TASO

We’re hiring a Research Manager!

Manage multiple research & impact evaluation projects, develop ToCs, lead evidence reviews, commission external work & contribute to training and practical evaluation guidance for the HE sector.

Deadline: 8 Dec

Find out more and apply: taso.org.uk/vacancy/rese...

Graphic for TASO’s paid-for training series. Text reads: Autumn Evaluation Essentials: Impact evaluation with small cohorts. A button at the bottom right says ‘Agenda now live’. The background is dark blue with a green gradient and a lightbulb icon.

Final places available for our online training 'Impact evaluation with small cohorts' on 9 Dec (10:00–16:00).

Learn how to plan robust theory-based impact evaluations for small participant numbers, with real HE case studies.

Book now: app.tickettailor.com/events/taso/...

Data insights guide (DIG) - TASO This guide helps higher education providers use their institutional data to identify equality gaps in student success and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions designed to reduce the gaps.

How can HE providers use their data to identify and address equality gaps in student success?

Our 'Data insights guide' (DIG), formerly the 'Data infrastructure guide', offers practical steps for using institutional data to evaluate what works.

Access it here:

A blue–green gradient graphic with the TASO logo in the top left and the words “Join Us” above the title “Evaluation Officer – Maternity cover.” The background shows a pattern of graduation caps viewed from above. In the bottom right corner, there is an icon of a briefcase inside a circle.

We’re hiring an Evaluation Officer (12-month maternity cover) to support research, evaluation guidance, training and stakeholder engagement across widening participation and student success.

£37,474 | Central London (hybrid)

Deadline: 8 Dec 2025, 09:00 GMT

Apply: taso.org.uk/vacancy/eval...

Explore our 'Data visualisation style guide': taso-he.github.io/technicalgui...

TASO's Evolving Data Visualization Guide: Bridging Reports and Social Media — Data Visualization Style Guidelines Including guidelines for multiple platforms can help people create graphs for different tools and use cases.

We were glad to see Jon Schwabish highlight our evolving 'Data visualisation style guide' in a recent post on his site.

Jon’s work has been influential in shaping thinking across the data visualisation community.

Read Jon’s post: datavizstyleguide.com/highlights/t...

We're hiring: Research Manager.

Lead research and impact evaluation projects, develop theories of change, review evidence, and support sector training and guidance.

Salary £44,287
Central London (hybrid)
Deadline: 8 Dec 2025, 09:00 GMT

Explore the role & apply: taso.org.uk/vacancy/rese...

Promotional banner for TASO’s paid-for training series. The text reads: ‘Autumn Evaluation Essentials: Communicating evidence through data visualisation. Book your place.’ The background has a gradient of dark blue to teal with a lightbulb icon on the top right.

Last chance to book: 'Communicating evidence through data visualisation' (27 Nov)

This online session covers core visualisation principles, chart choice, common pitfalls, and live demos in Excel and R – with templates you can use straight away.

Book now: app.tickettailor.com/events/taso/...

Evidence toolkit: Student mental health - TASO Our toolkit summarises existing research measuring the impact of student mental health interventions.

Looking for evidence-based ways to support student mental health?

Check out our Student Mental Health Evidence Toolkit – a guide to what works, what shows promise, and where more research is needed across the full range of student wellbeing interventions.

taso.org.uk/evidence-too...

Graphic for TASO’s paid-for training series. Text reads: Autumn Evaluation Essentials: Impact evaluation with small cohorts. A button at the bottom right says ‘Agenda now live’. The background is dark blue with a green gradient and a lightbulb icon.

The agenda is now live for our 9 Dec online training on 'Impact evaluation with small cohorts'.

Learn how theory-based methods can help you evaluate interventions with fewer than 50 participants, with case studies from LSE & TASO.

Access the agenda & book your place: taso.org.uk/event/autumn...

Promotional banner for TASO’s paid-for training series. The text reads: ‘Autumn Evaluation Essentials: Communicating evidence through data visualisation. Book your place.’ The background has a gradient of dark blue to teal with a lightbulb icon on the top right.

Last chance to book our online training 'Communicating evidence through data visualisation' on 27 Nov.

Learn practical visual design, chart selection, accessibility, and get hands-on practice in Excel and R – with templates and code to take away.

Book: app.tickettailor.com/events/taso/...

Report | Student mental health in 2024: How the situation is changing for LGBTQ+ students - TASO This report examines student mental health in the UK in 2024, with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ students, using survey data collected from thousands of undergraduates.

These findings reinforce the need for universities to take a proactive, evidence-informed approach to mental health and to ensure that trans and non-binary students – who face some of the most acute challenges – receive targeted and effective support.

Read the report: taso.org.uk/libraryitem/...

🔹 Around 40% of trans students report mental health difficulties, far above the student average.
🔹 Mental health difficulties remain the leading reason students consider leaving university, underscoring the urgent need for targeted, effective support.

The findings are deeply concerning:

🔹 Over half of non-binary students report mental health difficulties, the highest rate of any group in the survey.
🔹 While the data shows that trans students' mental health improved between 2022 and 2023, these patterns reversed in the 2024 data.

Our report, drawing on data from the Student Academic Experience Survey, explores the state of student mental health in British higher education in 2024. The report examines changes over time and highlights differences across student groups, including LGBTQ+ students.

Promotional graphic for Transgender Awareness Week 2025. A blurred background shows a hand raising a transgender pride flag in light blue, pink, and white against a blue-to-teal gradient. Large white serif text centred reads “Transgender Awareness Week”, with the TASO logo in the top-left corner. A teal rounded box on the right contains the white text “13–19 NOVEMBER 2025”.

Transgender Awareness Week is an important moment to recognise and amplify the experiences of trans and non-binary people, including students, who often face some of the greatest barriers to wellbeing and inclusion in higher education.

A blue–green gradient graphic with the TASO logo in the top left and the words “Join Us” above the title “Evaluation Officer – Maternity cover.” The background shows a pattern of graduation caps viewed from above. In the bottom right corner, there is an icon of a briefcase inside a circle.

We’re hiring: Evaluation Officer (12-month maternity cover)

Join our research & evaluation team & help strengthen the evidence on what works to improve widening participation and student success in HE.

Application deadline: 8 Dec 2025

Read more about the role & apply: taso.org.uk/vacancy/eval...

A blue–green gradient graphic featuring the TASO logo in the top left and the words “Join Us” above the large title “Research Manager.” The background shows many graduation caps seen from above. In the bottom right corner, there is an icon of a briefcase inside a circle.

We’re hiring: Research Manager

Join TASO’s research & evaluation team and help drive evidence-informed practice to close equality gaps in HE.

- Central London (hybrid)
- £44,287 PA
- Application deadline: 09:00, 8 Dec 2025

Find out more about the role and apply: taso.org.uk/vacancy/rese...

A screenshot of a virtual meeting with nine participants from the Research and Evaluation Committee and the TASO team. Each person appears in their own video tile, smiling or looking toward the camera. The backgrounds vary, including home offices and blurred rooms. One tile shows “TASO Team” instead of a video feed.

A snapshot from our recent Research & Evaluation Committee meeting.

We’re grateful to be supported by experts who provide advice and oversight for our research & evaluation work.

Find out about the committee: taso.org.uk/about/governance-and-advisory-groups/#research-and-evaluation-committee

Graphic for TASO’s paid-for training series. Text reads: Autumn Evaluation Essentials: Impact evaluation with small cohorts. A button at the bottom right says ‘Book your place’. The background is dark blue with a green gradient and a lightbulb icon.

Working with fewer than 50 participants? Join our training on 9 December (10:00–16:00) to learn theory-based methods for small-cohort impact evaluation.

Book now: app.tickettailor.com/events/taso/...

A horizontal stacked bar chart titled “The proportion of Full-time and Part-time Students studying in HE.” It compares four subjects – Mathematical sciences, Law, Education and teaching, and Computing – showing the share of full-time (blue) and part-time (orange) students. Education and teaching has the highest proportion of full-time students, while Law and Mathematical sciences have larger proportions of part-time students. Percentages are shown along the horizontal axis from 0% to 100%.

We’ve all seen charts like this – they show the data, but the message doesn’t quite land.

Join us on 27 November for ‘Communicating evidence through data’ to learn how to design visuals that make evidence clearer and more persuasive.

Book your place: www.tickettailor.com/events/taso/...

Centring the voices of African/Caribbean heritage students at Birmingham City University - TASO This Black History Month, Birmingham City University shares how ‘Project Zero’ is transforming institutional practice by centring the voices of Black African/Caribbean and South Asian heritage student...

In case you missed it, in our latest blog post, Birmingham City University (@mybcu.bsky.social) shares how ‘Project Zero’ is transforming institutional practice by centring the voices of Black African/Caribbean and South Asian heritage students.

Read: taso.org.uk/news-blog/ce...

Graphic promoting TASO’s paid-for training series. The image reads: “Autumn Evaluation Essentials: Implementation and process evaluation. Book your place.” The background shows a blurred workspace with a laptop and documents, featuring a blue-to-green gradient overlay and a lightbulb icon.

Last chance to book – tickets close tomorrow!

Join us Thu 13 Nov (10:00–16:00) for 'Autumn Evaluation Essentials: Implementation and process evaluation', an online training on how and why interventions work.

Book now: app.tickettailor.com/events/taso/...

Promotional banner for TASO’s paid-for training series. The text reads: ‘Autumn Evaluation Essentials: Communicating evidence through data visualisation. Agenda now live.’ The background has a gradient of dark blue to teal with a lightbulb icon on the top right.

The agenda is now live for our upcoming 'Autumn Evaluation Essentials' session: 'Communicating evidence through data visualisation' (27 Nov).

Learn how to turn data into clear, accessible visuals that drive insight & impact.

Explore the agenda & book your place: taso.org.uk/event/autumn...

Graphic promoting TASO’s paid-for training series. The image reads: “Autumn Evaluation Essentials: Implementation and process evaluation. Agenda now live.” The background shows a blurred workspace with a laptop and documents, featuring a blue-to-green gradient overlay and a lightbulb icon.

The agenda is now live for our 'Autumn Evaluation Essentials' session: 'Implementation and process evaluation' (13 Nov, 10:00–16:00).

Learn how to plan & run robust evaluations through real HE examples and practical exercises.

Access the agenda & book your place: taso.org.uk/event/autumn...

Graphic for Trustees’ Week 2025. The image features the TASO logo at the top, with the text “Trustees’ Week” in large white letters and “3–7 November 2025” in a rounded box to the side. The background has a blue-to-teal gradient with a faint image of people in discussion.

It’s #TrusteesWeek! 💙

We’re proud to be supported by a dedicated Board of Trustees who guide our mission to eliminate equality gaps in higher education.

Thank you for your leadership and commitment to building an evidence-informed sector.

Meet our trustees: taso.org.uk/about/board-...

Access our Theory of Change Builder – a free online tool that makes developing a theory of change simpler, clearer, and more consistent.

Start building today: toc-builder.taso.org.uk

Centring the voices of African/Caribbean heritage students at Birmingham City University - TASO This Black History Month, Birmingham City University shares how ‘Project Zero’ is transforming institutional practice by centring the voices of Black African/Caribbean and South Asian heritage student...

This #BlackHistoryMonth, Birmingham City University (@mybcu.bsky.social) shares how ‘Project Zero’ is transforming institutional practice by centring the voices of Black African/Caribbean and South Asian heritage students.

Read the blog post: taso.org.uk/news-blog/ce...

Graphic promoting TASO’s paid-for training series. The image reads: “Autumn Evaluation Essentials: Implementation and process evaluation. Book your place.” The background shows a blurred workspace with a laptop and documents, featuring a blue-to-green gradient overlay and a lightbulb icon.

Everyone talks about impact – fewer talk about what gets us there.

Join us on 13 Nov (10:00–16:00, online) for 'Autumn Evaluation Essentials: Implementation and process evaluation'. Learn how to evaluate not just what works, but how and why.

Book now: app.tickettailor.com/events/taso/...

Evaluation and equality in the education and skills white paper  - TASO Dr Omar Khan, TASO CEO, reflects on the government's post-16 education and skills white paper, welcoming its focus on evidence and addressing inequality

ICYMI, in our latest blog post, @omaromalleykhan.bsky.social reflects on the post-16 white paper, welcoming its focus on evidence and inequality, and urging that progress be judged by how far reforms close gaps in access, participation & success.

Read the post: taso.org.uk/news-blog/ev...