Institute for Policy Research

The Institute for Policy Research (IPR) is a leading public policy research institute, based at the University of Bath. We aim to advance the public good with innovative research into major policy challenges, and with activities that connect researchers with policymakers and practitioners. Through our teaching, events and publications, we promote public understanding and democratic debate on public policy.

Key research themes include:

  • Universal Basic Income (UBI)
  • The reform of education, welfare and work
  • The interconnected economic, social, environmental and health challenges we face in the UK and globally
  • Political economy and the evolution of politics, the changing role of the state, and political ideas and values.

Latest reports

Improving access and participation in higher education

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research makes the case for enhancing evaluation evidence. Fair access and participation have been key elements of national higher education policy in the UK for the last two decades. The aim is to ensure that all young people, regardless of their background, have the opportunity...

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Paternity allowance: Six weeks for self-employed and worker dads

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research assesses the costs and benefits of introducing a new entitlement for self-employed and worker fathers. Although designed to promote gender equality, parental leave policies in the UK have yet to close the gap in uptake, with women taking significantly more leave than men. Authors...

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Making higher education work for Indigenous peoples in Mexico

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research provides recommendations that address six recurring challenges for Indigenous students in Mexico. Working with more than 300 individuals across six Mexican states between 2021 and 2024, the researchers analysed the role that higher education plays in supporting the social and economic development of Indigenous...

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Green shoots of hope? Increased optimism about future study and work in England’s Opportunity Areas

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research examines how the Opportunity Areas programme affected young people’s hopes for their future lives. Over the last 15 years the UK has seen a downward trend in young people’s optimism about their futures, particularly among those living in England’s regions. The UK is already...

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What price is free?

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research examines the evolution of nursery prices in England in the wake of 2024 childcare reform. A major expansion of free childcare entitlement in England is currently underway. The policy has significantly expanded the number of parents who are eligible to receive childcare, as well...

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Keeping young people in learning until the age of 18 – does it work?

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research presents evidence from the raising of the participation age (RPA) in England. Implemented ten years ago in England, the Raising of the Participation Age (RPA) placed a duty on young people to remain in learning (although not confined to staying on at school) until...

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Going it alone

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research examines the experiences of self-employed Universal Credit claimants. When Universal Credit (UC) is fully rolled out in 2026, the proportion of claims with one or more self-employed earners is expected to reach around one in ten, equivalent to around 700,000 households. Self-employed people therefore...

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Costs and benefits of improved leave for fathers in the first year: Too good to ignore

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research recommends reforms to the UK’s current parental leave policies. The policy brief, written by Dr Joanna Clifton-Sprigg, Dr Alistair Hunt, Lily Zelezetskii and James Bailey, evaluates a reform to UK paternity leave, and finds that expanding paternity leave to six weeks (taken flexibly in...

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Upcoming events

30 April 2026

Location: University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY

Think tank: Institute for Policy Research

Liam Byrne: Why populists are winning: and how to beat them

At this event hosted by UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research Liam Byrne sets out what is driving the rise of populism and what can be done about it. About the event Authoritarian populists now govern one-quarter of the world's democracies. But is this peak populism, or the populists' tipping point? Liam Byrne...

5 May 2026

Location: University of Bath campus (Room 3.5, The Chancellors' Building), Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY

Think tank: Institute for Policy Research

Glen O’Hara: How the Blair governments reshaped the country

This event hosted by UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research discusses what we can learn from New Labour's time in power. Between 1997 and 2007, New Labour sought to reshape Britain into a more cohesive and forward-thinking society. The decade saw the rise of socially liberal attitudes and flourishing public services under a...

14 May 2026

Location: University of Bath campus (Room 0.18, 10 East building), Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY

Think tank: Institute for Policy Research

Leah Ruppanner:The mental load

This event hosted by UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research explores the unequal distribution of the ‘mental load’ and the policies that could help rebalance it. Sociologist Leah Ruppanner examines the persistent imbalance of the ‘mental load’, the often invisible cognitive and emotional labour required to keep households functioning and thriving. She explains...

19 May 2026

Location: School of Management building (10 East), Room 0.18, University of Bath BA2 7AY

Think tank: Institute for Policy Research

Danny Sriskandarajah: Can this be the century of the citizen?

This event hosted by UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research discusses citizen power and shares ideas for how people can reclaim power. Danny Sriskandarajah discusses citizen power in action and shares ideas for how people can reclaim power and change the world. Civic space is under attack in many parts of the world,...