Adam Cooper

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  • Assocaite Professor of Engineering Policy, UCL

As an ex-UK civil servant and mixed-discipline applied social scientist, I am principally involved in understanding the role of engineers in society: how we govern them, understand the demands on them, the opportunities and risks of the engineering we have. In short developing a programme of understanding what we might call 'engineering policy' - just like we have health policy. I aim to undertake research at small and large scale about engineers and associated technician communities, in particular in relation to how they interact with government and governing bodies.

Experience

  • 2013–present
    Associate Professor in Engineering Policy, UCL STEaPP
  • 2025–present
    Vice Dean (Strategy), Faculty of Engineering Sciences, UCL
  • 2011–2013
    Head of Social Science Engagement, UK Govt: Dept of Energy and Climate Change
  • 2006–2013
    Head of Research, UK Govt: Dept for Culture, Media and Sport
  • 2003–2006
    Senior Reseacher, UK Govt: Dept for Education and Skills
  • 1999–2003
    Postdoctoral research associate, University of Birmingham

Education

  • 1999 
    University of Birmingham (Psychology), PhD
  • 1995 
    University of Edinburgh (Cognitive Science), MSc (Dist)
  • 1993 
    University of Stirling (Psychology), BSc (Hons)

Publications

  • 2020
    Engineering advice in policy-making: a new domain of inquiry in evidence and policy, Evidence & Policy: A journal of research, debate and practice
  • 2020
    Mapping Academic Literature on Governing Inclusive Green Growth in Africa: Geographical Biases and Topical Gaps, Sustainability
  • 2018
    Evaluating energy efficiency policy: understanding the ‘energy policy epistemology’ may explain the lack of demand for randomised controlled trials, Energy Efficiency
  • 2017
    Building physics into the social: Enhancing the policy impact of energy studies and energy social science research, Energy Research & Social Science
  • 2017
    Building a socio-technical energy research community: Theory, practice and impact, Energy Research & Social Science
  • 2016
    Exploring the scope of science advice: social sciences in the UK government, Palgrave Communications
  • 2015
    From social and technical to socio-technical: Designing integrated research on domestic energy use, Indoor and Built Environment
  • 2015
    Health and climate change: policy responses to protect public health, The Lancet

Contact Adam for

  • General
  • Media request
  • Speaking request
  • Consulting / Advising
  • Research collaboration
  • Research supervision