Research and Innovation
Providing expert advice to local, regional and national government
Queen Mary provides specific expert advice, research evidence and policy guidance to local, regional and national government and public bodies.
At a local level, Queen Mary provides expert advice to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets through the Tower Hamlets Health Determinants Research Collaboration. Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the five-year partnership brings Queen Mary together with Tower Hamlets Council, local universities and the voluntary sector to strengthen the use of research evidence in council decision-making. Its work covers child poverty, unemployment, housing, overcrowding and health inequalities. Researchers work directly with Council teams so that evidence can be used when developing local services and policies. In 2024, the collaboration won the London Higher Award for Best Research Collaboration in London.
Queen Mary researchers also provide practical policy guidance to Tower Hamlets Council on the design of public spaces. In 2024, the Designing Tower Hamlets’ Green Grid project brought researchers together with Tower Hamlets Council, community researchers and other stakeholders. The project produced practical guidance for the Council on making green spaces safer, more inclusive and more accessible, giving local decision-makers evidence they can use in future planning and public-realm projects.
At a regional level, Queen Mary provides research evidence to the Greater London Authority through the Food Improvement Goals in Schools programme. Led by Dr Meredith Hawking and developed with Tower Hamlets Council, schools, children and parents, the research found that universal provision can reduce pressure on household budgets, improve access to nutritious food and support greater equity between pupils. More than 650 people have engaged with the research, and findings have been shared directly with the Greater London Authority and other policy and professional organisations. The programme has secured a further £155,815 to examine the cost-effectiveness of Universal Free School Meals and provide evidence for future policy development.
At a national level, Queen Mary provides commissioned expert evidence to NHS England through the Health Equity Evidence Centre. In 2024, the Centre produced evidence reviews for NHS England on areas including funding models, workforce inequalities, access to services and equitable care. These reviews convert research findings into practical recommendations that NHS organisations can use when designing services and allocating resources. In 2025, the Centre brought this work together in a comprehensive evidence pack on reducing health inequalities, organised around four areas for action: inclusive care, equity-focused systems, partnerships and equitable organisational structures. This gives NHS organisations, integrated care boards, local authorities and primary-care services a practical evidence base for decisions on reducing inequalities in healthcare.
Through these activities, Queen Mary provides specific expert advice to government at all three levels required by the metric: local through Tower Hamlets Council, regional through the Greater London Authority, and national through NHS England.
Providing outreach, education, upskilling and capacity-building for policy- and law-makers
Queen Mary provides outreach, professional education, upskilling and capacity-building for people working in government, law and public policy.
In 2025, the Centre for Commercial Law Studies launched Executive Education programmes designed for legal, policy and government professionals. The programmes focus on areas directly relevant to policy- and law-makers, including international investment law, arbitration, taxation, procurement, trade and sustainable development.
The 10-week International Investment Law and Arbitration programme is aimed primarily at government officials, including government lawyers, officials from public institutions and local authorities, judges and treaty negotiators. Participants develop practical skills for handling disputes involving foreign investors, including interpreting investment treaties, assessing jurisdiction, understanding state obligations, developing legal arguments and considering damages and enforcement. Teaching combines Queen Mary research with live lectures, tutorials, specialist readings and input from practitioners and government experts.
The impact is direct skills development for policy- and law-makers. Participants complete the programme with knowledge and practical tools they can apply in government and legal practice, particularly when managing investor-state disputes, advising public institutions and interpreting international legal obligations. The course has attracted participants from several countries, and participant feedback highlights the value of learning from arbitration practitioners, discussing cases with an international cohort and continuing to use the course materials after completion.
Queen Mary’s wider Executive Education programme also provides open and bespoke training for public-sector organisations. CCLS states that its programmes are designed to help practitioners and organisations respond to new legal and regulatory challenges, and it has experience delivering tailored training for governments, judges and public institutions internationally.
Through these programmes, Queen Mary directly provides the outreach, education, upskilling and capacity-building required by this metric, giving policy- and law-makers specialist knowledge and practical skills they can apply in their professional roles.
Undertaking policy-focused research in collaboration with government departments
Queen Mary undertakes policy-focused research directly in collaboration with government departments.
The NIHR Policy Research Unit in Dementia and Neurodegeneration at Queen Mary, known as DeNPRU-QM, undertakes policy-focused research in collaboration with the Department of Health and Social Care. The Unit conducts research specifically to inform government policy on dementia and neurodegenerative conditions. Its research programme was developed in consultation with the Department of Health and Social Care and focuses on government priorities including prevention, integrated care, workforce, inequalities and social care. DeNPRU-QM works directly with the Department of Health and Social Care throughout its research programme and also provides rapid research responses when new policy questions arise. During 2024, the Unit undertook Department-commissioned research on dementia diagnosis and care in England. This included a national survey of memory services developed through co-design workshops with academic, clinical, policy and lived-experience participants. The research was commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care to examine how current services align with government priorities and to provide evidence for future dementia policy and service planning.
Queen Mary also undertakes policy-focused research with local government through the Tower Hamlets Health Determinants Research Collaboration. This five-year partnership brings Queen Mary researchers together with Tower Hamlets Council to identify local priorities, generate evidence and strengthen the use of research in council policy and services. Its work covers child poverty, unemployment, housing, overcrowding and health inequalities. In 2024, the partnership won the London Higher Award for Best Research Collaboration in London.
The Food Improvement Goals in Schools programme provides another example of research carried out with local government. Queen Mary researchers work with Tower Hamlets Council to evaluate Universal Free School Meals and their effects on children, families and schools. More than 650 people have taken part in or engaged with the research. Findings have been shared with the Greater London Authority and other policy and professional organisations, and a further £155,815 has been secured to assess cost-effectiveness and provide evidence for future policy development.
At national level, the Health Equity Evidence Centre also works with NHS England on commissioned research into health and care inequalities. In 2024, the Centre completed 10 evidence reviews identifying effective approaches to reducing inequalities. These produced practical recommendations on funding models, inclusive healthcare for people on low incomes, community engagement, workforce inequalities and identifying undiagnosed health conditions. In 2025, the findings were brought together into an evidence pack on what works to address health inequalities for use by NHS organisations and other public bodies.