ADR UK PhD studentships cohort

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Josephina Aha (University of Sheffield) 

Transitions and earnings: The impact of early labour market experiences 

This project explores how early labour market experiences influence wage progression and in-work poverty among the UK's younger workforce. It will analyse how transitions between different employment types and job quality influence earnings and the risk of poverty during employment. The research aims to generate actionable insights for enhancing the employment trajectories of younger workers in the UK. 

Primary Supervisor: Professor Peter Wright 

Related theme(s):  

• World of work 

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings linked to 2011 Census – England & Wales

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Zackary Allinson (London School of Economics) 

Assessing inequality in the criminal justice system 

This project will assess inequality in the UK using criminal justice and education data. It will evaluate how, and if, early life course events (such as attainment end engagement in the education system) can be influenced by systematic discrimination. This work will quantify the role discrimination plays in the life course and explore where governmental interventions, such as being placed in care, may lead to improved outcomes. 

Primary Supervisor: Dr Sara Geneletti Inchauste  

Related theme(s):  

• Crime and justice 

• Inequality and social inclusion 

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Data First: Cross-Justice System – England & Wales  

• Data First: Ministry of Justice & Department for Education linked dataset - England 

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Cassandra Bossman-Dampare (King’s College London) 

Impact of interventions on youth employment 

In 2014, financial education became an obligatory part of the national curriculum in secondary schools in England. This project will estimate the impact of this intervention, particularly on youth employment and financial wellbeing. It intends to provide further evidence to support policy change for making financial education compulsory in primary school. 

Primary Supervisor: Professor Michael Sanders  

Related theme(s):  

• Children and young people 

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Grading and Admissions Data for England 

• Longitudinal Education Outcomes - England 

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Ella Christoforou (Swansea University) 

Associations between air pollution and mental health in adolescents  

The World Health Organisation highlighted air pollution as the most serious threat to human health. Given that adolescence is a crucial period of mental development, air pollution exposure during this time could increase the risk of mental illness for young people. The project aims to investigate associations between air pollution and adolescent mental health, uncovering findings to inform public health policy and interventions. 

Primary Supervisor: Dr Amy Mizen 

Related theme(s):  

• Health and wellbeing 

• Climate and sustainability 

• Children and young people 

• Inequality and social inclusion 

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Welsh Environment Dataset 

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Vanessa Cieplinska (University College London) 

School absenteeism among special educational needs children and risk factors 

Among children with special educational needs (SEN), children with neurodevelopmental conditions are often most at risk of poor outcomes and typically face considerable difficulties with school attendance. There is currently no evidence regarding the impact of persistent absence on future academic achievement in this population. This project aims to address this gap, identifying factors that may place students with neurodevelopmental conditions at risk for persistent absence. It will also explore the outcomes of absence. Its findings will help inform current educational policy about school attendance.  

Primary Supervisor: Dr Vasiliki Totsika  

Related theme(s):  

• Children and young people 

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Growing Up in England  

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Christy Coles (King’s College London) 

Offending trajectories of females 

There is little consensus on the nature of female offending patterns or trajectories across the lifespan. It is important to examine these, as some patterns of re-offending have more severe outcomes than others. Using linked data, this project will model female re-offending trajectories across the lifespan and identify the education and social care factors associated with them. Findings may contribute to early identification and intervention strategies to reduce female offending.  

Primary Supervisor: Dr Hannah Dickson 

Related theme(s):  

• Crime and justice 

• Children and young people 

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Data First: Ministry of Justice & Department for Education linked dataset - England 

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Yu Cui (University of Reading) 

Attainment and protective factors against social disadvantage for English as an additional language children 

This project examines whether multilingualism acts as a protective factor against the effects of social disadvantage on educational attainment. Previous studies have shown that children who are eligible for free school meals (eFSM) perform less well than their peers, and that this varies with English as an additional language (EAL) status. The project will provide a better understanding of EAL and eFSM status interact to predict children’s academic performance, and how factors (such as education, career, and earnings) influence this.  

Primary Supervisor: Professor Holly Joseph 

Related theme(s):  

• Health and wellbeing 

• Children and young people 

• Inequality and social inclusion 

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Growing Up in England  

• Longitudinal Education Outcomes - England

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Giada Garofani (University of Liverpool) 

Liverpool City Region education pathways and economic outcomes  

Price inflation and the cost-of-living crisis in the UK have had far-reaching implications for individuals already living in or at risk of poverty. This project will uncover the relationship between cost-of-living variations, educational attainments, and job opportunities, as well as whether they trigger further socio-economic inequalities. It also aims to identify the geographical patterns of this relationship and possible areas for intervention, using Liverpool City Region as a case study. Understanding these mechanisms can help policymakers formulate targeted interventions and reduce barriers to accessing education and employment. 

Primary Supervisor: Professor Elisabetta Pietrostefani 

Related theme(s):  

• World of work 

• Children and young people 

• Inequality and social inclusion

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Longitudinal Education Outcomes - England  

• Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings linked to 2011 Census – England & Wales  

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Yifan Ge (University of Southampton) 

Women’s pension entitlement in the UK: Understanding who may have been left under-provisioned by recent changes in state pension age

Following the Pensions Acts of 1995 and 2011, women’s State Pension age increased from 60 to 65 in 2018. Many women were unaware of these changes and had little time to adjust their pension plans. This project aims to examine the socio-economic and demographic characteristics of subgroups most affected by recent reforms to the State Pension age. It hopes to inform compensation strategies for impacted women and form recommendations for future age increases. 

Primary Supervisor: Professor Athina Vlachantoni 

Related theme(s):  

• Growing old 

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings linked to 2011 Census – England & Wales  

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Tomiris Gilazh (University of Bristol) 

Analysing the relationship between student backgrounds and labour market outcomes 

Despite concerted efforts to promote equal access and outcomes in education, stark ethnic disparities persist throughout the English education system. This project will use linked education data to study how these inequalities evolve over the early life course, from ages 5 to 25.  Insights could inform policy initiatives targeted at relevant life stages to mitigate ethnic inequalities in education and employment. 

Primary Supervisor: Professor George Leckie 

Related theme(s):  

• Children and young people 

• Inequality and social inclusion 

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Growing Up in England  

• Longitudinal Education Outcomes - England  

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Linxuan He (University College London) 

An examination of the links between education and engagement in criminal activity, especially for individuals with special educational needs and disabilities 

Individuals with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) often experience distinctive developmental and social challenges that can impact their life trajectories. This includes potential interactions with the criminal justice system. This project will investigate the impact of educational experiences on these interactions and identify risk factors for criminal engagement in SEND populations. It aims to guide educational and justice policies and interventions to enhance education and reduce the risk of crime, ultimately fostering safer, more inclusive communities. 

Primary Supervisor: Professor Emla Fitzsimons 

Related theme(s):  

• Crime and justice 

• Health and wellbeing 

• Children and young people 

• Inequality and social inclusion 

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Data First: Ministry of Justice & Department for Education linked dataset - England 

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Sabreena Hussain (University of Birmingham) 

Are apprenticeships a genuine alternative to university education? An investigation using administrative data

This project aims to investigate whether apprenticeships can be regarded as a genuine alternative to university education in England. It will focus on the economic and labour market aspects of these two main post-16 career pathways. Findings may inform public policy around employment and higher and further education, as well as social mobility.  

Primary Supervisor: Dr Tarek Mostafa 

Related theme(s):  

• World of work 

• Children and young people 

• Inequality and social inclusion 

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Longitudinal Education Outcomes - England  

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Louise Kay (University of Nottingham) 

Educational and employment outcomes of looked after and vulnerable children in boarding schools  

This project aims to research the educational achievements and labour market outcomes for looked-after children and other children at risk of poor outcomes who have attended boarding schools in England. Education and labour market outcomes for these groups are currently poor, and their chances of becoming not employed in education or training are greater than for those who have never lived in or at the edge of care. This study hopes to inform policymaking to generate better outcomes for these groups.

Primary Supervisor: Professor David Murphy 

Related theme(s):  

• World of work 

• Crime and justice 

• Children and young people 

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Longitudinal Education Outcomes - England  

• Data First: Ministry of Justice & Department for Education linked dataset - England 

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Bethany Lee-Shield (University of Edinburgh) 

Examining outcomes of care-experienced children  

Care-experienced children have different experiences of being in local authority care. Understanding more about how outcomes vary for children with different care journeys is a priority for The Promise Scotland. This project will therefore examine how care-experienced children’s care journeys during primary years influence their outcomes as young people. The project will identify a cohort of care-experienced children in the Looked After Children Longitudinal Dataset - Scotland, and link this to data on educational attainment outcomes, health outcomes, and death records in adolescence.  It will provide a better understanding of the lives of care-experienced children, supporting care professionals to meet the aims of The Promise.   

Primary Supervisor: Professor Susan McVie 

Related theme(s):  

• Crime and justice 

• Children and young people 

• Inequality and social inclusion 

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Looked After Children Longitudinal Dataset - Scotland 

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Wenyue Li (University of Cambridge) 

Drug trafficking in England and Wales 

Understanding the structure of drug trafficking networks is crucial in setting effective anti-trafficking policies. This project aims to reconstruct these networks, understand the causes of area-level variations in presence, and learn why certain ties exist between actors in the network. It will provide empirical evidence to inform drug trafficking network disruption programs, local polices to deter presence, and initiatives to mitigate further expansions in the drug trafficking network.  

Primary Supervisor: Dr Paolo Campana 

Related theme(s):  

• Crime and justice 

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Data First: Cross-Justice System – England & Wales 

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Amelia Nutting (University of Leicester) 

Examining rural working-class occupations and social composition 

This project intends to study the contemporary rural working classes of England and Wales. It will quantitatively analyse rural working class employees and residents and explore their changing employment conditions and relations. By examining an underrepresented class group, the project hopes to encourage policymakers to further consider this group when examining rural issues.

Primary Supervisor: Professor Martin Phillips 

Related theme(s):  

• World of work 

• Inequality and social inclusion 

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings linked to 2011 Census – England & Wales 

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Richmond Opoku (Swansea University) 

Predicting outcomes of children in care  

Looked-after children experience disproportionately poor outcomes, yet there is limited understanding about predictors of these outcomes in the UK. This study will provide evidence to empower practitioners and policymakers in making informed decisions to improve outcomes for children in care. 

Primary Supervisor: Professor Sinéad Brophy 

Related theme(s):  

• Health and wellbeing 

• Children and young people 

• Inequality and social inclusion 

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Growing Up in England  

• Looked After Children Wales  

• Looked After Children Longitudinal Dataset – Scotland 

• Data First: Family Court linked to Cafcass & Census 2021 – England & Wales  

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Ramakrishnan Radhakrishnan (Northumbria University) 

Employment journeys of people working in the community care sector 

The UK's adult social care sector faces rapid growth demands due to ageing demographics and rising rates of disability. This project will investigate changing labour dynamics in the care sector. This includes job shifts as care workers transition to retail sectors, the factors which enable job switching, care workers' social and economic traits, and labour supply factors. Its findings may inform policies around care recruitment and retention. 

Primary Supervisor: Professor Peter McMeekin 

Related theme(s): 

• World of work 

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings linked to 2011 Census – England & Wales   

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Marta Stryjniak (University of Cambridge) 

Higher Education access in the UK 

This project aims to understand how sociodemographic characteristics relate to university application behaviour and the mechanisms that underpin those relationships. Application behaviour refers to individuals’ choices of university subjects and institutions, and these choices’ order, number, and consistency. The explored mechanisms relate to the structure and nature of the English university application process. This research relates to policies and practices around university access. 

Primary Supervisor: Dr Sonia Ilie 

Related theme(s):  

• Children and young people 

• Inequality and social inclusion 

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Grading and Admissions Data for England  

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Ella Watson (Cardiff University) 

Health and criminal justice outcomes for care experienced young people 

This project aims to compare prison entry outcomes for young people who are at the highest level of risk in communities, based on the level of social services involvement they have received. It intends to determine whether, for those at the greatest risk of prison entry, social services involvement is beneficial. 

Primary Supervisor: Professor Donald Forrester 

Related theme(s):  

• Crime and justice 

• Health and wellbeing 

• Children and young people 

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Looked After Children Wales  

• Data First: Cross-Justice System – England & Wales  

• Data First: Family Court linked to Cafcass & Census 2021 – England & Wales  

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Ziqing Ye (University of Exeter) 

Environmental predictors of educational outcomes for children with special educational needs and disabilities

Only 15.2% of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) achieved the English Baccalaureate aged 16. Few studies have examined associated environmental factors for their educational outcomes, and the impact of the 2015 SEND Code of Practice remains unclear. This project examines familial and environmental factors for educational and employment outcomes among SEND children. Findings will inform policymaking in education and employment to better support SEND children.

Primary Supervisor: Professor Helen Dodd 

Related theme(s):  

• Health and wellbeing 

• Children and young people 

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Growing Up in England 

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Lijie Zeng (University of Edinburgh) 

Examining associations between disability within the household and child attainment 

This project aims to investigate the educational attainment of children from households with disabled members. This project will provide evidence on how household disability, and individual and contextual factors, might affect children’s attainment. It will therefore inform policies and practices to improve outcomes for this population. 

Primary Supervisor: Dr Jasmin Wertz 

Related theme(s):  

• Health and wellbeing 

• Children and young people 

• Inequality and social inclusion 

This project will use the following flagship datasets: 

• Growing Up in England 

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