Research centres
Engaging students in our world-changing research
Research centres
What are the research centres?
Our research centres bring together academics with particular interests and expertise. We have a lively and inclusive research culture, with our academic staff and research students securing major grants, publishing leading textbooks, and winning awards.
Our research is cited by courts and other bodies, and we are often called upon to offer expert advice by governments and organisations in the UK and internationally.
In addition to this, the research centres organise reading groups, seminars, lectures and workshops with leading experts in their fields, and offer placement opportunities for students.
- Commercial Law Centre
- Criminal Justice Research Centre
- Human Rights Law Centre
- Nottingham International Law and Security Centre
- Public Procurement Research Group
- History of Law and Governance Centre
Opportunities to get involved
All our research centres encourage student involvement - here are a few highlights:
Commercial Law Centre
The Commercial Law Centre organises several placements for postgraduate students, as well as a seminar series with visiting speakers, a student seminar series and career talks.
Criminal Justice Research Centre
The Criminal Justice Research Centre is a cross school research centre (together with the School of Sociology and Social Policy) that seeks to develop and promote criminal and social justice research. It runs a series of discussion groups open to undergraduate and postgraduate students (including the CJRC Lunchtime Paper Series and the Criminal Justice Forum). These events bring together students, academics, policymakers, and practitioners with the purpose of engaging in the critical evaluation of domestic, regional, and international criminal justice systems.
The group invites involvement from undergraduate and postgraduate students studying a range of subjects including law, criminology, mental health, and politics. The centre also runs a series of regular talks and seminars with local and internationally recognised scholars that are open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students. There are also writing retreats open to research students.
Human Rights Law Centre
The Human Rights Law Centre offers students a range of opportunities to engage in meaningful human rights research and advocacy, from voluntary placements to paid summer internships. Students can participate in the Scholars at Risk student advocacy programme, work on international criminal justice databases, and support various human rights projects.
Additionally, the centre hosts many events for students every year involving global experts in a wide range of areas of human rights. Students can also help produce the centre's publications, including the International Human Rights Reports series (practitioners, scholars, advocates and policymakers).
Nottingham International Law and Security Centre
The Nottingham International Law and Security Centre (NILSC) organises research and the exchange of ideas around 'security' (broadly defined) and its relation to international law. NILSC runs an annual lecture on International Humanitarian Law, the annual LLM roundtable on international humanitarian law (sponsored by the British Red Cross) as well as the International Disaster Law Project, in which all students are welcome to get involved. This year (2023-24), it piloted a series of online book discussions which will continue in the next academic session.
Public Procurement Research Group
The Public Procurement Research Group (PPRG) organises formal summer placements. Students can also participate in the PPRG reading group and other PPRG events, including the PPRG annual lecture, the GR series of conferences and the seminars.
The History of Law and Governance Centre
The History of Law and Governance Centre (HGLC) is an interdisciplinary research centre hosted in the School of Law, bringing together students and academics from disciplines such as law, history, classics, politics, sociology and criminology. The centre acts as a focal point for discussion and collaboration, allowing students to connect the historical aspects of their studies with colleagues in other departments.
It hosts regular events throughout the year, including lectures, seminars, workshops, and reading groups. The centre is also concerned with broadening public engagement with the history of law. Students are encouraged to be involved in all these activities.
Find out more
You can find out more about our research centres, their members, events and opportunities for student engagement on our website: