Scottish Institute for Policing Research

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Scottish Institute for Policing Research

SIPR was founded in 2007 and acts as the interface between academics working on policing-related issues.

Established in 2006 and supported by investment from the Scottish Funding Council and Police Scotland, SIPR is a collaboration between 12 Scottish universities established to carry out high quality, independent research and to make evidence-based contributions to policing policy and practice.

23/09/2026

Fantastic to see our Director, Professor Andrew Wooff, on stage at today, bringing Scotland’s experience of police reform into the wider UK conversation.

With police reform high on the agenda, Andrew’s session explored the lessons, opportunities and challenges from Scotland, drawing on his research and experience working at the intersection of policing, academia and policy.

It’s particularly great to see Andrew and SIPR represented on a programme bringing together senior leaders from across policing, government and research, including the Minister for Policing Sarah Jones MP, Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe OBE, Chief Constable Jason Hogg and Rachel Tuffin OBE from the College of Policing.

A great platform for sharing Scotland’s experience, highlighting the value of police-academic partnerships, and ensuring research and evidence remain part of conversations about the future of policing.

Congratulations Andrew – a brilliant representation of SIPR and Scotland’s policing research community.

20/08/2026

New SPACE Policy and Practice Briefing published 💫

SPACE is pleased to announce the publication of a new Policy and Practice Briefing:

Burnout, post-traumatic growth, and organisational support in police officers working in specialist units

Written by Dr Alexandra Tsirimokou, University of Birmingham, and
Dr Juliane A. Kloess, University of Glasgow, the briefing explores the experiences of police officers working in specialist roles and considers the psychological impact of their work, coping strategies, organisational support and post-traumatic growth.

The briefing also sets out recommendations for recruitment and selection, training, peer support and reflective spaces, and psychologically safe and compassionate workplace cultures.

Read the full briefing here: https://bit.ly/4g5YycK

18/08/2026

We are looking for a new Postgraduate Coordinator to join the SIPR Postgraduate Network! 📢

This voluntary role is a great opportunity for a current PhD student within the SIPR consortium to help shape activities for our postgraduate community and ensure the network continues to be student-led and student-focused.

Working with the SIPR Leadership Team, the successful candidate will help:

• Connect PGRs from across SIPR member universities
• Organise social, networking and professional development opportunities
• Support the SIPR Postgraduate Symposium and Scottish International Policing Conference
• Represent and raise the visibility of postgraduate research across the SIPR community
• Build experience in event management, stakeholder engagement, leadership and networking

The role is flexible, with SIPR providing up to £500 per coordinator, per annum to support PhD-related activities such as conference attendance, presentation costs or other research dissemination activities.

‼️ Applications close 4 September 2026. ‼️

Applicants should submit a cover letter, CV and letter of support from their supervisor(s) to [email protected].

Please see full position description here: https://bit.ly/4xHBN4F

17/08/2026

🎉 Congratulations to our SIPR Main Grant awardees!

We are delighted to announce two new SIPR Main Grant awards supporting research into technological innovation, policing and human rights.

Dr Diana Miranda
Face[REC]: Co-Designing Live Facial Recognition and Human Rights
Award: £19,902.25

Dr Julie Gawrylowicz
Enhancing Witness Statement Taking with Edge AI
Award: £19,909.66

Together, SIPR is investing £39,811.91 in these two projects, supporting research into important questions surrounding emerging technologies and contemporary policing.

A huge congratulations to Diana and Julie. We look forward to following both projects and sharing their work as it develops.

03/08/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Professor Andrew Wooff!

We are delighted to congratulate SIPR Director Andrew Wooff on his promotion to Professor at Edinburgh Napier University, effective from 1 August 2026.

Andrew joined Edinburgh Napier University in 2015 and has since made a significant contribution through his research, teaching and academic leadership, alongside his work supporting collaboration between policing, academia and partners across Scotland and beyond.

As Director of the Scottish Institute for Policing Research, Andrew plays a key role in bringing together the SIPR community and strengthening the connections between research, policy and practice.

Andrew reflected on the importance of collaboration in reaching this milestone, thanking colleagues across Edinburgh Napier University, the SIPR partnership and the wider policing research community for their support, ideas and engagement.

A huge congratulations from all of us at SIPR on this very well-deserved achievement!

30/07/2026

The UK Research and Innovation funded Scottish Policing Academic Centre of Excellence (SPACE) is investing £125,421 to support five Research Grants and two Knowledge Exchange & Dissemination Grants across our member universities.

🔬 Research Grants

📌 Older Women and Sexual Violence: Exploring the Possibility of Enhanced Knowledge, Data Sharing and Collaborative Practice 💷 £23,877

Glasgow Caledonian University
🤝 Senior Lives, R**e Crisis Scotland and Police Scotland

📌 Navigating the Prevent Pursue Nexus in Scotland's Counter Terrorism Framework: 💷 £25,227.08

University of St Andrews
🤝 Police Scotland

📌 Enhancing Confidence in Policing Data through Culturally Responsive Communication: A Pilot Study 💷 £23,722.24

Edinburgh Napier University
🤝 FJSS and Police Scotland

📌 Safer Analytics for Enhanced Road Safety using AI (SAFER AI) 💷 £23,938.85

Edinburgh Napier University
🤝 Police Scotland

📌 AI Enabled Offending: Building Police Capability 💷 £23,976.23

The University of Edinburgh
🤝 PoliceAI

📚 Knowledge Exchange & Dissemination Grants

📌 Supporting Developmentally Informed Practice in Prevent and Pursue Case Management: Lessons from Research and Practice 💷 £2,350.16

University of St Andrews

📌 A Training Blueprint for Improving Data Literacy in Policing 💷 £2,329.84

The University of Edinburgh

Together, these projects address key policing priorities including artificial intelligence, road safety, violence against older women, counter terrorism, policing data and professional development.

Together, they strengthen the evidence base for policing and help ensure research informs policy and practice through collaboration across our member universities and partner organisations.

🔗 https://bit.ly/4pSklIi

30/06/2026

Highlights from the International Summer School for Policing Scholars (ISSPS) 2026 at the University of Stirling. Bringing together students and faculty from around the world to share research, collaborate and shape the future of policing.

22/06/2026

The International Summer School for Policing Scholars 2026 is officially underway with Dr Andrew Wooff and Distinguished University Professor Cynthia Lum setting the scene for the week! ☀️ 🎓

This week, we are delighted to welcome faculty and doctoral researchers from across the world to the University of Stirling for a week of learning, discussion, collaboration and networking.

Delivered in partnership between the Scottish Institute for Policing Research and the Center for Evidence Based Crime Policy, George Mason University, ISSPS brings together emerging and established policing scholars to explore contemporary policing research, evidence based practice and international perspectives on policing.

Over the coming days, participants will engage in a packed programme of lectures, workshops, discussions and visits, while building connections that will help shape the future of policing research and practice.

A warm welcome to everyone joining us in Stirling. We are looking forward to an inspiring and enjoyable week together.

03/06/2026

🛍️ Take Part in the UK Retail Crime Questionnaire

Retail crime affects businesses, workers and communities across the UK. To help better understand the challenges facing the retail sector, researchers at Robert Gordon University are seeking the views and experiences of retail workers.

If you are aged 18 or over and work in a physical retail store, whether as a shop assistant, manager, security staff member or in another retail role, we encourage you to take part.

The questionnaire explores:

• Retail crime
• Crime reporting and prevention
• The impact of retail crime on stores and communities

The survey is anonymous and takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
Your experiences will help inform UK-wide research and support the development of more effective responses to retail crime.

Take part here:

https://lnkd.in/e24MAKyH

For further information, please contact Sarah Henderson at [email protected]

27/05/2026

Yesterday, SIPR was pleased to support the workshop ‘Police and Deaths in Scotland: Prevention, Investigation, Transparency’ through our Knowledge Exchange Grant funding.

Hosted at the University of Strathclyde, the workshop brought together colleagues from academia, policing, government, and wider stakeholder communities to explore the prevention, investigation, and understanding of deaths in police custody and following police contact in Scotland.

The session featured presentations from Professor Sarah Armstrong and Dr Betsy Barkas from the The Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research , alongside SIPR Director Dr Andrew Wooff, and included important discussion around data, transparency, accountability, and evidence informed approaches to prevention.

A really valuable and thought provoking event bringing together research, policy, and practice perspectives on an important and sensitive area of policing and justice.

Address

Edinburgh Napier University, 9 Sighthill Court
Edinburgh
EH114BN

Website

http://www.sipr.ac.uk/

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