Professor Patricia Broadfoot from the University's Graduate School of Education has been appointed a member of a new Social Science Expert Panel for the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

The purpose of the 12-strong panel is to bring high-quality, multidisciplinary social science advice to both Defra (the government department responsible for policy and regulations on the environment, food and rural affairs) and DECC (the department responsible for policy and regulation in the energy sector that also plays a central role in international negotiations on climate change).