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This page contains a full list of my presentations - click here to go back to the main publications page.

Invitations to give oral evidence to Commissions/Committees

  1. INVITED ORAL EVIDENCE to the House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee inquiry into health assessments for benefits, 22nd June 2022. You can read a transcript of the session here.
  2. INVITED ORAL EVIDENCE to the to the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) on out-of-work disability benefit reform , 5th May 2022. The evidence session is private, but you can read SSAC's excellent report on this here.
  3. INVITED ORAL EVIDENCE to the House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee inquiry into the disability employment gap, 2021, transcript here.
  4. INVITED ORAL EVIDENCE to the Commission on Social Security Led By Experts by Experience, 13th April 2021. This covered the extra costs for disabled people - again the evidence session is private, but their amazing work can be found here.

Major invited presentations

  • INVITED LECTURE: The rise and fall of anti-welfare attitudes: what it means for welfare reform in 2024 and beyond, online, 24/1/2024. 'Election 24: Ideas for change based on social science evidence' event, organised by the Campaign for Social Science and the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen).
  • INVITED KEYNOTE: How to directly assess work capacity, and the challenges that remain. Invited keynote to the biannual conference of the European Union for Medicine in Assurance and Social Security (EUMASS), Basel/online, 16/9/2021.
  • INVITED LECTURE: Why evidential pluralism is needed to avoid wishful thinking: An example from social policy. Invited plenary lecture within the online conference, Evidential Pluralism and the Social Sciences, University of Kent, 16/7/2020. You can watch a recording of the talk here.
  • INVITED LECTURE: The legitimacy of social security disability assessments: The practical meets the political. Invited lecture within the workshop 'The challenges of fair assessments in the sickness insurance system - international and Swedish perspectives' (alongside Sara Stendahl), to the Social Medicine and Epidemiology Department, Gothenburg University, 2/10/2017.
  • INVITED LECTURE: What's the Point of Social Science? Invited public presentation for the Queens' Anniversary Prize Lecture at the Social Policy Research Unit (SPRU), University of York, 18/3/2014.
  • INVITED LECTURE: Statistical Catfights and The Spirit Level (Baumberg & de Vries). Invited debate alongside Richard Wilkinson & Kate Pickett to the Radical Statistics conference, 23/2/2013, York. Video and slides of the debate are available from Radstats or YouTube.

    • Normal presentations

    Aside from the presentations below, I have also co-organised an early career event in 2012 on disability research and welfare reform. The event was co-organised with Ruth Patrick, supported by the Social Policy Association, and had a great keynote by Prof Paul Gregg.

    1. Activism in the academe: 'Radical Politics and Sociological Research' revisited. Invited presentation to the Ruth First in the North: Understanding activist research conference, University of Durham (organised by Katherine Furman and Nancy Cartwright), 11/10/2021.
    2. RCTs, mixed methods, and the trustworthiness of social science. Invited presentation to the Evidence Amalgamation Workshop, University of Cork (organised by Katherine Furman with the Knowledge for Use project, 10/5/2019.
    3. A manifesto for a trustworthy (yet value-laden) social science. Presentation to the Methodshub, Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford, 31/5/2018.
    4. Is there such a thing as a 'bad impact' of social science?. Presentation to Erasmus Institute for Philosophy and Economics (EIPE), Erasmus University Rotterdam, 15/1/2018.
    5. The 'disability benefits paradox': Do generous disability benefits really reduce employment among disabled people?. Presentation to the European Social Policy Network (ESPAnet) conference, Lisbon, 15/9/2017.
    6. When qualitative and quantitative methods collide: How stigmatised are benefit claims in Britain?. Invited presentation to the Centre for Humanities Engaging Science and Society (CHESS), Durham, 7/6/2017.
    7. When qualitative and quantitative methods collide: How stigmatised are benefit claims in Britain?. Invited presentation to the Erasmus Institute for Philosophy and Economics (EIPE) workshop on qualitative and quantitative research, Erasmus University, 16/12/2016.
    8. The flaws of existing measures of the disability employment gap - and how to correct them. Invited presentation to the Closing Disability Gaps at Work Conference, London, 13/12/2016.
    9. Principles of disability assessment for social security benefits: Examples of failure and success from Europe. Presentation within the workshop, 'Converging pressures on social security disability programs: Interactive policy learning of Australia, the UK and US to inform benefit decision-making' with Diane Brandt, Ashley McAllister, Christine McDonough and Leighton Chan, at EUPHA conference (European Public Health Association), Vienna, 11/11/2016.
    10. Conditionality for disabled people: Raising employment rates or social policy disaster?. Presentation to the Social Policy Association conference, Belfast, 5/7/2016.
    11. Conditionality for disabled people: Raising employment rates or operational failure?. Presentation to the FISS (Foundation for International Studies on Social Security) conference, Sigtuna, Sweden, 19/6/2016.
    12. Assessing work disability: beyond the functional limitations approach. Presentation to the FISS (Foundation for International Studies on Social Security) conference, Sigtuna, Sweden, 19/6/2016.
    13. The surprising truth about trends in working-age disability in Britain. Presentation to NOVA, HIOA, Oslo, 14/6/2016.
    14. Measuring disability employment gaps:How bad measures make bad policies, and how to improve on them . Presentation to the Institutt for Sosialfag, HIOA, Oslo, 12/5/2016.
    15. What is 'incapacity'? An international review of incapacity assessment in the benefits system. Presentation to workshop on 'Worklessness and Health Inequalities: Research, policy and practice perspectives', Durham, within the ESRC Seminar Series Revitalising the Health Equity Agenda (ESRC ES/M003027/1), 25/6/2015.
    16. The disability employment penalty: towards an estimate we can (possibly) trust. Presentation to the Nordic Network on Disability Research conference, Bergen, 7/5/2015.
    17. What is 'incapacity'? An international review of incapacity assessment in the benefits system. Presentation to the Nordic Network on Disability Research conference, Bergen, 7/5/2015.
    18. Disability, long term conditions and poverty. Invited presentation (with Declan Gaffney, presenting findings from MacInnes et al 2014, above) to Disability Rights UK (DRUK)/Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) conference, 'Affordable: An economy that includes disabled people', 15/12/2014.
    19. What is 'incapacity'? The policy implications of bad theory. Invited presentation to 'Work, Health and Wellbeing workshop' sponsored by Public Health England, Manchester 10/11/2014.
    20. Research at the edge of politics: Blogging about Inequalities. Presentation to the Social Policy Research Unit (SPRU), University of York, 5/11/2013.
    21. 'You know people who do it': How the media and interpersonal contact influence perceptions of benefit fraud. Presentation to the ESPAnet (European Social Policy network) confernece, Poznan 5-7/9/2013. The full conference paper is available on request.
    22. How much social security do we want?. Presentation to a CPAG (Child Poverty Action Group) seminar, LSE, 11/7/2013.
    23. Stigma, disability benefits & austerity in Britain. Presentation to the Social Policy Association conference, Sheffield, 9/7/2013, within a symposium I organised alongside Elaine Chase and Dan Heap.
    24. How far can Corporate Social Responsibility reduce alcohol-related harm?. Presentation to the Kettil Bruun Society international alcohol conference, Kampala, Uganda 6/6/2013. The full conference paper is available on request.
    25. Does alcohol policy make us unhappy? An empirical study of valuing alcohol-related happiness for cost-benefit analysis . Presentation to the Kettil Bruun Society international alcohol conference, Kampala, Uganda 6/6/2013. The full conference paper is available on request.
    26. Negotiating Conflict of Interest: Discourses of CSR in the addictive industries in Europe, and their implications for public health (Baumberg & Cuzzocrea). Presentation to the Global Public Health Unit, University of Edinburgh, 17/5/2013.
    27. Benefits, politicians & the media: escaping the vicious circle. Presentation to a Demos seminar, 17/4/2013.
    28. Benefits stigma in Britain (Baumberg, Bell & Gaffney). Presentation in the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE), LSE seminar series, 13/3/2013.
    29. From Impairment to Incapacity: A qualitative study of the link between working conditions, employer behaviour and incapacity benefit claims. Presentation to the Is work fit for disabled people? A CeDR symposium, Lancaster 10-11/7/2012
    30. Later Working and the Changing Nature of Work. Presentation to the Rethinking Retirement ESRC Seminar Series, Manchester, 4/11/2011. A video of me waving my hands around while talking about the presentation is available via the same link.
    31. Fit-for-work, or work fit for disabled people? Changing working conditions and incapacity in Britain. Invited presentation at White Rose seminar, York, 30/3/2012.
    32. Bad jobs and Incapacity Benefits. Presentation to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), London, 20/11/2011.
    33. From bad jobs to incapacity benefits: the role of working conditions and employability. Presentation to the Social Policy Association (SPA) conference, Lincoln 5/7/2011.
    34. Is declining fitness-for-work in Britain due to deteriorating job demands and control? Presentation to the American Psychological Association's Work, Stress, and Health Conference, Orlando, Florida, 22/5/2011..
    35. The need for an overarching 'theory of inequalities' in Sociology and Social Policy. Presentation to the British Sociological Association Postgraduate Symposium on Inequality, Milton Keynes, 6/5/2011.
    36. Deteriorating working conditions and rising incapacity benefits: is there a connection? Presentation to the British Sociological Association (BSA) conference, London, 8/4/2011.
    37. Why has reported fitness-for-work deteriorated since the 1980s? Presentation to the Social Policy Research Unit (SPRU), University of York, 25/1/2011.
    38. Co-producing welfare-to-work? Separating good from bad co-production in services for the unemployed/disabled. Presentation to Coprodnet conference, Manchester, 3/11/10.
    39. Do high-strain jobs increase the chances of health-related job loss? Paper presented at the Social Policy Association conference, Lincoln, 6/7/2010
    40. Fitness-for-work and incapacity benefit receipt: the role of job strain. Presentation to Dame Carol Black (National Director for Health and Work), London, 8/7/2010.
    41. Fitness-to-work, job strain, and retirement. Paper presented at 'Understanding Ageing' (organised by the CEntre for Longitudinal Studies), , Oxford, 15/4/2010
    42. Work, retirement, incapacity: Working conditions, and the later working agenda. Presentation to the TAEN (Third Age Employment Network) / LSE seminar on older workers, London, 1/2/2010.
    43. The economic harm caused by alcohol. Presentation at the EU Presidency 'Expert Conference on Alcohol and Health', Stockholm, 22/9/2009.
    44. Should researchers make policy recommendations at all? Paper presented at the Social Policy Association conference, Edinburgh, 30/6/2009
    45. Should researchers make policy recommendations at all? Paper presented at 'Informing Public Policy: New Agendas for Social Research' (organised by NatCen-LSE), London 23/4/2009
    46. Against evidence-based policy: over-claiming social research and undermining effective policy. Paper presented at the Social Policy Association conference, Edinburgh, 25/6/2008
    47. Evidence for alcohol policy: What it can offer, and what it shows. Presentation to the 3rd European Association of Addiction Therapy conference, Vienna 10/9/2007
    48. Cutting through the costs: The real cost of binge-drinking in the UK. Presentation to the 'Promoting Responsible Drinking: Reducing the Harm Caused by Alcohol' conference organised by Neil Stewart Associates, London, 31/1/2007
    49. Alcohol policies and the economy of Europe. Presentation to the Eurocare 'Bridging the Gap' conference, Helsinki, 20/11/2006
    50. Inequalities, young people and alcohol in Europe - an overview. Presentation to the Alcohol Policy Development Group of the European Presidency at the Presidency 'Tackling Health Inequalities' summit, London 17/10/2005