About
I have an interdisciplinary background spanning international/community development, education and science and technology studies. Prior to joining the OU I worked at the UCL Institute of Education and Institute of Development Studies (Sussex) and as a policy analyst for UNESCO and the OECD in Paris, France. My research focuses on community-based research, multi-stakeholder collaboration and the geo-politics of knowledge production. I am interested in questions such as: how can research systems respond better to local knowledge and global challenges? What can collaboration, critical analysis and learning contribute to these systems? How is knowledge/participation mediated by funding systems, institutional agendas, social practices, material artefacts and personal identities? My research is framed by a commitment to social, environmental and cognitive justice, with implications for recognising and strengthening research capacity in different contexts. I work simultaneously at the local, national and global level: with a network of community-based researchers and the local government in a council estate in Haringey, London; advising national research funders and policy makers on their community engagement strategy; and I co-convene the Rethinking Research Collaborative (RRC); an award winning international network of academics, civil society organisations, international NGOs and research support providers committed to working together to encourage more inclusive, responsive collaborations to produce useful international development research: https://rethinkingresearchcollaborative.com
Current research and appointments:
2021-2022: I am working with the Young Foundation/ICS on a scoping study for UKRI's Public Engagement Unit on mechanisms for engaging communities in Research and Innovation
2021-2022: I have a Civic Fellowship from the Young Foundation (Institute of Community Studies) to pilot a novel training programme for community-based researchers in a social housing estate in London
2021- : I am a committee member for The Hidden REF (https://hidden-ref.org) and was responsible for the 'Contexts' Panel (Community Building and Citizen Science) in the Hidden REF 2021
2020-2025: I am the expert advisor on Research Fairness for the evaluation of the Global Challenges Research Fund conducted by Itad: https://www.itad.com/project/evaluation-of-the-global-challenges-research-fund/
2020-2022: I am a member of the Canadian Natural Sciences and Engineering Council (NSERC) Public Impact Value Proposition (PIVP) Selection Committee (advising on societal impact of funding applications)
2020-2022: I am a member of the Advisory Committee for the SSHRC-funded project: Bridging Knowledge Cultures: The Knowledge for Change Global Consortium on Training Community-Based Participatory Research
Previous research (selected)
2020-2021: I was Chair of the Academic Board for the FCDO-funded 'Learning from Consortia' programme:https://www.bond.org.uk/groups/cross-consortia-for-aid-connect-programme
2020: I supported the Institute of Community Studies at the Young Foundation with their evidence synthesis on the impacts of Covid-19 on UK communities (funded by the British Academy)
2018-2020: I was Head of Research and Learning for the DFID-funded UK Aid Connect programme: ‘Evidence and Collaboration for Inclusive Development programme’ (coordinated by Christian Aid)
2018: I was Principle Investigator, coordinating strategic research on ‘fair and equitable research partnerships’ (funded by EPSRC/the GCRF)
2015-2017: I was Principle Investigator, leading an ESRC-funded seminar series: Evidence and the Politics of Participation in Academic-INGO Research Partnerships for International Development.
2014-2018: I won an Early Career Fellowship from the Leverhulme Trust to fund the study: Engaging Research for Practice: Research engagement practices of international NGOs.