Professor Nick Buck is new ISER Director

Professor Nick Buck

Nick was previously Principal Investigator of the British Household Panel Survey (1991-2008) and has led its successor Understanding Society since its inception. Both studies have transformed our understanding of the complex trends affecting UK society and informed long term policy-making in many areas of government. Understanding Society is currently in its seventh year of fieldwork. Both studies have become enormously important data resources for researchers worldwide – including academics, policy makers, the third sector, business and industry – as they track the constant changes in our homes and households, attitudes and behaviours over time.

Nick said:

“This is a very exciting time to be leading ISER. We have embarked on a new five-year cycle for our ESRC Research Centre on Micro-Social Change, and we are looking forward to commissioning waves 9 to 11 of Understanding Society. EUROMOD, our state-of-the-art microsimulation model, is becoming a critical resource for policy makers and our experts in survey methodology are influencing the development of longitudinal research resources worldwide. Moreover ISER’s team of world class researchers is expanding the scope of ISER’s activities with new research in health and in international development fields amongst others. ISER has become one of the world’s most prestigious social research centres, and with a quarter century of past success behind us we can look forward to a new era of investment and scientific innovation ahead. I look forward to working with colleagues to ensure the future success of ISER.”

Professor Todd Landman, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Essex said:

“I am delighted that Nick is the new Director of ISER. He is a longstanding and committed member of our academic community and has led a large number of projects over his years at Essex. He understands the nature of large-scale research projects and now will lead all of ISER as it continues to build on its international reputation for high quality social science research.”

Nick’s own research interests include the impacts of economic change and public policy on social inequality, social polarisation and social change in London, impacts of neighbourhoods on individual outcomes as well as methodological aspects of longitudinal data.

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