About
About us
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We tackle the UK’s biggest social challenges by funding research, generating evidence, and guiding decision-makers to implement solutions that improve people’s lives.
Our purpose
Our aim is to improve the social and economic well-being of individuals, families, and communities within the UK.
Founded in 1943, during the second world war, the Foundation was created with the conviction that its work could help to inform post-war reconstruction. Today, in a world marked by rapid change, entrenched inequalities, social divisions, and deep uncertainties, our purpose remains as vital as ever.
We are the founder and co-funder of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory and the Ada Lovelace Institute.
Our values
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Independence: Our financial and political independence gives us the freedom to be open and objective in our approach, and to focus on the power of evidence.
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Rigour: We have high standards in all that we do, achieving a quality that gives us influence and impact.
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Inclusivity: We will further diversity and work to ensure that everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered.
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Collaboration: We convene and connect with individuals and organisations to maximise our collective impact, recognising that we will not bring about change on our own.
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Curiosity: We foster a spirit of exploration, encouraging our staff and those we fund to pursue new ideas and challenge old assumptions.
Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
Our EDI action plan includes three priorities:
- Embedding and championing EDI in the substance of our work
- We will ensure that our funded work continues to focus on inequalities, disadvantage and discrimination, keeping our coverage under active review and adjusting as needed. We will make sure EDI considerations are identified and embedded in our new projects, and will take part in EDI conversations in our sector to share learning, join initiatives, and contribute to change. To hear a variety of perspectives, we want a diverse range of people to engage in our discussions, meetings, and events.
- Funding a more diverse range of partners and grant-holders
- We will assess the potential for bias in our grant application processes and make improvements as needed to centre fairness and inclusivity. Alongside this, we will work to support groups underrepresented in research funding to strengthen the pipeline and visibility of future researchers. Working and advisory groups for our in-house projects and research programmes should reflect a broad and representative range of perspectives, backgrounds and lived experience.
- Diversifying our workforce and embedding an inclusive culture
- We will seek to employ staff from a diverse range of backgrounds and ensure an inclusive workplace culture where we celebrate and respect differences. Our teams will be supported to take forward this EDI action plan.
We will take an evidence-led approach to our progress, using data, learning from experience, and seeking continuous improvement.
People
Our team comprises specialists in research and policy, grants management and operations, communications, office services, and finance and investment.
Governance
Our approach to investment and governance reflects our values of independence, rigorous evidence and concern for effective social policy.