Dr Matthew Francis

Professional Role

I am the Senior Research Assistant on the Global Uncertainties: Ideology, Decision-making and Uncertainty project, which is funded by the RCUK Global Uncertainties programme. I work with the Leadership Fellow, Professor Kim Knott, on making interdisciplinary links between researchers, drawing in a range of external stakeholders and undertaking an original programme of research into the role that beliefs, commitments and ideologies make in decision-making in the face of risk and uncertainty.

Research Interests

I currently research the role that beliefs, commitments and ideologies make in decision-making in the face of risk and uncertainty.

This builds on previous research where I analysed the move to violence in religious and non-religious groups. I mapped the significance of shared non-negotiable beliefs through coding the public utterances of members and leaders of groups, focusing on case-studies on Aum Shinrikyo, al Qaeda, the Red Army Faction, Agonshu, the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee and Hizb ut-Tahrir.

At present I am following up on these interests through research on far-right movements and groups in the UK.

Additional Information

I recently undertook research into the role of religion, and the place of religious literacy, in a UK university. I was the Programme Manager and Research Associate on a national HEFCE-funded project on religious literacy in Higher Education and have presented on a role for religious literacy in broader public settings at human rights and equalities events.

I founded and am Editor of the website RadicalisationResearch.org, which is funded by the AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society Programme and which brings high-quality academic research on radicalisation and extremism to the attention of people working in policy and media settings.

• The role of ideology, belief and commitment in motivations, justifications and catalysis for action in the face of uncertainty

  01/02/2013 →
  This project is a Leadership Fellowship within the RCUK Global Uncertainties Programme. It examines the role of ideologies, beliefs and commitments in decision making and action in the face of uncerta ... Read more»

• Article published in The Huffington Post

  15/11/2012
  Matthew was invited by The Huffington Post to write a piece related to the Religious Literacy Leadership Programme which he managed. ... Read more»

• EHRC Religion or Belief Dialogue

  (Contributor)
  Activity: Other
  Read more»

• Methodological approaches to the study of religion

  (Invited speaker) 22/2/2013
  Activity: Participation in workshop, seminar, course
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• What have we learned about radicalisation?

  (Speaker) 7/3/2012
  Activity: Public lecture/debate/seminar
  Read more»

• Social relations and human security conference

  (Speaker) 22/3/2013 → 23/3/2013
  Activity: Participation in conference
  Read more»