Tired of top down solutions? So are we.
We do research as if people and planet matter.
Who We Are
Elgon Social Research, led by Reema Patel, combines social research and public participation to shape complex decisions in policy, technology and society. We partner with organisations addressing emerging societal challenges, supporting people-centred approaches and helping build more trusted and legitimate ecosystems.
Our name comes from Mount Elgon, a biosphere reserve spanning Uganda and Kenya, reflecting East African heritage and a longstanding commitment to stewardship, community and public benefit. Elgon is grounded in the belief that trusted institutions are built through care, stewardship and connection to the communities they serve.
Our Approach
People Centred Design
Explore (Research)
Co design with stakeholders at an early stage.
01
Engage (Research)
Identify, involve and research with those stakeholders most affected by your work.
02
Experiment (Design)
Imagine how your work could be different, and understand if they respond to your stakeholder needs.
03
Evaluate (Design)
Define, learn about, and embed success.
04
Our Work
Participatory AI
governance
A framework and self assessment workbook for including the public in shaping artificial intelligence (AI).
01
Deliberation design
and delivery
Strategy, advisory, scoping and
implementation of the Global
Citizens Assembly (Climate) with
the Wellcome Trust, and partners.
02
Piloting innovative
methodologies
Contact theory methodology to
assess the impact of Migrateful
cooking classes; and participatory
futures methodologies to design
foresight inclusively.
03
Coaching partners
Coaching democratic innovators in
Poland, Italy, Spain and UK to scale
their social impact through People
Powered’s digital democracy and
democratic innovation accelerator programs.
04
Field building and
grant making
Design and delivery of the ESRC’s
£4m+ strategic investment
(research fund, fellowships and
internships) into a network for a
good digital society.
05
Evaluating and
shaping success
Working with the Wellcome Trustand MEXA to evaluate livedexperience in shaping AI accelerators for mental health, and researching global publicengagement best practice.
06
Capacity building for
commissioners
Capacity building commissioners
on the 20 year old+ UK Research
and Innovation (UKRI) funded
Sciencewise programme;
supporting policymakers with the
commissioning of public dialogue.
07
Dimensions of data
stewardship
We support organisations to think
differently about data
governance in the age of AI. We
work to reframe data governance
as aspirational, operationalising
stewardship.
08
Digital and AI exclusion
Shaping the UK government (DSIT)’s
digital inclusion action plan, an
RNID hosted AI and BSL dialogue
with BSL signers, and the UK Premier
League’s Premier League Equity
Diversity and Inclusion Standard
(PLEDIS) with regard to AI.
09
Our Clients & Supporters
