For many people the most common view of research, and what a researcher does, is a university academic researching the causes of a particular disease or the development of a new drug.

However, research can be much broader than this, encompassing nearly every aspect of the world around us.

Research falls broadly into two types:

Research that seeks to understand the world around us.
Research that looks at how our world changes, or alters, when it encounters different forces or interventions.

Social science research is the specific study of human behaviour, looking at the how and why, we as individuals, groups and societies, do (or don’t do) the things we do?

Social Science research can examine how our bodies and brains develop but it can also look to understand how such things as politics, the environment, poverty and education impact on our everyday lives. Sometimes it will bring a new understanding to the fore, in others it will test interventions that might improve the services and societal structures we engage with every day

Social science research is important in that, although it hasn’t allowed us to eliminate such things as; poverty, crime or homelessness, it does help us understand a) Why these things happen? b) What might be done to reduce them?

The College of Social Science Research Support Team provide advice and support to academics within the college, in support of research, research funding, impact, knowledge exchange and income generation.

Specific functions include:

Signposting and advising College of Social Science academics on: research, impact, knowledge exchange, external partnerships, consultancy and enterprise activities.
Advising College of Social Science academics on internal funding streams and support for research, impact and enterprise activities including the coordination of the annual College Research Fund.
Support and co-ordination of College Research Committee, REF & Impact Working Group and Research Excellence Framework (REF) submission.
Administrative and financial support of externally funded research.
Facilitation of the College Peer Review process.
Coordination of College research events including, research seminars, away days, forums and training.
Update internal and external College Research Pages, produce and distribute College Research Newsletters and assist in raising the research profile through our social media platforms.

The Research Support Team

Richard Barnes, College Director of Research

Richard is Professor of International Law. He has published/presented over 100 papers on international legal issues including: high seas governance; resource stewardship; treaty law; irregular maritime migration and refugee law; terrorism and humanitarian law; responsibility to protect; fisheries management; and marine environmental protection. His book: Property Rights and Natural Resources (2009) won the Society of Legal Scholars prize for outstanding legal scholarship. Richard has worked on or led a number of research projects. Since 2016 he has appeared on numerous occasions before Parliamentary committees to give evidence on fisheries aspects of Brexit (House of Lords EU sub-committee on Energy and Environment; Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; NI Select Committee, Welsh Assembly Climate Change, Environment and RurAffairs Committee).
Steve Corbett, Research Impact and Knowledge Exchange Manager

Knowledge Exchange and Impact Manager can support you with.

My current role involves advising and supporting schools and individual academics within the College of Social Science on all aspects of research impact and knowledge exchange. Including the planning, writing and supporting individual academics when addressing impact within research funding applications. Other parts of my role include working with academics to help identify and engage external partners to facilitate research funding applications, impact and income generation opportunities. I also support with competitive tenders, contract research and consultancy and I also manage a small pot of funding to support academic engagement with external partners.
Frances Pearson, Senior Research Officer

I came to the University of Lincoln in early 2019 after a number of years spent working in the Third Sector. I have most recently worked for Nacro managing a large and geographically diverse portfolio of commissioned and non commissioned supported housing services for vulnerable and complex needs groups across the county of Lincolnshire.

Prior to this my experience lay in managing mentoring and citizenship programmes for young people in Manchester and Lancashire via Reach Out and The Challenge. I graduated from the University of Nottingham with a BA Hons in Sociology and Social Policy and went on to study a Masters degree in International Social Policy at Nottingham.
Blaine and Charlotte provide wide-ranging clerical and administrative support to the College Director of Research and College Research Support Team in the delivery of research activities across the College of Social Science, including the coordination of College Research Seminars, AwayDays, Workshops, College Annual Showcase and other College Research Events.

They also update information on the internal and external College Research Pages, produce and distribute College Research Newsletters and collaborate with the College of Social Science media team to help raise the research profile through our social media platforms.