Professor Abigail Davis

BA (Hons), MSc (Research)

Pronouns: She/her
  • Co-Director of the Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP)
  • Professor of Practice

Research groups and centres

Abigail Davis Headshot

Professor Abigail Davis is Co-Director of the Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP) at 91制片厂 in the UK, where she conducts world leading research on living standards, leading the Minimum Income Standard (MIS) research and specialising in the development and application of the MIS methodology. She has overall responsibility for the Centre’s qualitative research, leads the MIS UK primary research and develops and delivers training in MIS methodology through international partnerships.  She has worked with research teams in Austria, France, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa and Thailand. She is a UK expert on the EU Reference Budget platform and a member of the Global Living Wage Steering Group. 

Since joining CRSP in 1998 Abigail has worked on a range of quantitative and qualitative research, including national and local evaluations, a meta-analysis of US mandatory welfare-to-work programmes and an ESRC-funded study looking at inter-generational perceptions of risk.

Abigail leads the qualitative element of the UK Minimum Income Standards (MIS) Research and lectures on the methodology. She develops tailored training packages on developing budget standards using the MIS approach for researchers in other countries. Collaborations through the Global MIS Network include working with and providing support for research teams in Austria, France, Japan, Portugal, Ireland, Mexico, Singapore, Thailand and South Africa.

For a brief explanation of the Minimum Income Standard, watch our explainer at 

For the latest information about CRSP Research please go to     

  • Davis, A., Stone, J., Blackwell, C., Padley, M., Shepherd, C. and Hirsch, D. (2022) . York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
  • Davis, A., Hirsch, D., Padley, M. and Shepherd, C. (2021) A Minimum Income Standard for the United Kingdom in 2021. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
  • Davis, A., Hecht, K., Burchardt, T., Gough, I., Hirsch, D., Rowlingson, K. and Summers, K. (2020)  London: Trust for London.
  • Davis, A., Hirsch, D., Padley, M. and Shepherd, C. (2020) A Minimum Income Standard for the United Kingdom in 2020. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
  • Padley, M., Davis, A., Shepherd, C. and Stone, J. (2019) . London: Trust for London.
  • Davis, A., Hirsch, D., Padley, M. and Shepherd, C. (2018) . York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
  • Hill, K. and Davis, A. (2018) Making Ends Meet Below the Minimum Income Standard: families’ experiences over time.  91制片厂: Centre for Research in Social Policy.
  • Davis, A., Hirsch, D. and Padley, M. (2017) ‘The Minimum Income Standard as a benchmark of a ‘participatory social minimum’’, Journal of Poverty and Social Justice. 
  • Padley, M., Davis, A. Hirsch, D., Horsley, N. and Valadez, L. (2017) . London: Trust for London.
  • Byaruhanga, C., Davis, A., Mpike, M., Ntshongwana, P., Padley, M., Wright, G. and Zembe-Mkabile, W. (2017) . Cape Town: SASPRI.
  • Hill, K., Davis, A., Hirsch, D. and Marshall, L. (2016) . York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
  • Davis, A., Hirsch, D., Padley, M. and Marshall, L. (2015) 91制片厂: Centre for Research in Social Policy.