about

Ruth is a researcher with extensive experience in innovation, impact, and policy reform.

She is a Senior Research Fellow at UCL’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP), working alongside Mariana Mazzucato and Rainer Kattel and in collaboration with Bloomberg Philanthropies, to develop a new Public Sector Capabilities Index.

Beyond UCL, Ruth works with a range of organisations. Current and recent collaborations include projects with the Future Evidence Foundation, the Paul Ramsay Foundation, Results for America, The British Academy, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Centre for Homelessness Impact, What Works Wellbeing, Nesta, Alliance for Useful Evidence, Pearson Plc, Newcastle University, Edinburgh City Council, and advising the council for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Blockchain.

In 2023, Ruth completed a PhD that explores the influence of philanthropic foundations on city government innovation and decision-making.

Ruth has over 15 years of practical research experience in the public and private sectors. Most recently, she served as a Senior Policy Advisor in the UK Government’s Open Innovation Team. Ruth’s previous experience includes working at Tony Blair Associates, a global management consultancy, helping establish the policy and research team in the government advisory practice. Before that, she spent six years at Nesta, the UK’s innovation agency. 

Ruth has advised governments all around the world, on topics including innovation strategy, policy reform, evidence and impact measurement, the establishment of delivery units, and the creation of school inspectorate and improvement agencies in emerging economies. In the UK, she worked on the Annual Innovation Review for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), and contributed to various government white papers.

Ruth designed and advocated for the creation of a "NICE for social policy", successfully convincing the Cabinet Office and ESRC to create the What Works Network, a chain of evidence centres informing decision-making in policy areas overseeing more than £200 billion of public spending. She also created and launched the global practitioners network, the Alliance for Useful Evidence. 

She has written and managed numerous critically acclaimed research reports, including a mapping study of evidence institutes and i-teams - a global study of innovation labs across six continents. Ruth's research has been cited in the press, including coverage in The Financial Times, Guardian, and Times, and numerous academic articles. Her research on evidence has had a significant impact, with the standards of evidence framework developed for Nesta since being adopted by other organisations including FTSE 100 Pearson Plc and the Big Lottery Fund.

She has served on boards and is currently a school governor.

In 2012 Ruth worked on the successful Obama-Biden re-election field campaign in Virginia. 

Ruth holds a degree in Geography from the University of Sheffield, a Master's in Research Methods, and a PhD in political science and urban studies.

I am always keen to connect with people and organisations, to swap ideas or collaborate more formally. Hit the button below to contact me.