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A smiling woman outdoors in a sunlit green park, wearing gold hoop earrings, a taupe blazer, and a pink-and-white patterned top. Trees and an open grassy field are softly blurred in the background.

Barnett Prize winner 2026: Sydney Tucker

12 October 2026
DPhil student Sydney Tucker has been named this year's Barnett Prize winner for her outstanding contribution to social intervention and policy evaluation.
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Why the triple lock pension reform makes its political problem worse

07 October 2026
Expert Comment from DSPI’s Professor Tim Vlandas following the announcement by UK Prime Minister to reform the triple lock pension.
Three people are standing together at an award ceremony. Prof Daly is in the centre with short grey hair and wearing a dark checked jacket.

Professor Mary Daly awarded honorary doctorate by Roskilde University, Denmark

05 October 2026
The honorary doctorate recognises Professor Daly’s internationally recognised research in the fields of care, family policy and welfare state research.
Graphic titled 'Living systematic review to prevent childhood sexual violence' featuring Safe Futures Hub, DSPI and University of Oxford logos, with an image indicating research and data analysis and a cityscape image along the bottom.

DSPI and Safe Futures Hub launch first living dashboard on solutions to prevent childhood sexual violence

05 October 2026
The global review evaluates interventions, laws and policies aimed at preventing childhood sexual violence victimisation and perpetration.
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Dr Miranda Simon joins DSPI as Associate Professor of Causal and Experimental Methods

17 September 2026
She brings expertise in causal and experimental methods to research on migration and social policy.
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DSPI trial finds support groups for parents halved violence against children in wartime Ukraine

14 September 2026
Parents’ depression and anxiety more than halved in one of the first randomised trials of family support run during an active war.
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DSPI features in two BBC Ideas videos

10 September 2026
Listen to DSPI’s Professor Jamie Lachman and Dr Isang Awah give practical advice for parents.
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First longitudinal study of children entering care in England finds rise is not due to asylum-seeking children

17 August 2026
Study reveals growing numbers of children entering care since mid-2000s is mainly due to abuse and neglect.
Zach Parolin has short brown hair. He is wearing a light blue shirt and a dark blazer, and smiling broadly.

Professor Zachary Parolin receives two early career awards

11 August 2026
Professor Parolin recognised for contribution to the understanding of poverty, inequality and social mobility.
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"Giving babies a voice" can improve early identification and support

09 July 2026
DSPI and iHV study recommends innovative observational health visiting tool to be rolled out across UK.
The Awards logo has a dark blue background with words '2026 Teaching Excellence Awards' in yellow, green, red and pink

Two DSPI associate professors receive University of Oxford teaching award

06 July 2026
Dr Bhatia and Dr Naczyk recognised for their outstanding teaching by University’s Social Science Division.
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Learning to cope with the heat in UK summers

23 June 2026
Dr Chloe Brimicombe explains how people can stay safe during heatwaves and why policies must go further to prepare for rising temperatures.
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Dr Bridget Steele wins 2026 Vice-Chancellor's Breakthrough Researcher Award

08 June 2026
How DSPI is leading research on sexual violence in higher education on national and international scale.
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DSPI's Dr Ismael G. Muñoz receives international research award for study on grandparents' role in child nutrition

08 June 2026
Research reveals how the benefits of grandparental co-residence vary across Africa's demographic and health contexts.
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Drought linked to 46% increase in sexual violence among adolescents in Southern Africa

02 June 2026
Study reveals climate change is increasing risks to child safety.
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DSPI community joins together for student-led Symposium for Early Researchers in Social Policy

27 May 2026
Department shares emerging research, exchange ideas, and strengthen DSPI's community of researchers.
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Should social media be banned for under 16s in the UK? DSPI students put theory into practice

27 May 2026
Students from DSPI's EBSIPE Master's and MPhil courses take on widely-debated policy question.
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Dr Elifcan Celebi wins ECPR's Best Paper on Public Policy award

26 May 2026
Winning paper examines how citizens can shape policy change even when democratic freedoms are constrained.
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Parenting programmes reduce violence against teenage girls by over 60%

07 May 2026
Researchers call for large-scale programmes to be expanded to meet the needs of Africa's rapidly growing adolescent population.
Alex Sutherland has short fair hair and is wearing a light blue shirt with a navy jumper. He is standing outside in a garden, smiling at the camera.

How can we make early release and alternatives to prison safer?

29 April 2026
As major criminal justice reforms are being put in place, Professor Alex Sutherland writes for University of Oxford exploring the options for making early release and alternatives to prison safer.
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DSPI study shows long-term childhood poverty in Britain rose sharply after austerity reforms

13 April 2026
New research from Dr Selçuk Bedük provides the first comprehensive evidence that long-term childhood poverty in Britain has significantly surged following the austerity-era welfare reforms.