Dr Paul Vallance is a Research Associate in the Wales Centre for Public Policy (WCPP). His work focuses on evidence-informed policy, practices of knowledge mobilisation, and ways in which the impact of knowledge-brokering organisations such as the WCPP can be defined, planned for, and evaluated.
Paul has a background as a university-based researcher in the field of regional economic development. Prior to joining the WCPP, he had worked at Newcastle University, the University of Sheffield, and the University of Birmingham. His PhD is in economic geography, but much of his subsequent research was focused on the roles that universities play in the development of the cities and regions in which they are located. This work involved a mix of academic, policy, and evaluation-based projects across different regions of the UK and the European Union. From this he has developed a more general interest in the institutional processes shaping the production of scientific knowledge and its use in public policy.
Paul is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Fellow of the Regional Studies Association.