The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Angela Donkin as Chief Social Scientist.
In this new role, Angela will contribute to ensuring that NFER’s policy and practice-focused research and analysis is responsive to the evidence and insight needs of the education community.
Angela has an international reputation as an expert on early years and inequalities in children’s attainment. As an expert on tackling inequality, and from over 25 years working in government and academia, her specialist knowledge covers children, education, work, income, and healthcare. She joins NFER from University College London (UCL), where she was Deputy Director of the UCL Institute of Health Equity (IHE), known widely for its work on the social determinants of health.
Prior to this, she led two independent reports for the UK Cabinet Office on early intervention, and has looked at the influence of social determinants on the quality of working lives.
Announcing the appointment, Carole Willis, Chief Executive of NFER said: “Angela is a welcome addition to our growing team, working to Dr Lesley Duff, our Director of Research. Ensuring a good start in life, and understanding and measuring the factors that influence young children’s attainment and well-being has been the focus of Angela’s research over many years. We are fortunate to have Angela on board supporting and contributing to NFER’s research, analysis and stakeholder engagement. The experience she brings with her will be invaluable as we seek to improve children’s education through our research.”
Commenting on her appointment, Dr Angela Donkin said: “I am honoured to be joining NFER as their Chief Social Scientist. The NFER has an incredible reputation for high quality research and I look forward to working with them as they continue to make a real difference to children’s outcomes, to improving social mobility, and to supporting the education workforce.”
Angela will join NFER on Monday 30 April.