Contact
Biography
Lee completed his studies at Cardiff University in social policy and sociology. Since completing his PhD he has been a lecture in Social Policy at the University of Bristol and University of Birmingham where he was promoted to Senior Lecturer. During his time at Birmingham he held a range of roles including Undergraduate Programme Director (for 14 programmes) and later the School Head of Education. He joined the University of Nottingham in November 2021 as an Associate Professor in Social Policy.
Lee is a Senior Fellow with the HEA and has secured a number of teaching awards including SPA Teaching Award (once whilst at Birmingham and also at Nottingham), HEFI Highly Commended Special Recognition Award for Innovation in Assessment (2018) and most recently the Lord Dearing Award (2025) at the University of Nottingham.
Lee has previously been a member of the Social Policy Association Executive Committee (as ECR lead and later Membership Secretary) and previously sat on the editorial board for the Social Policy and Society and later the editorial board for the Journal of Social Policy. Lee has been Co-Editor of the Journal of Social Policy since January 2024.
In 2021 Lee, alongside Dr Samuel Mann set up and launched a global research network Queer Populations and Policies (QPaP). Providing monthly webinars bringing together researchers across economics and social sciences with an interest in LGBTQ+ research: https://sites.google.com/view/qpapnetwork/home
From January 2025 Lee was Chair of the Advisory Group for the Subject Benchmark Statement in Social Policy for the QAA. Here he oversaw the development of the Benchmark standard for the discipline published in 2026.
Additionally Lee has been a Trustee of Academics Stand Against Poverty UK since 2020 and became Chair of Trustees in 2023.
Lee has also been a judge for The Global Undergraduate Awards (Sociology and Social Policy) 2019-2025.
His primary research areas are within the topics of poverty, inequality, LGBTQ+ experiences of welfare, welfare theory, temporality, social mobility and asset-based welfare (in particular youth savings initiatives).
Expertise Summary
Lee has particular expertise in poverty, social mobility, LGBTQ+ experiences of welfare, temporality and asset-based welfare.
Teaching Summary
Introduction to Social Policy
Welfare Theory and Key concepts
Policy Analysis
Poverty, Class, Inequality and Social Mobility
Evidence based policy and policy design
Young people and… read more
Research Summary
ORCiD ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5484-1273
Lee has recently completed a project reviewing social needs in the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield on behalf of Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust. This mixed methods projects examines a range of needs across different domains of welfare and provides recommendations to the Trust in terms of areas of investment. Further information can be found on his personal website
Lee is also part of a collaboration with Stirling University and Sheffield Hallam University exploring Welfare access, assets and debts of LGBT+ people in the UK. Funded by the Nuffield Trust the project, starting January 2022, seeks to understand the experiences of LGBT+ people when they access welfare benefits and engage with the welfare state in the UK. Our analysis will produce the world's first, mixed-methods, in-depth study into LGBT+ people and welfare outcomes in an advanced economy. It will provide important insights to improve the effectiveness of welfare support for minoritized groups hitherto neglected within mainstream social policy. Further information can be found on the project website here
Recent Publications
ALCOCK, PETE and GREGORY, LEE, 2022. Social Policy in Britain 5th. Bloomsbury Academic.
GREGORY, LEE, 2022. The Liberal Era and the Growth of State Welfare. In: ALCOCK, PETE, HAUX, TINA, MAY, MARGRET and MCCALL, VIKKI, eds., The Students Companion to Social Policy Wiley-Blackwell.
GREGORY, LEE, 2021. Pride and Purpose: reflections on timebanking practice for fostering social networks in wellbeing improvement schemes: Journal of Social Policy Journal of Social Policy. 50(3), 627-644
Past Research
Lee has previously conducted research into
- Time banking and community currencies
- LifeSavers - an initiative by the Church of England to develop savings practices and education in primary schools
- Local Authority efforts to develop savings initiatives similar to the Child Trust Fund
Future Research
Lee continues to explore research opportunities into debates around poverty, inequality, temporality, class, social mobility, attitudes towards welfare provision and youth savings initiatives and financial education/literacy.