We are establishing the new Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, which will officially launch in January 2022. The aim of the Institute is to be an international centre for excellence, bringing together research strengths in this area across all our three faculties, driving forward our research collaborations and developing strategic partnerships with national and regional organisations including NHS Trusts and Public Health England.

Research and education in public health is a strategic priority for us and our expertise and strengths from across disciplines at the University means we have a broad spectrum of research and innovation expertise and knowledge in this field.

Our work stretches from public health and inequality at the Institute for Social and Economic Research to health informatics at the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering and the UK Data Archive. We also have a large number of health-related training programmes, in a number of areas, as well as our clinics providing health services. The Institute will support the University’s vision to be recognised as a centre for excellence at a local, regional and international level.

So far, our engagement with academic colleagues has helped us identify some proposed key themes and we are now asking for your input and collaboration to identify our unique Essex approach to public health and wellbeing research.

To help shape the Institute we have created a Moodle consultation site where we are asking you to identify our strengths and expertise in public health and wellbeing. Please enter your thoughts, expertise, experience, knowledge and research (current, future or historical) against each theme so that it can be analysed to inform our strengths and expertise.

This feedback will then be shared at a series of workshops to be held week commencing 17 May.

We really value the input of staff on our development plans and want everyone interested to have their say in this exciting new development for the University. If you would like to attend, please register here.

Please note the Moodle site will close on Friday 14 May.