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.

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Latest reports

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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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