Thursday, 20 February 2020
Professor Roisin P. Corcoran, Chair in Education at the University of Nottingham, has been appointed to the What Works Trial Advice Panel (TAP) to improve the quality and quantity of impact evaluation across central government.
Professor Corcoran joins the Panel as part of a refresh of the membership.
I am looking forward to building long-term relationships and networks across government as well as with other academic members of the Panel. The role provides an excellent opportunity to better influence policy and support high-quality evaluation practice across government.
Professor Corcoran is currently an advisor to the Cabinet Office on educational issues. She is a chartered psychologist and a Fellow of the British Psychological Society, as well as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. Her research interest lies in the development, implementation and evaluation of evidence-based educational programmes and competency-based tools for children and adults.
She is leading a randomised controlled trial study of a school-based intervention to increase the number of young children who need glasses to wear them, with the aim of improving their academic, social and emotional learning long-term.
Professor Corcoran undertakes national and international consultancy work in Britain and America. She has designed and led a series of complex, multisite-funded projects, which focus on educational interventions and the mechanisms by which they have their impact on social, psychological and academic outcomes.
Comprising around 50 experts from outside government - mostly academia - and the Civil Service, the Panel provides free advice to policy teams and analysts considering the design of an impact evaluation, from helping with power calculations to advising on appropriate quasi-experimental approaches. TAP also provides training to civil servants on the benefits and technicalities of impact evaluations.
Since its launch in 2015 the panel has advised on 72 projects across 24 departments and public bodies, spanning a range of policy areas including energy, adult social care, housing, and family services.
The appointment is for two years, commencing 20th February 2020.
Nasreen Suleman - Media Relations Manager, Faculty of Social Sciences
Email: nasreen.suleman@nottingham.ac.uk
Phone: 0115 951 5793
Location: C4, Pope Building, University Park, Nottingham,NG7 2RD
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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