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COVID-19 wrought unprecedented disruption around the world. From exacerbating social and economic inequalities, and destabilising billions of children's education, to threatening global progress on climate change: no sector of society remained untouched by the pandemic.

Researchers across Oxford's Social Sciences Division mobilised rapidly to confront these complex challenges, working with partners in policymaking, industry, and communities around the world. Here you can discover the latest COVID-19 research news, explore the vast range of social sciences research taking place across our departments, watch interviews and conversations with social scientists across the Division, and explore highlights of our researchers' expert commentary and analysis in the media.  

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COVID-19: The impact of social sciences research

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Oxford Answers: Leadership in extraordinary times

A series of virtual events from the Saïd Business School, helping leaders respond to the unprecedented period of turmoil caused by COVID-19.
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COVID Conversations

Social scientists are among the hundreds of researchers at Oxford driving forward research into COVID-19. Hear them discuss their work and answer viewers' questions in COVID Conversations.

Insights, news, and expert opinion from Oxford's social scientists

melinda mills

We need to define the rules of a post-pandemic world

11 February 2022
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Cash incentives for vaccination could be an effective long-term strategy - here's how to fund it

25 January 2022
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When will life return to normal after the pandemic?

02 December 2021
Taken from the back of a classroom, where a primary school teacher reads from a book to a room full of young children, with their backs to the camera. All the children are watching as she holds the book facing outwards, so they can all see the pages

Thousands of primaries benefit from Oxford oral language programme

27 April 2021
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Are we on track for a green recovery? Not Yet. Hundreds attend Oxford-UN eco event.

10 March 2021
A black and white photo of two small children walking down a track, away from the camera. The bigger child has their arm around the smaller one, as if comforting them.

Thousands of children have not seen parents for a year: hidden impact of COVID on prisoners' families

15 March 2021
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The pandemic's mortality impact in England and Wales: 63,000 more deaths and a year off life-expectancy

27 January 2021
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Oxford COVID-19 Monitor reveals January lockdown has a third less national impact on movement than March shutdown

12 January 2021
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New £2m global policy project to address social impacts of COVID-19

03 December 2020
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COVID-19 vaccine: reliable communications needed to beat 'infodemic' of misinformation

10 November 2020
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United States' COVID-19 response cost more American lives than World War I

02 October 2020
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Study finds 'significant increase' in child-to-parent violence in lockdown

20 August 2020
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The parenting support that works - around the world

18 August 2020
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Progress against the multiple dimensions of poverty was made before the pandemic - but now it is at risk

21 July 2020
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Oxford COVID-19 study: face masks and coverings work

16 July 2020
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COVID-19 and the post-Brexit immigration system

01 July 2020
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Oxford dashboard highlights potential future COVID-19 virus hotspots

30 June 2020
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Parenting in a pandemic: resources have helped over 50 million families so far

30 June 2020
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Why the pandemic could slash the amount of plastic waste we recycle

22 June 2020
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COVID-19 in care homes: What happened and how should we go forward?

17 June 2020
A father and son do some gardening together

How has behaviour changed under the COVID-19 lockdown?

05 June 2020
A young man sits in front of his computer screen, his hand held up to his head

International lawyers: Time's up for global cyber hackers

05 June 2020
Friends sit on park swings

Strategic distancing: the middle-ground between isolation and re-opening society

05 June 2020
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Why coronavirus death rates won't fall as quickly as they rose

05 June 2020
A mother feeds her child

Lockdown gender gap remains firm

04 June 2020
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COVID-19 Government Response Tracker extends to economic and testing measures

01 June 2020
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COVID-19 lockdown data shows men travelled 48% more than women

28 May 2020
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Young Lives study to provide rapid new insights into COVID-19 impacts

27 May 2020
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Social Sciences awards over £210,000 to projects addressing social, economic, cultural, & environmental impacts of COVID-19

28 May 2020
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Coronavirus school closures impact 1.3 billion children - and remote learning is increasing inequality

21 May 2020
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Green COVID-19 recovery packages can boost economic growth and help tackle climate change

06 May 2020
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Social Sciences COVID-19 projects awarded funding

30 April 2020
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OXFO venture 'Crowdless' app helps avoid lockdown crowds

29 April 2020
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Demographic science aids in understanding the spread and fatality rates of COVID-19

27 April 2020
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New factsheet identifies types, sources, and claims of COVID-19 misinformation

22 April 2020
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New Covid-19 Impact Monitor reveals UK population moves drops by 98%

15 April 2020

How are social sciences making a difference?

Jamie Lachman, Lucie Cluver, and colleagues smile as they hold their Impact Awards winners certificate, in front of the O2RB Excellence in Impact Awards event branding

Reducing violence against children through evidence-based parenting resources during COVID-19

Dr Jamie Lachman and Professor Lucie Cluver
Professor Melinda Mills, Dr Jennifer Beam Dowd, and colleagues from the LCDS team smile as they hold their Impact Awards winners certificate, in front of the O2RB Excellence in Impact Awards event branding

Data driven policy interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic

Professor Melinda Mills, Dr Jennifer Beam Dowd and team
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Refugee-Led Social Protection During COVID-19

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COVID-19 Parenting Emergency Response

COVID-19 research, collaborations, and intiatives across the Social Sciences Division

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International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO)

Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), this is a collaboration between the University of Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government, UCL, Cardiff University, Queen's University Belfast, and the University of Auckland, together with think tanks and academic news publisher The Conversation.

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Oxford Answers: Business insights and COVID-19

A series of virtual events from the Saïd Business School, helping leaders respond to the unprecedented period of turmoil caused by COVID-19.
Screenshot from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index, showing a map of the world coloured in differing shades of blue, green, yellow and white according to COVID19 restriction stringency

Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT)

Governments are taking a wide range of measures in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This tool aims to track and compare policy responses around the world, rigorously and consistently.
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Oxford Martin Programme on Pandemic Genomics

Producing an analytical framework for emerging infections for the 21st century.
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The UK COVID-19 news and information project

An analysis of how the British public navigates information and misinformation about coronavirus and about how the government and other institutions are responding to the pandemic.

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The Coronavirus and Mobility Forum 2020

How can a mobility perspective shed light on the current COVID-19 crisis, and what can we learn about mobilities throughout the pandemic and for the future?

In the media

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Social costs of pandemic will be felt for a decade, report suggests (ITV News)

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Melinda Mills addresses vaccine concerns on BBC Radio 5Live

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Covid-19: Rise in kids attacking parents in UK lockdown

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Carl Benedikt Frey: Covid-19 will accelerate automation

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Philip N Howard: ‘Social media need a radical rebuild’

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Researchers turn to wearable tech in race to track Covid-19

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How the pandemic has affected periods