Health Inequalities Policy Research Group (HIP-R)

Liverpool’s Health Inequalities Policy Research Group (HIP-R) comprises around 50 researchers within the Institute of Population Health. Our vision is to improve health and reduce inequalities through the study of the determinants of health and wellbeing and the policies that impact them.

Our leadership in health inequalities research directly influences policies locally, nationally and internationally. Our approach combines the development and use of data assets, the application of a broad range of evaluation methods, and meaningful policy engagement at all levels. 

We deliver an extensive research portfolio funded by a range of sources including NIHR, MRC, ESRC, Wellcome Trust, and The Health Foundation, and support a growing cohort of Early Career Researchers, externally funded fellowships, PhD students, and clinical academics. 

We have significant leadership roles in a number of initiatives, including NIHR School for Public Health Research, NIHR Public Policy Research Unit, NIHR Public Health Intervention Responsive Studies Team (PHIRST), URKI Groundswell Consortium, Liverpool City Region Civic Data Cooperative, and NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North West Cost, and we are a WHO Collaborating Centre for Policy Research on Determinants of Health Equity. 

We collaborate with a range of partners, including Liverpool City Council, Cheshire and Merseyside ICB, N8, Health Equity North and the Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA), UNICEF Child Friendly Cities. 

Aims

1. Develop data assets for public health evaluation 
2. Better understand causal pathways to inequalities across the lifecourse 
3. Evaluate the impact of policies and interventions to reduce inequalities 
4. Translate this evidence into public policy and discourse 
5. Develop capacity in health inequalities research