News & Insights

Seven new transdisciplinary research hubs, funded by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), will explore ways to ensure the UK’s transition to Net Zero also protects and promotes physical and mental health. 

Each hub will receive funding to deliver high impact research focused on reducing health inequalities and will also undertake research into developing a standardised way to measure the trade-offs and unintended consequences as part of these measures. The hubs are focused around five challenge areas, with significant opportunities to benefit people’s health and reduce the impact on the environment:

• transport and the built environment
• the indoor environment
• sustainable diets
• extreme weather
• decarbonising health and social care pathways

These new research investments align with many of BR-UK’s own research themes, specifically those on environment and sustainability, health and wellbeing, and resilient communities. The One Health Systems Hub also specifically highlights the importance of engagement and involvement through active inclusion of diverse public and stakeholder perspectives in the conversations around sustainable healthcare transition whilst ensuring that the environmentally sustainable solutions for the health sector are accessible, meaningful, and contextually relevant to diverse groups.

The National Research Hub on Net Zero, Health and Extreme Heat (HEARTH)

BR-UK Co-Director, Professor Susan Michie, is an academic co-lead contributing to the National Research Hub on Net Zero, Health and Extreme Heat (HEARTH) hub led by Principal Investigator Rajat Gupta, Professor of Sustainable Architecture and Climate Change at Oxford Brookes University.  The Hub will explore the human health impacts of the UK’s net zero targets in relation to extreme heat and examine how the transition to net zero emissions can benefit vulnerable populations by improving health outcomes, such as reducing heat-related illnesses and enhancing living conditions during extreme heat events. The research will assess these benefits in various settings including homes, care facilities, hospitals, and prisons, with the aim of developing practical solutions that enhance health outcomes while supporting climate goals. Professor Susan Michie will lead the behavioural science input, applying the scientific understanding of behaviour and behaviour change to developing and evaluating interventions to reduce indoor overheating of buildings that can be implemented at scale. The focus will be on vulnerable populations such as those living in care homes or prisons. This work will be informed by COM-B model of behaviour and the Behaviour Change Wheel framework. Outcomes will be assessed by residents’ and others’ behaviours in relation to indoor heat control as well as a number of indoor exposure estimates, greenhouse gas emissions, and costs. The team will also use the APEASE framework to measure outcomes such as acceptability, practicability, equity and spillover effects. 

Professor Susan Michie notes that "The climate crisis is generating a wide range of serious problems for humanity, even in resource-rich countries.  Addressing them requires understanding and enabling change in human behaviour within a wide system of groups of people, for example, policy makers, planners and architects and managers, as well as citizens. Drawing on the science of behaviour is likely to lead to more effective policies and interventions to prevent or reduce environmental crises as well as adapting to mitigate the harm they cause.  A wide range of disciplines need to collaborate in this work for significant advances to be made, from engineers to social scientists and modellers to climate scientists.  This talented collaboration has the potential to make an important contribution to the health of people in the context of extreme heat in vulnerable settings in the transition to Net Zero targets and climate adaptation.” 

The UK hub for one health systems: creating sustainable health and social care pathways

Dr Julze Alejandre, BR-UK Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, is a technical advisor on the UK Hub for One Health Systems: creating sustainable health and social care pathways that is led by Professor Ed Wilson at the University of Exeter. The focus of this Hub will be to develop new ways to help the NHS dramatically cut its carbon footprint. This new health and social care pathway Hub will bring together a range of university and health and social care partners throughout the UK, to tackle the challenge of helping the NHS become environmentally sustainable, and to help meet its legal obligation to become net zero by 2045. The Hub will work with patients to design-out carbon from care pathways. It will ensure a health service that not only provides the best possible care for patients today, but a healthy environment for the health of future generations tomorrow. Dr Alejandre will contribute his expertise in behavioural research and implementation science to help deliver one of the work programmes of the hub that focuses on reducing carbon emissions and other pollutants from the mental healthcare pathway.

Dr Alejandre shared "Having worked in this area in the past five years, the UK health sector has made significant progress to achieve its net zero goals with its recent commitment in the COP28 Health Declaration. However, we still need to understand if the environmentally sustainable solutions available to us are appropriate and acceptable for diverse groups in different contexts and are indeed effective in reducing the carbon and other pollutants emitted from different health and social care pathways. Using transdisciplinary expertise in health economics, environmental science, as well as behavioural and implementation sciences, the Hub for One Health Systems aims to fill this gap."

Read the full press releases 

• National Research Hub on Net Zero, Health and Extreme Heat
• UK Hub for One Health Systems: Creating Sustainable Health and Social Care Pathways

Published on: 4th March 2025

Professor Oliver Escobar leads BR-UK's work package on public engagement and stakeholder involvement and we are delighted to share information about Oliver's inaugural lecture entitled "Democracy as if the future mattered: Can democratic innovation change the world?"

We are undergoing an unprecedented global democratic recession, but also a period of democratic innovation. What is at the heart of this apparent contradiction? Can democracy evolve to improve the prospect of desirable futures for people and planet?

The world faces social, political, economic and ecological crises, and there is doubt that traditional forms of democratic governance can cope or even survive. In this context, what can the field of democratic innovation offer to the task of sociopolitical reimagining and change? The field is advancing globally, based on the premise that the challenges of our time require mobilising the collective intelligence and capabilities of citizens and communities. In this inaugural lecture, Oliver will offer a critical but optimistic take on democratic innovation. He will argue that the next decade will be crucial for the future of democracy and for the democracy of the future. And that we all have a role to play. 

Register to attend in person here: Inaugural lecture: Professor Oliver Escobar Tickets, Wed, Apr 2, 2025 at 5:15 PM | Eventbrite

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) have commissioned Technopolis to conduct an evaluation of the National Capability in Behavioural Research (NCBR). The NCBR funds Behavioural Research UK which is designed to connect stakeholders and drive interdisciplinary innovation in applied behavioural research. It also includes the Centre for National Training and Research Excellence in Understanding Behaviour (Centre-UB), a Centre for Doctoral Training Plus (CDT+) that aims to build a critical mass of interdisciplinary researchers with the knowledge and skills to transform our understanding of human behaviour. Two fellows from the investments are/will be seconded to GO-Science and Government Skills to support the achievement of these objectives.

Technopolis would now like to invite interested parties to complete a evaluation survey of the NCBR.  This survey is a crucial part of our efforts to undertake an initial baseline assessment. It is addressed to stakeholders interested in NCBR, including actors involved in the activities of BR-UK and in the Centre-UB, the members of cross-government behavioural insights network and wider actors working on behavioural research in the UK.

The purpose of the survey is to assess the relevance, effectiveness, and overall impact of NCBR. Your responses will help us understand key areas such as:

• The alignment of behavioural research priorities with stakeholder needs.
• The role of NCBR in generating new knowledge, tools, and methods within the behavioural research field.
• How NCBR has contributed to career development, research opportunities, and the broader application of behavioural research in public policy and other sectors.

Your responses will provide valuable insights that will help assess the importance and effectiveness of NCBR and contribute to ESRC’s knowledge about how best to support behavioural research. 

The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete. It will remain open until the 14^th of March.

If you are a member of the BR-UK or Centre-UB or have received a link to complete the survey through them, please do not use the link in this news item. If you have any further questions or need further clarification, please contact the Project Manager of this evaluation, Alessandro Sica, ncbr_evaluation[@]technopolis-group.com

Click here to begin the survey and/or to read more about the survey’s confidentiality policy.

Published: 17th February 2025

Applications are now open for 15 brand new studentships within the Centre for National Training and Research Excellence in Understanding Behaviour (CENTRE-UB).  CENTRE-UB, like BR-UK, is funded by ESRC under their national capability in behavioural research investment.  Each studentship is co-designed and co-supervised by researchers at the University of Birmingham together with partner organisations from a range of sectors. This close link with partner organisations provides a unique learning opportunity for the PhD students to apply their learning across different contexts, sectors, and environments beyond that of traditional academia.  The deadline to apply for a studentship is Wednesday 5 March 2025 at 5pm. Follow the link to learn more and access the Full Project List.

Published: 14 February 2025

A paper introducing a new community of practice for behavioural researchers working with ontologies is now available on Wellcome Open Research. Initiated by the Human Behaviour Change Project , but combining input from researchers working on the BR-UK and APRICOT projects the paper introduces the Behavioural and Social Sciences Ontology (BSSO) Foundry, which is a repository to help the development, adoption and use of ontologies in the behavioural and social sciences. Read the paper to learn more about how to join and contribute to the community of behavioural researchers using ontologies. If you’d like to learn more about BR-UK’s approach to ontologies, what are and how they can be used, watch the BR-UK webinar on ontologies.

Published: 3rd December 2024

Part of BR-UK's role is to conduct rapid research that addresses emerging challenges or events.  Following the UK summer riots, BR-UK in collaboration with Professor John Drury, Professor Clifford Stott and others, is conducting a mixed-methods study that aims to understand the processes and impacts of the 2024 riots in England. The research aims to generate findings that can inform policy and practice to reduce the likelihood of similar events.  The protocol is available on our Open Science Framework site and results are expected to be available in the Spring of 2025.

Read Professor Stephen Reicher's commentary on the riots here.

Published: 3rd December 2024

The College of Medicine and Integrated Health has launched the Future Health Leaders Programme.  This transformative initiative is designed to cultivate the next generation of healthcare leaders. It aims to equip participants with the essential knowledge, skills, and innovative mindset necessary to navigate and reshape the evolving healthcare landscape. We are delighted that BR-UK Research Fellow Dr Julze Alejandre is one of 14 research leaders appointed in the inaugural cohort. Julze said: The College of Medicine’s Future Health Leaders programme is a unique opportunity. Being part of the inaugural cohort is both an honour and a privilege, especially given the chance to learn from experienced leaders like Sir Michael Dixon and Dame Donna Kinnair. My goal is to leverage this platform to promote the use of behavioural research in making healthcare more accessible and environmentally sustainable, both in the UK and globally.

Published: 3rd December 2024

Following on from winning the Society for the Study of Addiction’s 2024 Impact Prize, BR-UK Deputy Director Dr Sharon Cox has joined the Board of Trustees that lead the Society.  The mission of the SSA is to advance the understanding of addictive products and behaviours and the use of this knowledge in policy and practice.  Sharon is a psychologist with nearly 20 years’ academic and clinical experience studying substance addictions and harm reduction and an excellent addition to their team.

Published: 3rd December 2024

BR-UK have launched a map of almost 700 research groups and organisations with behavioural researchers based in the UK. Explore the map for public, private and third sector organisations in your area. 

The map assembles publicly available information about each organisation, along with estimated researcher numbers from BR-UK's cross-sector survey. You can access the underlying data in CSV format on the Open Science Framework, as well as details of over 200 existing networks. 

This is a living resource which will be regularly updated as an output of BR-UK's capability scoping study. We will include any organisation in which there is at least one person who works on behavioural research projects (of any kind) as part of a UK-based role. 

Published: 26th August 2024

BR-UK’s Deputy Director, Dr Sharon Cox, has been announced as the winner of the Society for the Study of Addiction’s 2024 Impact Prize.  The Impact Prize is awarded to those whose research has impacted treatment, policy, practice related to, or communities affected by, addiction. Sharon is a Principal Research Fellow at UCL and psychologist with nearly 20 years' academic and clinical experience studying substance addictions and harm reduction.

Reacting to the announcement, Sharon said: I am nothing short of overwhelmed and proud to receive this award. For many years, myself and my colleagues have been trying to raise awareness of how smoking impacts people who experience multiple and severe disadvantages, and slowly we are getting there. I am lucky to work with inspiring and hard-working colleagues that always give me ideas air time, without them, this work would not be where it is. It's really testament that science doesn't progress without the support of others.

Smoking cessation policies often fail to consider and address the evidence that there are members of society who are more at risk from smoking related harms than others and that do not have the same routine access to information and treatment to reduce those harms.   Sharon’s broad portfolio of research on smoking and its subsequent findings have facilitated her ability to directly influence policy and secure investment in smoking cessation interventions for people experiencing homelessness.

Professor Linda Bauld, BR-UK Principal Investigator and Co-Director:

On behalf of BR-UK, I send warm congratulations to Sharon for this well-deserved acknowledgement of her hard work and passion for research and her continuing commitment to challenge – and address - health inequalities within underserved communities.

Published: 29th May 2024

As part of our plans to develop a national network for behavioural research in the UK and a capability building strategy, BR-UK is undertaking a multi-part scoping study which aims to describe the field of behavioural research across all four UK nations and determine the current strengths, gaps, needs, opportunities, and priorities. The study includes several phases: mapping organisations and networks; surveying behavioural researchers and research users; conducting interviews and workshops; and co-developing strategic priorities. The focus will be across sectors (research, public and voluntary sector organisations, and industry). 

You don't have to be a 'behavioural researcher' to take part. It is open to anyone who engages with evidence or research about what influences, characterises, changes or results from people’s individual or collective behaviour. This includes research and non-research roles in public, private and third (voluntary) sectors. It can include fields such as (but not limited to) anthropology, behavioural design, economics, marketing, neuroscience, politics, sociology, and UX/UI. We welcome responses from people who belong to parts of society that are under-represented in the field of behavioural research. 

The survey will look at what types of research activity are happening, what topics and issues are being addressed, where there are needs for more or better research, and how we can strengthen people's capacity to conduct and use behavioural research. It will help to inform BR-UK's priorities for advancing behavioural research, including the management of research commissioning fund that will be open to people outside of BR-UK. The findings will help to create an online map of behavioural research activity in the UK, and respondents may be invited to take part in follow-up workshops.  The survey is open until May 13th, 2024.

 Take part in the BR-UK survey 

Published: 15th April 2024

BR-UK Co-Director Professor Susan Michie chaired a special event in London to celebrate the anniversary of The Centre for Behaviour Change (CBC) ay UCL which brings together academics, policy-makers, practitioners and others, from a wide range of disciplines to create a vibrant hub for developing ideas, methods, theories and evidence relating to behaviour change, and translating that expertise to achieve real-world impact, nationally and internationally.  This inspiring event summarised the journey Susan and the team at CBC have been on over the last decade to establish this world leading centre in behaviour change and also featured a range of presenters including BR-UK Co-Director Professor Linda Bauld. 

Learn more about CBC and to watch the celebration

Published: 11th March 2024

Professor Nick Pidgeon chaired the official launch of the BR-UK Leadership Hub which included an opening address from the UK Government's Chief Scientific Officer, Dam Angela McLean.  The launch provided an overview of the ambitions of both the Economic and Social Research Council who fund BR-UK through their National Capability in Behavioural Research initiative and the Hub as a whole.  BR-UK Directors, Professor Linda Bauld and Professor Susan Michie, explained the rational behind the Hub, why behavioural research matters and the BR-UK vision.  

If you missed the launch and would like to catch up,  you can watch it on our YouTube channel.

Published: 10th March 2024