Research Overview

 

Our academics engage in research across a wide range of areas in business, the social sciences and humanities, and with a justifiable reputation for its excellence. Our diversity of expertise, emerging collaborative strengths and shared commitment to research with impact are vital components of our continued success.
    
Highlights within the College include:

  • The world leading Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics 
  • A diverse, innovative and dynamic range of research centres and groups
  • An elite triple accredited Business School globally recognised for excellence
  • A thriving PhD and DBA community
  • A commitment to interdisciplinary research across all three Schools in the College (Aston Business School; Aston Law School; Social Sciences and Humanities)
Research Strategy

Our goal is to build on our existing reputation to further establish the College as a focal point for research excellence. Highlights from the BSS research strategy (below) to 2025 clearly demonstrate the College’s aspiration to consolidate and deepen its international reputation for quality research, to extend the interdisciplinary working of our academics and to further establish the value and relevance of our research to its users and beneficiaries. We will do this through focussing on the following areas:

  • Impact
  • Enablement
  • Reputation 
  • Investment

We will continue to invest in our staff (both in development and in recruitment) and we are in an excellent position to react dynamically to sectoral changes.  We plan to direct our research into new and innovative areas as well as retaining excellence in others. We are proud that our research puts people first (including both our research beneficiaries and the staff involved in research production).

Strategy Implementation Plan

To put our research strategy into effect, we have a comprehensive implementation plan focussed around: Impact; Enablement; Reputation and Investment. Its highlights include:

  • Further building an inclusive and vibrant culture defined by its excellence
  • Establishing new, exciting and relevant areas of research while supporting our existing areas of expertise
  • Providing more support, development and encouragement to staff to meet their personal goals, our College research aspirations and the needs of our beneficiaries
  • Drawing in expertise from across the world to support international collaboration, either as permanent members of staff or visiting scholars, to add to our existing skills, experiences and knowledge
  • Ensuring that Postgraduate Research Students are fully embedded in the research culture and that they form an important part of a rich and stimulating intellectual environment
  • Improving communication of the impact and significance of our research
  • Ensuring the sustainability of our research, including increasing the number of externally funded research projects 
  • Building an inclusive research culture that recognises the talents of all of our researcher, including our vibrant community of research stents

At the heart of our plan is the ability to deliver research that is impactful and ultimately makes a positive difference to the world.

Research Support

The impact focussed and beneficiary led approach that drives research within BSS is supported in a number of ways, including:

  • ‘Associate Dean for Research’ expertise overseeing research culture and strategy 
  • ‘BSS Research Office’ providing excellent support for academic staff, including internal funds, research performance reporting and maintaining the highest standards of research ethics
  • ‘BSS Research Support Fund’ available to all academics, to support conference attendance and research dissemination, research collaborations, international networking and reputational visibility
  • ‘Impact Acceleration Fund’ to encourage research dissemination strategies and high quality collaborations with our research users
  • A ‘BSS Peer Review’ process to provide peer feedback on research outputs and applications for research funding
  • A ‘BSS Research Leave’ to provide staff with ring-fenced time to concentrate on research projects

BSS aspires to create an inclusive research culture that values every member of staff.

Research Office

Academic Leads

Aston Business School / Aston Law School

Nicholas O’Regan Associate Dean Research - n.oregan@aston.ac.uk

 

School of Social Sciences and Humanities

Phil Mizen Associate Dean Research - p.mizen@aston.ac.uk

 

Administration Team

Paul Jones Senior Research Manager – p.jones5@aston.ac.uk

Dan Thomson Research Manager – d.thomson1@aston.ac.uk

Maria Podsiadly Conferences and Events Manager - M.Podsiadly@aston.ac.uk

Shrook Ahmed Research Support Co-ordinator - s.ahmed59@aston.ac.uk

Nisha Dhesi – Events Administrator - n.dhesi2@aston.ac.uk

PhD Studentships

College of Business and Social Sciences PhD Studentships

Applications are now open for fully funded studentships in the College of Business and Social Sciences

For more information please click here.

Please contact pgr_admissions@aston.ac.uk if you have any questions or need further information.

Impact Case Studies

Our impact case studies showcase the very best examples of our extensive collaborations with our research users. We pride ourselves on undertaking research that has a positive impact on individuals, businesses, government, society and culture. Please do take the time to check out these examples.