerships and infrastructure needed for behavioural research to deliver impact across society.

If you attended BCBR, tell us how you are answering this challenge?

BR-UK and Centre-UB will be hosting our next conference in 2028 – make sure to follow our LinkedIn page and other social challenges to receive all the details when they are announced later this year.

Recordings of the Keynote presentations and debate are available at: Behavioural Research UK Leadership Hub - YouTube