Building Behavioural Research Capacity, Methods and Impact

Focusing on capability building, the session will provide an update on our national map of UK behavioural research activity, designed to help identify expertise, reveal gaps and stimulate collaboration across disciplines and sectors. Research on methods, evidence and synthesis will introduce innovative tools for communicating intervention effectiveness in clearer, more concrete and decision-relevant ways—supporting policymakers and practitioners to act on evidence with confidence.


The webinar will also explore engagement and involvement through insights from interviews with politicians, civil servants and scientific advisers, examining how public behaviour was understood and framed during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings offer important lessons for future crisis communication, policymaking and public engagement. In addition, research on organisations, markets and the economy will address the practical challenges of embedding behavioural research within organisations, alongside new work examining how cognitive processes such as attention, memory and reasoning drive varied responses to interventions.