Research Community

Rebecca Steel is the Director of the College for Military Veterans and Emergency Services based at the University of Central Lancashire, she has led the programme of transition and engagement for the armed forces community for the past three years. Rebecca is a strong advocate for education as a pathway to transition.

In addition, Rebecca is from a military family with three service children of her own. Rebecca’s research portfolio involves a number of studies and focusses on the impact of military mobility/transition on education and the future trajectories of families engaged with military service. Rebecca’s research employs participatory and mixed methodologies to explore themes around education, learning, and employment to ensure a level playing field and sense of agency for those hidden voices of the military community who are seldom heard.

Rebecca is currently leading research on identifying the needs of service young people, veterans, and spouses in Further and Higher Education.

Rebecca is a member of the Service Children’s Progression (SCiP) Alliance Management Group, chairs the North West’s SCiP Hub, a founder member of Lancashire Armed Forces Covenant Hub and is involved in several active research programmes locally, nationally and internationally

The Northern Hub for Veterans and Military Families Research are a multi-disciplinary team conducting integral translational research in the Armed Forces Community. The Northern Hub’s research profile is both qualitative and quantitative, covering health and social care, public health, psychology, social policy, human geography, and nursing. They consistently work to attract and facilitate collaboration across the Armed Forces sector, working with a variety of organisations across the Government, Local Authorities, NHS and Third Sector.

The Veterans & Families Institute for Military Social Research carries out research, policy development and consultation on the impact of military Service - improving the well-being of Veterans, Service personnel and their families. Their work falls into four key areas of research: Thriving Families, Transition Measurement and Service Improvement, Women and Equalities, and Narrative. They have a growing domestic and international profile and are involved in NATO research on military-to-civilian transition, and sexual violence, as well as collaborative work with international universities.

The Westminster Centre for Research in Veterans supports the Armed Forces community by producing innovative and high-quality research and community engagement. The centre’s robust research profile aims to positively impact Veterans' health and healthcare at regional, national, and international levels. They aim to continue to embrace new technologies and creative methodologies to address issues that negatively affect the well-being of the military population. Additionally, the Westminster Centre hosts the informative Armed Forces Community Research International Webinar.