Image: Chris McAndrew [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Rise published just two reports during Andrea Jenkyns’s two years in charge
A Conservative MP who was paid £25,000 a year by the University of Bolton to head up a social mobility think tank has stepped down from the role.
Andrea Jenkyns was appointed to work eight hours a week as director of the University of Bolton-funded Research Institute for Social Mobility and Education, or Rise, in July 2019. According to the latest register of MPs’ financial interests, she stood down on 18 September this year—although an earlier version of the register had suggested that she would remain in post until at least June 2022.
A spokesperson for Jenkyns told Research Professional News that Jenkyns had stepped down after being appointed as a government whip in September. “Upon her appointment, she resigned from this position,” the spokesperson said.
There is no suggestion that Jenkyns has done anything wrong or broken any rules with her work at Rise. The University of Bolton said it was now seeking a new director for the think tank.
Two publications
Jenkyns received about £55,000 during her tenure, in which time Rise published just two pieces of research. The think tank has not published any research since October 2020.
Jenkyns told Research Professional News in April that there was “a lot of work involved in any research to get to the published-papers stage”.
“A significant amount of background work is being undertaken at Rise and we are working on some exciting global studies with other partners,” she said at the time. “Rise has an eminent and talented team working very hard on complex and important research,” she added.