Research Associate, Centre for Science and Policy

Nick works at the intersection of philosophy, policy, and social science. At present, his two main research interests are the use of questions as tools for information search (particularly in the context of expert advice) and the use of multi-criteria decision-making methods in science and philosophy. In both areas, his concerns are separating out descriptive from normative issues and moving from the technical details of formal methods (optimal experimental design and social choice theory) to practical advice for policymakers. He works under the supervision of Professor Magda Osman and was a research assistant on the project ‘Tools to structure policy makers' questions, seeking academic expertise’.

Nick has also been the Lead Tutor on the course Evidence Analysis and Decision-Making in Policy — designed and led by Magda Osman, for Cambridge Advance Online.

Nick previously worked as a policy researcher at CSaP. Prior to starting at CSaP, he undertook a PhD in philosophy of science at the University of Bristol, funded by an Arts and Humanities Research Council scholarship. His project used empirical evidence from the history of science and cognitive psychology, as well as formal methods from microeconomics, to provide a normative framework for scientific theory choice. During his time as a PhD student, Nick spent three months at CSaP as a policy intern. He also has an MA in philosophy and history of science from the University of Bristol and a BA in philosophy from the University of Nottingham.