Al Mathers

BA Hons, Dip LA, PhD

About me

In my most recent role as Director of Research and Learning at the RSA and a member of the organisation’s Senior Leadership Team, I co-led the strategic development of the RSA’s Design for Life mission in 2022. As Director of Research and Learning I was responsible for building the RSA’s approach to research, including the creation and leadership of a new RSA Research and Learning Directorate, comprising 17 team members. Whilst at the RSA I championed and made visible the importance of interdisciplinary research and design practice, and the embedding of participatory methods working with communities, and outcomes focused evaluation, across all our work and with RSA Fellows.

I was previously Head of Research at Good Things Foundation, a leading national and international digital inclusion charity, publishing the organisation’s COVID-19 Response Report, which charted the rise of data poverty, exacerbated digital inequalities, and evolution of community sector response during the pandemic.

Before moving to the third sector, I was a researcher and lecturer at the University of Sheffield, completing my PhD in 2008, Hidden Voices: the participation of people with learning disabilities in the experience of public open space, alongside production of peer reviewed papers on inclusive design practice and co-authoring Socially Restorative Urbanism. Keen to ensure the social impact of cross-sector partnerships, I continue to work in an advisory capacity with Government departments and academic institutions, including advisory board member positions on Developing a minimum digital living standard for households with children and Prosper: unlocking post-doc career potential.