Research and Innovation

Tower Hamlets Health Determinants Research Collaboration 

At a local level, Queen Mary is a university partner in the Tower Hamlets Health Determinants Research Collaboration, working directly with Tower Hamlets Council and local organisations. The collaboration brings researchers, the Council and communities together to generate evidence that can inform local policies and services on issues including poverty, unemployment, housing and overcrowding. In 2024, the partnership received the London Higher Award for Best Research Collaboration in London.

Addressing Housing Distress 

Queen Mary's Policy Hub published Addressing Housing Distress to Improve Health and Wellbeing in UK Inner Cities, a policy brief drawing on research in Tower Hamlets and Birmingham examining the links between housing insecurity, migration, health and poverty. The brief identifies poor housing conditions, overcrowding, housing instability and barriers to support services as key drivers of inequality and recommends policy action including stronger tenant protections, culturally informed support services, improved housing-health collaboration and greater community participation in decision-making. By providing evidence-based recommendations for local authorities, health providers and policymakers, the research contributes to efforts to reduce poverty, improve living conditions and strengthen long-term wellbeing in disadvantaged urban communities.

Food Improvement Goals in Schools 

At a regional level, Queen Mary’s Food Improvement Goals in Schools research examines the impact of Universal Free School Meals on children and families. More than 650 people have engaged with the research, and findings have been shared with the Greater London Authority and other policy and professional organisations. The programme has also secured £155,815 for further work examining the cost-effectiveness of Universal Free School Meals and producing evidence for future policy development.

Living Wage Campaign

At a national level, Queen Mary research has contributed to policy discussions on low pay and in-work poverty. Research on low-paid workers helped provide evidence for the Living Wage campaign, which developed from an East London initiative into a UK-wide movement. Queen Mary also became the first UK university accredited as a Living Wage employer in 2006. Queen Mary researchers have also worked directly with national government.

Development Economics & Policy Engagement 

Professor Bandyopadhyay’s research focuses on the economics of growth, inequality and poverty globally. Her policy-engagement activity includes work for the UK’s Department for International Development, where her findings on growth and development economics were translated into policy briefs addressing poverty and inequality. Her efforts illustrate how rigorous academic work can inform government strategies for economic inclusion, representing a strong example of QMUL’s contribution to inclusive policymaking.

Inequalities in Employment & Policy Impact 

Professor Williams investigates socio-economic inequalities in job quality, pay, and labour market outcomes, with specific attention to socio-economic background, ethnicity and gender. His research has been cited in UK government departments and House of Commons debates, demonstrating direct policy influence. Through these collaborations, QMUL is shaping frameworks that address systemic work-based poverty and labour-market disadvantage - aligning with our mission for social mobility and equity.

Addressing Poverty in the EU 

Researchers from our School of Business Management put together a brief “Addressing poverty in the EU”, tailored for policy makers and researchers within the European Parliament. The brief highlights the links between financial insecurity, labour market outcomes and poverty, offering actionable recommendations for EU parliament members. It unpacks how addressing poverty in the European Union (EU) can be done by taking action on welfare, household debt and pensions.  

Migration, remittances and financial resilience 

Professor Kavita Datta’s research examines migration, money, remittances, financial inclusion and food insecurity. Her collaborative project, Remitting for Resilience: Enhancing food security and climate adaptation through gender-inclusive migrant remittances, is a multi-country research partnership across 12 universities in 10 countries.  It examines how migrant remittances can build gender-inclusive resilience to food insecurity and climate change in marginalised African environments.

Queen Mary leads the UK-Zimbabwe element of the project. Research is being carried out at both ends of the migration corridor, including work with members of the Zimbabwean diaspora in the UK, recipient communities and policymakers.

The research also examines barriers that can increase the cost of sending money internationally or restrict access to remittance services. Findings are intended to inform policy recommendations and community resources that improve the contribution remittances can make to household resilience.

Achieving Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want 

Queen Mary's Policy Hub published Achieving Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, a policy brief examining how stronger protection and enforcement of performers' rights under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) can support socio-economic development across Africa. The research highlights how weak performer protections contribute to insecurity, exploitation and lost income within Africa's growing creative industries, despite the sector's potential to generate more than 20 million jobs and up to 10% of global exports of creative goods by 2030. The brief sets out eight policy recommendations for governments and regional institutions, including stronger rights protections, collective management structures, capacity building and policy engagement mechanisms, supporting inclusive economic development and improved livelihoods for creative workers across the continent.

The Partnership for Black People’s Health  

The Partnership for Black People’s Health is a community-led research project that engages Black African and Black Caribbean communities in research to reduce the widely recognised disproportionate burden of health inequalities they face in all areas of medicine and public health. 

Research Circle for the Study of Inequality and Poverty (RCSIP)

The Research Circle for the Study of Inequality and Poverty, based within Queen Mary Business School’s Centre for Globalisation Research, brings together researchers working on inequality, poverty and social mobility. Its research covers issues including labour markets, public policy, health inequalities, and the distribution of economic opportunities. The Research Circle has run an annual workshop series since 2014, creating a forum for researchers working on poverty and inequality across disciplines.

Research associated with the Centre for Globalisation Research has also examined public works and urban poverty, contributing evidence used by organisations including the World Bank and UK government bodies.

Improving the oral health of vulnerable children 

Queen Mary’s Institute of Dentistry is tackling childhood tooth decay—one of the UK’s most common preventable diseases—through community research and school-based interventions. The programme supports children in deprived areas with preventive care, education, and dental access, working alongside local authorities and NHS partners. By focusing on early prevention and community engagement, the project strengthens lifelong oral health and reduces health inequalities. It exemplifies how targeted, collaborative research can improve wellbeing in vulnerable populations.  

Social mobility in east London

Queen Mary carries out place-based research on social mobility and access to professional careers. “The Mile End Institute’s Equity and Aspiration: Understanding East Londoners’ Views on Social Mobility and Careers in the Professions” used a representative survey of east London residents to examine attitudes towards professional careers, diversity, education, trust and social mobility.

The research considers what prevents people from entering professional occupations and what universities, employers, and education providers can do to widen access to opportunity. This work is particularly relevant in east London, where educational attainment, employment opportunities and household circumstances can vary considerably between communities.