Professor Nick Pearce Director of The Institute for Policy Research (IPR) and Professor of Public Policy
Nick leads the Institute for Policy Research (IPR) across the range of its research, teaching, policy programmes and public engagement activity.
Units taught
Postgraduate
Nick teaches on the MSc in Public Policy and is currently supervising or co-supervising doctoral students on the IPR Doctorate in Policy Research and Practice.
Research
Nick's current research interests include:
- the political economy of welfare state reform
- political ideologies of Britain's role in the world
- British politics, policymaking and institutions, including age divides in voting, English devolution and health in urban development
Projects
Publications
Career
Nick is Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Institute for Policy Research (IPR) at the University of Bath. He has extensive experience in policy research and government policymaking and writes on a wide range of issues, from contemporary British politics, public service and welfare state reform, to Britain's place in the world. His recent publications include Britain Beyond Brexit and Shadows of Empire: The Anglosphere in British Politics. He is currently Subject Editor of Science, Society and Policy, Royal Society Open Science, published by The Royal Society.
Before joining the University, Nick was the Director of Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), and between 2008 and 2010, Head of the No10 Downing St. Policy Unit, with responsibility for the formulation of policy advice to the Prime Minister. He led and managed the work of the Prime Minister’s 13 policy advisers.
Nick has also worked as special adviser in the Home Office, Cabinet Office and former Department for Education and Employment. He was formerly chair of the advisory board to the UK Chief Scientist's Foresight Programme and served on the Equalities Review and the Teaching and Learning 2020 Review. In 2019/20, he was Chair of the Democracy and Civic Participation Commission for the London Borough of Newham.
Nick is currently Chair of Trustees at both Tavistock Relationships and the Early Intervention Foundation. He serves on the advisory boards of the Higher Education Policy Institute and the Wales Centre for Public Policy. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institution of British Architects.