Excellence in social policy teaching, research and impact has been recognised by the 2025 Social Policy Association awards. The list of winners for each category is available below.
Award winners were announced at a ceremony on 2nd July during the SPA and East Asian Social Policy Research Network joint conference at the University of York. This year the awards were presented by Jane Miller, an awards judge and Emeritus Professor at the University of Bath.
The goals of the SPA’s awards include to recognise and endorse the work of academics who are involved in researching and teaching social policy, as well as other figures who contribute to raising public awareness of social policy topics.
Following the ceremony, Dr Hayley Bennett, SPA Awards Officer, said:
“On behalf of the SPA executive committee, it’s a pleasure to celebrate this year’s SPA award winners. Considering both the winners and those nominated, it has been wonderful to see the depth and breadth of the very valuable contributions produced by social policy scholars in relation to research, teaching and wider public impact.Many congratulations to all involved in this year’s awards!”.
“The winners of the SPA awards are decided via a thorough process that wouldn’t be possible without the SPA executive members who contributed to the shortlisting process and the generous award sponsors (Cambridge University Press, Policy Press, and the SPA). I also give notable thanks to the four judges for their thoughtful work engaging with all the nominations and shortlists to agree on this year’s winners. The judges are Prof. Jane Millar, Prof Jon Glasby, Prof Zoe Irving, and Helen Barnard (Trussell Trust) who all volunteered their time to support our social policy community”.
“We also look forward to announcing the opening of nominations for our 2026 awards programme in due course.”
The winners of this year’s awards were as follows. You can read more information about the awards – including past winners – on the SPA’s website.
| Award | Winner |
|
Richard Titmuss Book Award |
Philip Rathgeb, University of Edinburgh.
How the Radical Right Has Changed Capitalism and Welfare in Europe and the USA |
| Policy Press Outstanding Teaching Award | John McKendrick,
Glasgow Caledonian University |
| Excellence in Doctoral Research Award | Anna Baillie, University of Glasgow
Complexities and contradictions: exploring conceptualisations of lived experience in policymaking to tackle poverty |
| Cambridge University Press Award for Excellence in Social Policy Scholarship: Social Policy & Society | Edith England, Cardiff Met
You’re having us on … that’s what it felt like.’: Frontline Workers Navigating the Introduction of Moral Commitments to Domestic Abuse Support within a Statutory Homelessness System” |
| Cambridge University Press Award for Excellence in Social Policy Scholarship: Journal of Social Policy | Antonia Simon, Atul Shah, Katie Quy and Charlie Owen
Financialisation and private equity in early childhood care and education in England |
| CUP Excellence in Social Policy Scholarship: Journal of International & Comparative Social Policy | Sanni Välimäki, Johanna Lammi-Taskula, Merita Mesiäislehto, and Johanna Närvi
Growing inequality and diverging paths in early childhood education and care: Educational disparities in Europe. |
| Outstanding Achievement in Social Policy Award | Zoe Irving, University of York
Emeritus Professor of International and Comparative Social Policy, University of York. |
| Public understanding award | Frances Ryan
Multi award-winning journalist and author |
Image: Elizabeth Bailey. Source: EASP SPA 2025 Conference Official Account (@easp-spa-2025.bsky.social): https://web-cdn.bsky.app/profile/easp-spa-2025.bsky.social/post/3lsz3j5ytkk25