Nuffield Foundation

Schools in England are facing increasing challenges in recruiting teaching assistants and other support staff.

New #NuffieldFunded research shows that teaching assistant roles are the hardest to fill. @emilytanner.bsky.social manages the grant.

Find out more 👇

Grown up? Journeys to adulthood - Nuffield Foundation Grown up? dives into how young people aged 14 to 24 are making the journey to adulthood - and what this means for policy, research and wider society.

Next week's episode which will air on 11 March, features our own @careyoppenheim.bsky.social in conversation with @bobbyduffy.bsky.social. The discussion promises to be a riveting listen looking at the opportunities and challenges facing young people in the UK today. You can read more here

We are delighted to see the return of the We Society podcast, now in its 10th season. The fascinating podcast series is produced by ACSS with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. This series will look at ways which evidence from social sciences can lead to positive change.

Our latest research examining the Early Years Workforce in England, funded by @nuffieldfoundation.org, has shown that Early Years staff consistently earn around 30% less than otherwise similar workers.

Find out more 👉 www.nfer.ac.uk/press-releas...

POST Fellowship | Nuffield Foundation The POST Fellowship is open to any PhD students in a scientific or quantitative social science field who are undertaking or have recently finished their PhD studies.

Successful applicants will receive £8,000 to cover expenses during the 13-week Fellowship.

Open to PhD students in the social sciences (or natural sciences) who are undertaking or recently finished their studies.

Application deadline is 23 March.

www.nuffieldfoundation.org/funding-for-...

Applications are open for Nuffield Funded Fellowships with the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology.

Ever wondered what it would be like to:
➡️ Work at Parliament?
➡️ Be involved in new research?
➡️ Build relationships with key stakeholders?
➡️ Contribute to POSTnotes and POSTbriefs.

New research report - What helps to improve teacher retention?

New Nuffield Foundation funded analysis shows that growing time spent dealing with pupil behaviour and providing pastoral support plays a significant role in teachers choosing to leave the profession.

Learn more 👉 bit.ly/4rjoxkg

Public right to justice - Nuffield Foundation Examining how the justice system serves the public and how it can better meet people's legal needs.

The reviews cover:
➡️ public engagement
➡️ governance &accountability
➡️ the role of public inquiries in addressing system failures

Together with those already underway, they will consolidate knowledge on a range of issues in justice & help guide the next phase of PTRJ. Find out more: bit.ly/4cxbJSA

🔔 Three key areas of the justice system in England & Wales will be explored in new evidence reviews for our Public Right to Justice programme from teams at @icpr.bsky.social, @justicehq.bsky.social & @uni-of-warwick.bsky.social.

Young people feel unsupported by an overstretched and impersonal mental health system according to new report - Nuffield Foundation Long waiting lists, repeated referrals and limited choice have left many young people feeling...

To coincide with Children's Mental Health Week, we have published a report which highlights the urgent need to rebuild social, educational and support infrastructure to help young people feel stable, connected and valued.

@careyoppenheim.bsky.social

Invitation to Tender: The Delegation Conversation A People’s Forum on the use and governance of Advanced AI Assistants

Invitation to Tender: The Delegation Conversation.

We are looking for a partner who can design and adapt deliberative methods for a proposed People’s Forum on the use and governance of Advanced AI Assistants.

Full details: adalovelaceinstitute.org/ai-assistant...

Deadline: 15 February 2026.

Reflections from a Public Right to Justice roundtable discussion - Nuffield Foundation With the justice system in England and Wales seemingly in the grip of a long-term crisis, the Foundation brought together a group of experts for a Public Right to Justice (PRTJ) roundtable, asking how...

The civil justice system in England & Wales is under strain. Read our Director of Justice's blog from our recent Public Right to Justice roundtable, where experts unpicked how the system is really working, where it’s falling short, & considered solutions to improve it.

bit.ly/prtjroundtable

🌟 We’ve launched a new report from the Children’s Information Project on what ethical & effective use of children’s information looks like & how it can be improved.

Funded by the @nuffieldfoundation.org , it introduces a practical framework & 8 essential practices.

➡️Read report: shorturl.at/HBllR

Education spending in England at a crossroads - Nuffield Foundation England’s education system is increasingly stretched, with debates about funding and long-term sustainability becoming ever more widespread.

How are funding & demographic pressures affecting education spending in England? Rising SEND costs & varying pupil numbers are among the challenges set out in a new @lukesibieta.bsky.social report for @theifs.bsky.social.

Our Director of Education shares more in a new blog: bit.ly/4r2xqxV

Shaping education funding for the challenges to come | Institute for Fiscal Studies The online launch of 2026 IFS Annual Report on Education Spending in England, funded by the Nuffield Foundation.

This Wednesday at 10:30am we launch our annual report on education spending in England, funded by @nuffieldfoundation.org, with an online event on the major challenges facing the education system and allocating funding from the Spending Review.

Sign up to join ⬇️ ifs.org.uk/events/shapi...

Image of a page on an article by Rob Street in the Law Society Gazette.

Delighted to see our Director of Justice, Rob Street, writing in the @lawsocietygazette.bsky.social about the Foundation’s Public Right to Justice programme & the importance of evidence-led reform in the civil, family & tribunal systems in England & Wales.

Find out more about PRTJ: bit.ly/49L7csU

Careers | About | Nuffield Foundation Start your career at the Nuffield Foundation in research, programme management, communications and more. Search Nuffield Foundation job vacancies.

🔔 We're hiring!

Vacancies at the Nuffield Foundation:
➡️ Project Manager, Inclusive Grant Making
➡️ Research Grants & Programmes Manager (Welfare)
➡️ Trustee

We're also looking for a Governing Board Member @nuffieldfjo.bsky.social.

For more info, visit: bit.ly/3NKJhlH

Long-term outcomes for care-experienced parents and children - Nuffield Foundation This project will examine the experience of care leavers who became parents and the...

Find out more about the project and a link to the research report, Digging Deeper, here: bit.ly/4qSQcYu

One in four UK teenagers in care have attempted to end their lives, study says Research also shows teenagers in care are four times more likely to try to end their lives than peers with no care history

An important story in today’s Guardian on a new report showing that teenagers in care are four times more likely to attempt to end their own life than those with no care experience, from #NuffieldFunded research by a team at @ioe.bsky.social.

Read the story: bit.ly/45dhdxv

Guide for applicants - Nuffield Foundation

If your proposal is not aligned with Public Right to Justice, please apply in the next funding round - deadline 13 April - or Spring 2027. For details on priorities in our other areas of interest, as set out in our strategic review, read our Guide for Applicants: bit.ly/4pxwctk

Subscribe to the Nuffield Foundation email newsletter Get the latest news about the Nuffield Foundation and the work we fund through our email newsletter.

We will focus Justice funding in October 2026 on projects aligned with our Public Right to Justice programme, and prioritise applications that address challenges in the justice systems of England & Wales. More info to follow. Stay up to date, subscribe to our newsletter: bit.ly/4pvlPpQ

Public right to justice - Nuffield Foundation Examining how the justice system serves the public and how it can better meet people's legal needs.

Dame Karen's article is from the Foundation’s Why Justice Matters essay collection, edited by @tom-clark.bsky.social, which launched our Public Right to Justice programme. Learn more about the programme and read the essays here: bit.ly/45t2HSe

Image is of the article written for The House Magazine by Dame Karen Buck.

A rise in MPs’ casework is a symptom of a justice system under strain, writes @queensparkkaren.bsky.social in @thehousemag.bsky.social.

And digital platforms have stepped in to fill this gap, argue @annafreudcharity.bsky.social CEO Eamon McCrory & @ucl.ac.uk PhD student @ritikac.bsky.social.

Discover how the replacement of real-world social infrastructure with online spaces is impacting adolescent development: bit.ly/socialthinning

🔹 Over two-thirds of council-run youth centres have shut down in England and Wales.

🔹 Nearly 20% of the UK's public libraries have closed.

🔹 £1.2 billion has been cut from youth service budgets.

Since 2010, places for teens to connect and develop key social skills have steadily disappeared. 🧵

Image shows 5 speakers presenting from a small stage

Professor Nasar Meer at @glasgow.ac.uk, @sundersays.bsky.social at @britishfuture.bsky.social, @sarahkyambi.bsky.social at @migrationscotland.bsky.social & @profkeonwest.bsky.social at @runnymedetrust.bsky.social discussed how their research can contribute to achieving a racially just future.

Image shows panellists at RDUK event

How can evidence help shape an inclusive future for the UK? Our recent Racial Diversity UK event featured grant-holders leading the first four funded projects & signalled the start of bringing people together who are interested in RDUK’s work. Find out how to get involved: bit.ly/3N6LDeo

It is great to see this important research funded by the Nuffield Foundation in The Lancet. The inequalities faced by children in care are at the heart of the work of the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory.

Lisa Harker, director of the NFJO, examined this in a recent expert feature bit.ly/4q6kki

The piece makes the case for an evidence-driven prevention-based approach to adolescent mental health that focuses on reconstructing social capital across policy and practice.

Read the expert feature: bit.ly/Socialthinning

The thinning of real-world social infrastructure that once enabled teens to build identity, agency, & belonging is to blame, argue @annafreudcharity.bsky.social CEO Eamon McCrory & @ucl.ac.uk PhD student @ritikac.bsky.social.

Digital platforms haven't caused this erosion, but have filled the gap.