Professor Daniela Sime
Social Policy
Personal statement
I am Professor of Youth, Migration and Social Justice and Vice Dean for Research for the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences. I joined 吃瓜tv as a Lecturer in 2005, after working as a researcher at the Universities of Glasgow and Stirling. My research interests are in the areas of social justice and inequalities, with a focus on young people's experiences and views, the challenges facing traditionally marginalised groups and evidence-based policy and practice.
I am currently involved in three UKRI-funded projects, all focussed on examinging on-going disadvantages facing particular groups in society:
- (ESRC-funded, with colleagues in Brazil, Germany and Poland) This project examines the impact of the pandemic on women migrants in four countries and reports on the long-term impacts for them and their families transnationally.
- (ESRC-funded, with colleagues at the universities of Glasgow and St Andrews). This project examines the multiple transitions and intersecting inequalities of young people aged 16-26 who are EU nationals living in the UK, in the context of the changes to their status post-Brexit.
- (MRC-funded, with colleagues at , 吃瓜tv and University of Monash). This project examines the challenges in accessing inclusive mental health provision for young men who identify as LGBTQ, young men with experience of the justice system and young migrants.听听
Between 2016-2019, I led an ESRC-funded project which examined issues of identity, citizenship and belonging among Central and Eastern European young people in the UK (see ). I also had a British Academy mid-Career Fellowship, 2016-2018, working on a study on young people's experiences of poverty and stigma.
My work sits within the University's strategic theme of People, Place & Policy, where we have significant cross-disciplinary expertise and a wealth of research at 吃瓜tv. I have expertise in research, policy and practice in relation to young people's everyday experiences, migrantized populations, youth citizenship, volunteering and political participation in society.
I have received research funding from the Economic & Social Research Council, British Academy, Medical Research Council, Volunteer Scotland, Save the Children and the Scottish Government. I have provided consultancy and training for international funders and research organisations, local authorities and NGOs in my areas of expertise and have also served as member of advisory boards for projects and organisations. I also contribute to teaching on our Social Policy programme and the postgraduate Research Skills Programme in the Faculty.听
Before I moved to the 吃瓜tv, I was a researcher in the Centre for the Child & Society, University of Glasgow, and a research fellow in the Institute of Education, University of Stirling.
I have a PhD in Education听from the听University of Stirling (2004)听and I have been Fellow of the since 2010.听
I welcome enquiries from potential PhD candidates with research interests in migration, childhood and youth, education and social justice.
Prize And Awards
- Recipient
- 12/2020
- Recipient
- 8/10/2020
- Recipient
- 1/9/2016
- Recipient
- 1/8/2014
- Recipient
- 2010
Qualifications
Academic and professional qualifications
- Leadership Certificate (2020), University of Oxford, Said Business School
- PhD in Education (2004), University of Stirling
- BA (First Class) in English and Romanian Languages and Literatures (1998), University of Oradea, Romania
- Diploma in Primary Education, Pedagogic College, Oradea
External contributions and recognition
- Expert adviser and grant reviewer for research funding organisations in the UK (UKRI/ESRC), Poland (National Science Centre, NCN), Italy (Fondazione Cariplo), Austria (Austrian Science Fund, FWF), Portugal (Foudation for Science and Technology, FCT) and others;
- Awards Panel member for Carnegie Trust (Scotland) and royal Society of Edinburgh听
- Elected Member of Young Academy of Scotland, RSE (2015-2019)
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (since 2010)
Publications
- , Kerlaff Leyla,
- (2025)
- Cameron Julie, , Kerlaff Leyla, , Maycock Matt
- (2025)
- , Kerlaff Leyla, , Cameron Julie, Maycock Matt
- (2025)
- Sinclair Megan, Balson Ell, , Kerlaff Leyla, Murray Chris, , Maycock Matt, Cameron Julie
- (2025)
- , Kerlaff Leyla, , Cameron Julie, Maycock Matt
- (2025)
- Kerlaff Leyla, , , Cameron Julie, Maycock Matt
- Turning the Tide: Creating a global blueprint for prevention and integrated care in Youth Mental Health (2025)
Teaching
I was Postgraduate Research Director (2016-2019) for the School of Social Work & Social Policy and also leading the Research Skills Programme for postgraduate students in the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences.
I am interested in supervising postgraduate research in any of the research areas I work in and have an excellent record on supporting students apply for ESRC and Commonwealth scholarships and complete on time.听
I currently supervise the following doctoral students:
- Malvern Chikanya- Navigating New Pathways- Lived experiences of health and social care migrant workers post-Brexit听
- Ioana Dobre - Experiences of citizenship, home-making and belonging for young Romanian Roma in post-Brexit Scotland
- Angeline Mwafulirwa- The role of third sector organisations in supporting asylum seekers鈥� and refugees鈥� integration, citizenship and belonging
- Nur Saribulan- Women's agency in tackling family poverty in Indonesia
Recently graduate PhD students:
- Silvia Behrens - Young people, activism and political participation听
- David Bomark- Associational life, volunteering and the benefits for health and well-being听
- Elita Chamdimba- An ethnography of adolescents living with albinism in Malawi听
- Laureen Walker- The value of effectiveness of mentoring projects with unaccompanied minors听
- Sne Zondo- Experiences of health services and mental health support seeking among African migrants in Scotland听
Research Interests
My research aims to promote a strong social justice agenda that challenges social inequalities, especially in relation to traditionally marginalised groups, and to translate this research in changes in policy and practice. In pursuit of these aims, I draw upon theoretical and methodological insights from the new sociology of childhood, sociology of education, race and ethnicity studies and social policy. My research is particularly interested in social, cultural and educational contexts of exclusion, segregation and marginalisation - along with a concern for making research relevant to practitioners and policy makers- and falls within these themes:
Children and young people, migration, ethnicities and identity
- Impact of family migration on children鈥檚 everyday lives, including educational opportunities, well-being and relationships;
- Intergenerational relations and cultural learning in transnational families;
- Minoritised children and youth, inclusion, identity and civic participation;
- Inclusive approaches in education and public services, with a focus on Central and Eastern European groups, Roma, Gypsy Travellers;
- Methodological and ethical issues in research with young people.
Poverty and its impact on children鈥檚 opportunities
- Approaches to tackling poverty and social disadvantage, including multi-agency working;
- Reducing educational underachievement of traditionally marginalised groups;
- Impact of poverty on neighborhoods and young people as service users and their involvement in service improvement;
- Young people鈥檚 use of technologies and the technological divide;
- Approaches to involving practitioners and policy makers with research evidence and ways of supporting evidence-based practice.
Previous projects I have led as Principal Investigator over the last 15 years include:
-
A project funded by the British Academy, conducted in partnership with Glasgow City Council, entitled听Children on the margins: Roma migrants鈥� experiences of schooling and other services;
-
Intergenerational learning in Polish families听funded by a grant from the Scottish Centre for Intergenerational Practice (SCIP), supported by the Scottish Government;听
-
An ESRC/SFC/LARCI-funded knowledge exchange programme under the 鈥楨ngaging with Scottish Local Authorities Scheme鈥� conducted in partnership with Glasgow City Council, West Dunbartonshire Council and Save the Children, entitled听Co-ordinating service provision and improving life changes for children in severe poverty;
-
An ESRC-funded project examining children鈥檚 experiences of migration in Scotland, entitled听At Home Abroad: The life experiences of children of Eastern European migrant workers in Scotland;
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An evaluation of home-school partnerships in early years in West Dunbartonshire Council (Funders: West Dunbartonshire Council/Save the Children);听
-
A scoping study on ethnic minority parents鈥� involvement in their children鈥檚 education (吃瓜tv鈥檚 Research Fund);听
-
A scoping study on听Gypsy/Traveller children鈥檚 learning experiences and opportunities of access to formal education (Funded by Save the Children);听
-
A project entitled听Improving educational outcomes for children living in poverty through parental involvement in primary schools (Funded by Save the Children).
If you share my research interests and you are interested in studying for a PhD on migrant groups, social inequalities, young people鈥檚 everyday lives and participation, please get in touch.
Professional Activities
- Speaker
- 30/1/2026
- Host
- 15/6/2025
- Speaker
- 4/6/2025
- Speaker
- 27/5/2025
- Contributor
- 20/5/2025
- Speaker
- 8/2024
Projects
- Vaswani, Nina (Principal Investigator) Sime, Daniela (Co-investigator)
- Roll out of Men Minds methods and approach across 30 Glasgow secondary schools - to support Young Men's Minds Groups to conduct research into issues affecting boys' wellbeing in schools, and to codesign solutions together.
- 01-Jan-2026 - 27-Jan-2027
- Vaswani, Nina (Principal Investigator) Sime, Daniela (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2023 - 30-Jan-2025
- Sime, Daniela (Principal Investigator)
- 02-Jan-2022 - 31-Jan-2024
- Sime, Daniela (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2022 - 31-Jan-2025
- Sime, Daniela (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2019 - 31-Jan-2023
- Sime, Daniela (Fellow)
- Getting By: Young people鈥檚 experiences of poverty and stigma at the intersection of ethnicity, class and gender
- 03-Jan-2016 - 31-Jan-2018