Home page of Independent Academic Research Studies (IARS)

What's New!

IARS new report on Homophobic Bullying and Human Rights: Shared Values for a shared future - Executive Summary
Press Release - Homophobic Bullying in schools: Young people speak out. A New youth-led evidence based report by IARS
IARS' Annual Conference "Youth Into Policy" was held on 29 May 08. The event was a great success with over 100 young people and organisations attending. Click here for event report
IARS gives evidence to the EHRC's Human Rights Inquiry
Read here IARS' feedback on the Terms of Reference of the Human Rights Inquiry of the Equality and Human Rights Commission
The Restoring Relationships report on the use of restorative justice on hate crime has been released. IARS carried out the desk and field research for this project. To read the report click here
Restorative justice theory and practice: addressing the discrepancy by Dr. Theo Gavrielides published by HEUNI click here
The Youth Empowerment Project releases its Phase 1 report on homophobic bullying!
IARS responds to the 'Cotton Wool Revolution’ by Tim Gill in the Guardian. Click here
IARS becomes a member of the Young Researcher Network of the National Youth Agency
NEW report on the application of restorative justice with hate crime Click here for the executive summary.
Community Reassurance Project: Building an evidence-base "business case" for community reassurance in London.
Dr. Theo Gavrielides gives oral evidence to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights on the treatment of older people

IARS is a youth-led non-profit organisation that relies on charitable funds and donations to continue its work. To donate and help our work and mission click on the button bellow and follow the simple instructions.

Download IARS' Flier here

About us

Independent Academic Research Studies (IARS) is a youth-led think-tank that was set up in 2001 to empower and give voice to young people to influence policy and practices that affect them and through their work to support their peers and youth organisations and groups in achieving community cohesion, fighting crime and promoting equality, human rights and restorative justice.

IARS' objects state that the charity "is set up to promote the development of young people as individuals and members of society by:

providing training guidance and support to enable those young people to undertake research, study or other activities to investigate the issues which affect them and;
encouraging young people to use the useful results of that research and learning to increase awareness and understanding of the issues which affect them amongst child and young people welfare professionals, service providers and the public" (IARS Memorandum of Association).

Without exception, all of IARS services are youth-led in the sense that they are designed, delivered and scrutinised by young people. The charity achieves its aims by:

providing youth led direct services to disadvantaged young people e.g. tailored human rights training and support programmes
acting as an independent consultancy
carrying out youth-led research to influence and inform policy and practices
informing strategic decision makers about issues affecting youth groups that are easily exposed to discrimination (e.g., Black and minority ethnic groups, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, the disabled and the mentally ill).

IARS also provides policy and research support and expertise to youth organisations working on human rights, equality, restorative justice and alternative dispute resolution. Our work is evidence-based and reflects the passions, concerns and interests of young people particularly those who are excluded. Our activities have a national and international significance, and we are particularly active in the Greater London area.

IARS was originally set up by a group of young volunteers to develop social science research capacity through support for researchers in the early stages of their careers. IARS runs two networks: one with young people, and one with organisations mainly from the voluntary and community sector. IARS aims to serve as a model whereby young people, particularly from disadvantage groups, come together to influence policies that affect their lives, and support Third Sector organisations that are concerned with issues that involve them (e.g. the knife and gang culture, inequality, education, unemployment, bullying and hate crime, sexual abuse, drugs and social exclusion). IARS is a a registered company limited by guarantee and a registered charity.