Research Opportunities

"We are interested in hearing from students who would like to do a URSS project related the Society and Culture Interdisciplinary Spotlight. See Society & Culture | Research at Warwick

We are hoping to start a strand of work around the civic university and the role of the university in the local/regional area."

We would like to support students to carry out research projects on topics relating to widening participation, social mobility, diversity, inclusion, and inequalities. For more information on potential projects, please visit our student projects page or email Dr Ellis Ryan.

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Working on the Mapping Women’s Suffrage project is an opportunity to identify, research, and map the lives and materials of ordinary women and men that fought for women’s right to vote in villages, towns and cities across the country. It offers a diverse range of ways for you to share your work with the public whether through the online map, blogs/vlogs, social media, local walks, or talks and presentations. It can also help spark conversations about women and girls in politics today.

For more information see the website or email Tara Morton.

ISSER is a leading centre for policy-relevant research. Its work is interdisciplinary and designed to inform national and regional development strategies. See ISSER websiteLink opens in a new window.

Further information: ISSER’s research spans 14 major themes, addressing key development challenges in Ghana and across Africa.

Core Research Themes:

• Agriculture and Economic Transformation: Exploring how agricultural innovation drives broader economic growth.
• Digitalization and Development: Investigating the role of digital technologies in shaping inclusive development.
• COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience: Assessing post-pandemic recovery strategies across sectors.
• Climate Change and Green Development: Researching sustainable practices and climate adaptation policies.
• Development Financing: Analysing funding mechanisms for national development.
• Social Mobilisation and Social Protection: Studying community engagement and welfare systems.
• Political Economy and Governance: Evaluating institutional frameworks and policy effectiveness.
• Human Capital Development and Socio-Economic Transformation: Focusing on education, skills, and labour market dynamics.
• Energy and the Extractives Sector: Examining energy policy and resource management.
• Gender and Development: Addressing gender equity and empowerment.
• Health and Development: Linking public health outcomes to socio-economic progress.
• Globalization and Trade: Understanding Ghana’s position in global markets.
• Policy Making (Focus on Ghana): Supporting evidence-based policymaking tailored to local contexts.
• Urbanization and National Development: Investigating the impact of urban growth on national planning.

Contact:

The URSS project would be available to up to 3 people and it would examine methods for strengthening legal and regulatory systems to tackle greenwashing. The studies will focus on improving oversight of environmental marketing claims, exploring modifications to UK trade mark registration procedures, and applying behavioural economics principles to identify and counter greenwashing activities. The research will incorporate analysis of contemporary legislation such as the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, current trade mark legislation under the Trade Marks Act 1994, and developing European Union proposals including the draft Directive on Green Claim

Are you curious about ancient life and Earth’s history? This is your chance to explore the fascinating world of palaeontology—an area not currently taught at our university.

Work alongside Dr Daniel Cashmore, whose research examines how geological and anthropogenic biases impact our understanding of animal evolution. Projects are typically desk-based, involving significant data collection and quantitative analysis. The specific focus of your project will be developed in discussion with Dr Cashmore, allowing you to tailor it to your interests.

This is a unique opportunity to learn about prehistoric life while gaining valuable research experience and transferable skills!

If you are interested, please contact Daniel ( ) to discuss potential URSS project applications

"I work mostly developing mathematical resilience for those who experience maths anxiety – to reinclude them in maths. This has extended to Second Language anxiety and presentation anxiety. I’d be interested to talk with any student who would like to explore this further."

The LaleoLab board game was designed and patented by Italian researchers with the aim of building students’ critical awareness of gender stereotypes and roles, helping them to recognise the influence that gender has on their educational choices and professional aspirations. Due to the success of the LaleoLab game in Italy, we have translated and adapted it into English.

We welcome research proposals to test the adaptation of the game for public engagement, for example in a summer programme libraries. More information of the board game and how it looks like may be found here:https://linktr.ee/laleolab

In your work, you will be supported by a team that includes one of the creators of the original game: Ninna Makrinov (Assistant Professor in Research Methods at WMG), David Reynolds (Assistant Professor in Digital Marketing at WMG), Dr Andreana Pastena (Assistant Lecturer in English Studies at the Universitat de les Illes Balears (Spain) and an Honorary Fellow at Warwick’s IAS), and Dr Sara Parisi (Teaching Fellow in Italian Studies at the University of Warwick). Please contact us by email to explore your research ideas.