Oxford Social Policy and Intervention

We are #hiring a full /part-time Receptionist to join the DSPI team in the centre of Oxford.

The postholder will welcome all visitors, run the department’s reception desk and provide administrative support for departmental staff.

Deadline: Midday, 22 August

Apply now: www.spi.ox.ac.uk/vacancies

New vacancy! Associate Professorship of Climate Change and Child Health
Join a dynamic cross-university programme led by Professor Lucie Cluver.
In association with a non-tutorial fellowship @reubencollege.bsky.social

Deadline: midday, 28 August

More info and apply: my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

Protagonists is a collaborative network of researchers in the UK & Brazil: @oxpop.bsky.social, University of Brasilia, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Universidade SENAI CIMATEC
Funded by Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

The digital intervention “Cadê o Kauê?” aims to help young people develop skills to provide MHWB support to their peers and the wider community.

The chatbot is aimed at 15-17 year olds, and the project hopes to establish a framework for implementing the digital tool in schools across the country.

Interactive storytelling chatbot for adolescents in Brazil to boost youth participation and school mental health The Protagonists project, led by Dr Gabriela Pavarini, aims to assess the effectiveness of a digital intervention to equip young people in Brazil with skills to provide mental health and wellbeing (MH...

💡 Project insight
'Protagonists', led by Dr Gabriela Pavarini (Senior Research Fellow) & Prof Sheila Murta (University of Brasilia) evaluates an interactive storytelling chatbot that aims to boost #MentalHealth & wellbeing (MHWB) for adolescents in Brazil
www.spi.ox.ac.uk/article/inte...

DSPI colleagues: don't miss your chance to participate in the @socsci.ox.ac.uk 2026 Social Sciences Impact Conference! ⬇️
Expressions of interest are now open for many different types of sessions - find out more: www.socsci.ox.ac.uk/impact-confe...

Event recap: Symposium for Early Researchers in Social Policy & Intervention Over 80 students and faculty members gathered at St. Hilda's College for the annual Symposium for Early Researchers in Social Policy & Intervention (SERSPI).

Plus, a new '5-minute Table Top' format allowed Master’s and DPhil students with emerging research ideas to receive feedback.
It was great to see so many attendees - congratulations to the student organising committee 👏
Find out more: www.spi.ox.ac.uk/article/even...

Great to see so many attendees at the Symposium for Early Researchers in Social Policy (SERSPI)
Featuring 29 student presentations in 4 themes:
- Mental Health & Health Policy
- Housing & Social Inequality
- Child & Family Wellbeing
- Technology, Policy & Equity in Education & Welfare

Event in Singapore!
📽️ Screening of 'Being Family' - part of the Global Parenting Initiative's 'Parenting on the Thailand/Myanmar Border' study
Plus a panel with Assistant Professor Amanda Sim (Principal Investigator & DSPI alumna)
📅 1 Aug - Register by 25 July
www.eventbrite.com/e/being-fami...

📣 Join the HALFLIFE Project led by Prof. Liat Ayalon (Bar-Ilan University). They are seeking researchers currently based in the UK, Germany, or the Czech Republic, with a focus on reducing ageism and shaping policy.

🗓 Apply by 1 October

🔗 More info: liatayalon.com/euroageism-a...

‘Having these tools which are really scalable will be really important for measuring impact at scale’

More insights from halcooper.bsky.social (DPhil Student and Research Manager @DSPI_Oxford), reflecting on the future value of AI in researching parent-child interactions.

📣
We’re hiring a Research Assistant at ‪@dspi-oxford.bsky.social‬‬‬‬‬‬
Join Dr Amiya Bhatia’s research group focusing on violence against children and women, health inequalities, and child and adolescent health

🗓 Apply by 29 July
🔗 More: my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
#ChildHealth #ResearchJobs

📣
We're hiring a Research Assistant at @dspi-oxford.bsky.social .‬ ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬Join Dr Bridget Steele’s research on sexual violence prevention, including the administration of a research project on the prevention of childhood sexual violence.
🗓 Apply by 29 July
🔗More:
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

We're not saying that we're taking humans out of it [...] it's a partnership or a collaboration between humans and AI'
Irene Uwerikowe explores how AI can help to automate some research processes. Plus, she explains her curiosity for 'fascinating things', like applying AI to real-life situations:

We understand ethics and we understand the nitty gritty of getting validated models and the important details right.‘

AI application may have its challenges, but Dr Caspar Addyman @kzzprr.bsky.social‬ explains why academics are so well trained for using AI ethically and accurately.

Jeremiah Ayock Ishaya outlines the reasons this research appealed to him, exploring the intersections between #AI and psychology ⬇️

His research focuses on developing #MachineLearning models to understand caregiver-child interactions.

⬆️ Hear key insights from speakers
@kzzprr.bsky.social, Dr Daniel Stamate, Irene Uwerikowe & Jeremiah Ayock Ishaya - as well as organisers Dr Inge Vallance and @halcooper.bsky.social

How AI is reshaping how we understand parent-child interactions Hosted by DSPI, the Global Parenting Initiative (GPI) webinar bought together researchers to explore how scalable, ethical and accurate AI tools are in understanding parent-child interactions.

🤔 How can #AI be used to understand parent-child interactions? How can these tools be used accurately & ethically for research?
Recap Global Parenting Initiative's event 'Seeing Parenting Clearly? The challenges & potential of AI in early childhood assessment'
🔗 www.spi.ox.ac.uk/article/how-...

Barnett Prize winner 2025: Neftalem Emanuel We are delighted to announce this year's Barnett Prize winner, Neftalem Emanuel, for his outstanding contribution to evidence-based social intervention and policy evaluation.

Congratulations @neftalememanuel.bsky.social, winner of the 2025 Barnett Prize for his paper:
‘Damp Places, Unhappy Faces: Analysing the Impact of Housing Repairs & Maintenance Expenditure on Local Authority Residents Wellbeing in England between 2013-2022’ 👏
www.spi.ox.ac.uk/article/barn...

Funders: The Human Safety Net & The LEGO Foundation
Collaborators: Global Parenting Initiative, University of Cape Town Centre for Social Science Research, Masayang Pamilya, Ateneo de Manila University, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Alternativa NGO (North Macedonia), Youth Health Association (Moldova)

New research proves two freely available tools can be used to assess mental health and depression in multiple countries Study shows DASS and CABI are effective tools for low- and middle-income countries (LMIC)

Exciting new research led by Francisco Antonio Calderon (DPhil student @dspi-oxford.bsky.social) shows the effectiveness of 2 FREE tools in assessing #MentalHealth & depression in low- & middle-income countries.

More: www.spi.ox.ac.uk/article/new-...

ICYMI: Professor Lucie Cluver & Professor Frances Gardner were recognised in the King's Birthday Honours List!

We are delighted to celebrate our two colleagues, who have had such an impact on lives around the world through their pioneering research.

More⬇

Funding crisis risks ‘uneven’ response to new harassment rules English universities pushing to show they are serious about tackling sexual misconduct ahead of new regulatory requirements but experts say efforts still ‘patchy’

Dr Bridget Steele (Departmental Lecturer) spoke to @timeshighered.bsky.social about new OfS regulations to tackle sexual misconduct at universities - noting them as 'a huge step forward', but needing to be viewed 'in light of a university funding crisis'.
www.timeshighereducation.com/news/funding...

Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams

Upcoming event from The Human Safety Net ⬇️
With Prof Jamie Lachman (Professor of Child & Family Global Health at DSPI, Global Parenting Initiative Principal Investigator & CEO at Parenting for Lifelong Health) ⬇️
📅 12pm, 26 June
events.teams.microsoft.com/event/58cfa6... #GlobalParentingMonth

📣 We are hiring!

@dspi-oxford.bsky.social is seeking an HR Assistant to undertake a wide range of administrative support for HR activities.

If you're passionate about HR with relevant experience we would love to hear from you!

📅 Apply by: 27 June

🔗Job details: my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

We're recruiting! Senior Data Manager. Deadline to apply: 25 June 2025

📣 Join our team at @dspi-oxford.bsky.social!
We are seeking an experienced Senior Data Manager to work with the Global Parenting Initiative (GPI). You'll hold a core supportive position in a dynamic, international team.
📆Apply by 25 Jun
Apply here: 👇 my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

Social scientists named in the King's Birthday Honours 2025

👏 We are absolutely delighted to be celebrating three social sciences researchers from the University of Oxford who have been named in the King's Birthday Honours List 2025 - find out more here!
www.socsci.ox.ac.uk/article/king...

Zero Poverty Society During this seminar, Professor Marx will present some new findings from his book on the Zero Poverty Society, published by Oxford University Press (co-authored with Sarah Marchal), https://academic.ou...

Coming up: Join our next seminar "Zero Poverty Society"

Prof. Ive Marx ( University of Antwerp) will discuss his findings from his book Zero Poverty Society, published by Oxford University Press.

📍 Location: In person and online
🗓 18 June 2025
🔗Register: talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/3e3...

Zero Poverty Society During this seminar, Professor Marx will present some new findings from his book on the Zero Poverty Society, published by Oxford University Press (co-authored with Sarah Marchal), https://academic.ou...

Next Wednesday 18 June at 5 pm I will be presenting Zero Poverty Society at the @dspi-oxford.bsky.social at @ox.ac.uk

talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/3e3...

The pandemic generation: How Covid-19 lockdowns is having a long-lasting effect on children The stress and isolation of the pandemic have left social and emotional scars that are already being seen in children, but scientists also predict there could be huge economic costs.

What impact did lockdowns have on children's education? How is their rate of recovery impacted by their socioeconomic background?
Dr Bastian Betthäuser (Associate Member) comments in this BBC Future article exploring the lasting effects of pandemic lockdowns - read: www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...