Centre for Applied Social Sciences, Policy, Practice and Research

The Centre for Applied Social Sciences, Policy, Practice and Research (CASSPPR) undertakes research on real-world issues, aiming to contribute to the improvement of society by informing policy, shaping practice, and leading public debates.

Co-directed by Professor Alessio D’Angelo and Professor Nicholas Blagden, CASSPPR (pronounced Casper) is home to world-leading researchers with diverse expertise and from a range of disciplinary backgrounds, including Sociology, Social Policy, Criminology, Policing, and International Relations.

Following its establishment in 2023, the Centre has been rapidly developing a local, national, and international reputation for applied and impactful social science research, with key areas of recognised expertise including: social inequalities and social justice, access to public services and welfare; social policy and family policy; health inequalities; migration and refugees; community networks and social infrastructure; re-integration of people with convictions; addiction recovery; policing and criminology (including the experiences of staff and individuals in the criminal justice system).

Collaboration and industry engagement

Through its active engagement with public, private and third sector stakeholders, the Centre aims to be a hub for knowledge exchange, community participation and social change.

The centre has key partnerships with local, national and international agencies including:

Government Departments (e.g., the Home Office and Ministry of Justice)
Local Authorities (e.g., Derby City Council; Chesterfield Borough Council; EMCCA)
Charitable Organisations (e.g., Community Action Derby; Links CVS; Irish in Britain)
NHS (e.g., Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust)
HMPPS (His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service)
National Policy Training Units and CEPOL (the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training)

The Centre also informs the university's teaching portfolio and offers learning and placement opportunities to students and members of the local community.

Professor Nicholas Blagden

Professor Nicholas Blagden is a Professor of Criminological Psychology who has worked and researched within the Criminal Justice System and HM Prison and Probation Service for nearly 15 years.

Professor Alessio D'Angelo

Alessio is Professor of Social Policy within the School of Law and Social Sciences at the University of Derby. He also co-directs the Centre for Criminology and Social Policy Research.

Members and PhD students

Current members of CASSPPR (as of 2025-2026) include (in alphabetical order):

Current members

The Centre also hosts over 30 PhD students and associates. Academics within CASSPPR are available for PhD supervisions across their areas of expertise.

Our research and activities

Three Research Clusters sit within CASSPPR: ‘Rehabilitation and Reintegration of People with Convictions’, ‘Policing, Criminology and Forensic Science’, and ‘Society and Policy Research Cluster’.

CASSPPR undertakes funded research by national and international grant-making organisations, and commissioned research by local authorities, public sector organisations, and criminal justice organisations.

Recent examples of major projects include:

An EU Horizon-funded study on the prevention of child sexual abuse
AHRC-funded research projects: on local refugee organisations, and on personal experiences of policy officers
An evaluation of HMPPS' accredited Thinking Skills Programme (TSP), funded by the Ministry of Justice
British Academy-funded research (including on Neurodivergent People in Policing and Family Policy in East Asia)
NHS-funded participatory action research on cultural competence in accessing healthcare, and an accelerated KTP on addiction recovery
A sponsored PhD (by Chesterfield Borough Council) on Social Infrastructure
Mapping exercises of diverse communities (e.g., funded by the Irish in Britain)

Additionally, members of CASSPPR have undertaken funded research and consultancies relating to: homelessness; drug addiction and recovery; social inequalities; migration and refugee policy; forensic science and policing; rehabilitation of people with convictions.

Members of the centre have longstanding collaborations with many international NGOs and local community organisations and are active in major scholarly associations, including the British Sociological Association (BSA) and the Social Policy Association (SPA), also being involved in leading academic journals. Work within the Centre has also led to the development of international partnerships (e.g., with universities across Europe, New Zealand and East Asia) and international dissemination events (e.g., with the European Parliament and the United Nations).

CASSPPR is particularly active in organising academic and knowledge-exchange events, including the yearly CASSPPR Seminar Series, an evening 'Research Café' in Derby City Centre, and major events such as the Derbyshire Refugee Conference, the Social Policy and Society Annual Event, and the IPHIR (Interdisciplinary Partnership on Health Inequalities and Race) Conference.

Research Clusters

Society and Policy Research Cluster

The Society and Policy Research Cluster (SPRC) brings together scholars from Sociology, Social Policy, Criminology and the wider Social Sciences working on a diverse range of social issues.

Rehabilitation and Reintegration of People with Convictions Cluster

The Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Individuals with Convictions Research Cluster aims to conduct and facilitate applied criminological research.

Policing, Criminology and Forensic Science Research Cluster

The members of this group come from a variety of disciplines – policing, criminology and forensic science – but have an important feature in common: a central focus on professional practice.

Work with us

If you are interested in joining CASSPPR, want to find out more, or are interested in applying for a PhD in one of our research areas, please contact Professor Alessio D'Angelo or Professor Nicholas Blagden.

The Centre Directors are also available to discuss research collaborations, consultancies, and contract research across the area of expertise covered by CASSPPR members.