The Glasgow School for Business and Society integrates the areas of business, law and social sciences to ensure that they are well placed to meet the needs of business and society. The School has an international outlook and is committed to developing partnerships across the world.
Research projects
SPIRU is a network which provides opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration within and beyond GCU. We bring together experienced and early career researchers and non-academic partners to improve understanding of the circumstances and challenges faced by disadvantaged communities and to evaluate interventions designed to address them.
We are concerned with all aspects of poverty and inequality but we have a particular interest in the following issues and themes:
Other examples of our work are available in our showcase of current projects and research impact.
Current projects
SPIRU has been commissioned by the Scottish Government as part of the Every Child, Every Chance Child Poverty Delivery Strategy to support local authorities and health boards and their community planning partners to develop a local child poverty action report. This three-year analytical partnership involves working with community planning partnerships across the whole of Scotland, and the members of the national partners co-ordinating group, to help develop measures which will contribute to the ambition to eradicate child poverty in line with the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act.
As part of this commission we hosted the first national conference on local action to tackle child poverty at GCU on 11 September 2019.
Research impact
We are committed to undertaking research which makes an impact beyond academia. We do this by working with policy makers, campaign groups and community stakeholders. Our success in making a difference was reflected in our Research Impact Case Study, which was rated world class (4*) in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework. As a result, the impact of our research was ranked in the top 10 in Social Policy in the UK.
SPIRU Co-Director John McKendrick (supported by some of our Common Good and Work Placement Researchers) is undertaking longitudinal research supporting GCU’s award winning Caledonian Club initiative. This project involves GCU working with schools and families across Glasgow to support the education and skills development of children and young people.
