ESRC research outcomes and impact

Find out how the people and projects we invest in can make an impact on our lives and the world we live in.

The ESRC Celebrating Impact Prize showcases the difference ESRC-funded economic and social science research makes to us all, in the UK and internationally.

28 November 2024

Creating positive change in children’s social care

12 November 2024

Helping people take better control of credit card debt

12 November 2024

Using mobile phone footage as evidence in human rights investigations

7 November 2024

Exposing the driving force of the Post Office scandal

7 November 2024

New global targets strengthen climate resilience

1 November 2024

Securing the rights of EU nationals post EU Exit

1 November 2024

Improving outcomes for children by reducing arguments at home

31 October 2024

Improving police responses to victims of child sexual exploitation

31 October 2024

Making the case for a four-day working week

24 October 2024

Museum exhibit helps create safer drivers

22 October 2024

Tracking hate on social media

4 January 2024

Science Museum event raises 18 to 35-year-olds’ dementia awareness

16 November 2023

Ensuring reparations for victims of human rights violations

16 November 2023

Building emergency resilience through volunteers

16 November 2023

Improving bereavement support policies and services

16 November 2023

Enabling the UK government to tackle economic crime

16 November 2023

Helping long-term unemployed people back into work

16 November 2023

Driving the smart use of consumer data in supermarkets

16 November 2023

Tracking online extremism to tackle violence

16 November 2023

Pivoting to cash-based poverty relief during COVID-19

16 November 2023

Improving command skills for fire and rescue service incident response

16 November 2023

Helping to protect residents of flood-prone areas in Brazil

8 August 2023

Using big data to detect failing hospitals

4 August 2023

Improving the mental health of NHS employees

24 July 2023

Recording police use of force on the public

21 July 2023

How cloud computing software helps to reduce suicide risks

18 July 2023

A four-day working week improves mental and physical health

4 November 2022

New network helps policymakers tackle UK’s productivity challenge

4 November 2022

Transforming university access for poorer students in Colombia

4 November 2022

Connecting with the ocean to protect the marine environment

4 November 2022

Empowering women in the aviation and aerospace industry

4 November 2022

Improving election fairness and participation

4 November 2022

Prioritising communities’ social needs during COVID-19

4 November 2022

Improving intergovernmental relations between UK administrations

4 November 2022

Helping the UK benefits system deliver financial security

4 November 2022

Shaping national and regional domestic abuse policy and practice

4 November 2022

Protecting mental health and wellbeing during COVID-19

4 November 2022

Improving access to pregnancy and birth services in Ghana

4 November 2022

Exposing social inequalities and breaking the cycle of disadvantage

12 August 2022

How the COVID-19 lockdowns affected the domestic abuse crisis

11 August 2022

International zoonotic disease research leads to long term impact

4 August 2022

The next generation of artificial intelligence (AI) services

9 December 2021

The psychological and social impact of COVID-19

16 November 2021

The pandemic’s impact on UK’s LGBT+ communities

1 February 2021

Strengthening evidence for policy with better population data

1 February 2021

Improving adolescent mental wellbeing using national cohort data

1 February 2021

Changing thinking about women offenders through prison design

1 February 2021

Research helps improve position of autistic people in the workplace

1 February 2021

Findings on how children learn to read transform teaching methods

1 February 2021

Insuring previously uninsurable small farmers in Uganda

12 January 2021

Conspiracy theories and COVID-19

5 January 2021

COVID-19, crime trends and lockdown

26 October 2020

The plastics paradox

15 October 2020

COVID-19’s impact on our lives

9 July 2019

Using ‘science capital’ to spark diverse participation in science

9 July 2019

Research led to Scotland raising criminal responsibility to age 12

1 March 2019

Increasing the number of women in the IT sector

20 June 2018

Cutting carbon footprints in the service sector

More ESRC research outcomes and impact

Find further ESRC impact stories on the UK Government Web Archive.

Read past evaluation reports, briefings for policymakers and research project finding summaries on the UK Government Web Archive.