Research centres and groups
The Faculty supports a number of interdisciplinary, collaborative Faculty Research Centres and Groups. The Centres and Groups develop and nurture research and impact in new and emerging areas of research, particularly interdisciplinary, collaborative and cross-cutting fields.
Faculty Research Centres
The Faculty hosts four research centres which exist as hubs for innovative, cross-disciplinary research. These centres will be critical in helping to deliver on our Faculty Strategy to foster high-quality interdisciplinary research with global impact in social justice and inequalities and the creative and cultural industries. They will do so through reputation building, partnerships, and research impact.
- Centre for Environmental HumanitiesThe Centre for Environmental Humanities is a forum for sharing and developing expertise on humanity’s interactions with nature through history, literature, and lived experience. It aims to promote collaboration and conversation, highlighting the opportunities for working together in academic fields that have traditionally relied on individual researchers pursuing isolated projects. Centre activities include outreach work with local museums and galleries, academic research seminars and events, and funding collaborative research activities.
- Centre for Health, Humanities and ScienceOur vision is to be recognised as a leader in interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research at the intersection of humanities, medicine, health and science. Our aims are to develop those areas in which our research stands out in the UK and internationally; consolidate these strengths; and achieve a step-change in the work done in these areas at the University.
- Centre for Medieval StudiesThe Centre for Medieval Studies creates an exciting and supportive forum for our staff and our postgraduate students. Our research and research events foster interdisciplinary exchange on topics ranging from Medieval archaeology and law to music and the History of the Book. The Centre has internationally recognised expertise in an unrivalled range of areas reflecting Bristol's historic role as a gateway to Europe, and we have strong local partnerships and international networks.
Faculty Research Groups
- Ageing FuturesInterdisciplinary work focused on improving well-being and quality of life in older age.
- American StudiesInterdisciplinary academic research group based in the Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences including PhDs and academic staff and as well as researchers from allied programmes.
- Bristol Digital Game LabThe Lab brings together researchers and practitioners from a radically diverse range of perspectives, from history to AI, game design, and beyond.
- Bristol-Exeter Modern British HistoryCo-ordinators: Dr Amy Edwards (History) and Dr Simeon Koole (History)
- Digital SocietiesStrong, actionable research to understand and shape how digital technologies are changing society.
- Drinking Studies Research GroupCo-ordinator: Dr Mark Hailwood (History)
- Early Modern StudiesCo-ordinators: Dr Kenneth Austin (History) and Dr Sebastiaan Verweij (English)
- Education and PedagogyExamining how education can be transformative at both an individual and a societal level.
- Environment and SocietyExploring solutions to environmental problems and impacting policy.
- Families and ParentingLooking at how policy and law define and support ‘good parenting’.
- Food Justice NetworkSupporting the transition to a fairer food system.
- GenderResearch addressing methodological and conceptual approaches to the study of gender, sexuality and feminist theory.
- Global Political EconomyAddressing the transformations brought about by globalisation.
- Health and WellbeingExploring the human and social impacts of health and wellbeing interventions at national and global levels.
- International DevelopmentFocused on collaborative work that examines Global Development Challenges at the interface of the social and natural worlds.
- Institute of Greece, Rome and the Classical TraditionThe IGRCT promotes research into all aspects of Greco-Roman culture from antiquity to the present day.
- Perspectives on WorkLooking at the analysis of work and its governance in the contemporary world.
- Screen ResearchCo-ordinators: Professor Catherine O'Rawe (Italian) and Dr Miguel Gaggiotti (Film and Television)
- Sense and SensationsPlacing emphasis on how critical the sensing body has been and is to our study of human and nonhuman worlds, across historical and contemporary contexts.
- Smart Networks for Sustainable FuturesUsing the power of networks to find long-term solutions to contemporary issues.
- Urban Research ClusterFacilitating collaborative research into urbanism around the world.