Prof. Eric Jensen

CEO and Research Director

Prof. Eric Jensen

CEO and Research Director

Professor Jensen draws on more than 20 years of social research, evaluation and engagement experience to strengthen evidence‑based research impact.

Professor Jensen is a social scientist and research impact expert with a PhD from the University of Cambridge in sociology. He is a doctoral research supervisor for the University of Oxford and a visiting researcher at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois. He co-founded IMI in 2017.

Jensen was a sociology professor at the University of Warwick from 2010-2025, where he led courses on public and policy engagement, audience research, science and technology studies, environmental sociology and social research methods (including quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, research ethics and research impact).

Expertise and experience

Professor Jensen has delivered hundreds of training workshops on evaluation methods and evidence‑based engagement and impact. He consults on public and policy engagement, impact evaluation, responsible research and innovation and strategic communication projects. He has served as an Independent Ethics Mentor for EU research and innovation projects, advising on data management and ethics, and has deep experience navigating ethics approval processes in the EU, UK, USA, Canada and elsewhere.

Funding

Since 2007, Professor Jensen has directed or co‑directed more than 120 research, evaluation, and impact projects, securing more than $16 million (USD) for his institutions (total project value more than $60 million). His roles span study design, data collection strategy, ethics and data management, participatory process design, theory of change, stakeholder research and engagement and the translation of findings into societal impact.

His funding portfolio includes grants and contracts from the US National Science Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Brinson Foundation, Dana Foundation, European Commission, Wellcome Trust, Research Ireland / Science Foundation Ireland, UK Research and Innovation (AHRC, ESRC), NESTA, multiple UK government departments (inc. DEFRA, DCMS), Nuffield Foundation, Sciencewise, Arts Council England, NCCPE, Disney Conservation Fund, Science Foundation Ireland / Research Ireland, Germany’s education ministry (BMBF), Brazil’s federal and São Paulo agencies and UNESCO.

Training and capacity building

Invited trainer for numerous research and innovation institutions and governments around the world on topics relating to engagement, evaluation and evidence-based research impact. Professor Jensen has delivered training in English, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese to more than 22,000 researchers, policymakers, and learning and impact professionals from over 1,000 institutions in 75+ countries, including in‑person programs in 30 countries.

Publications

Professor Jensen has authored 200+ peer‑reviewed articles (3,000+ citations) in outlets such as PLOS ONE, Public Understanding of Science, PNAS, and Nature; books with Cambridge University Press and SAGE; chapters in books published by Oxford University Press, Springer, and Palgrave; and commissioned reports for UNESCO and the European Space Agency.

News media

Professor Jensen’s work has been featured by leading international news outlets, including NBC News, BBC News, The Atlantic, The Guardian, Financial Times and The Times. He has appeared on BBC World Service, DW news and other international TV and radio programmes to discuss big‑data analysis, the risks and limitations of using social‑media data in research, policy analysis and public engagement with science and the environment.

Languages

English (native), Spanish (professional-level fluency) and Brazilian Portuguese (basic).

Prof. Eric Jensen

CEO and Research Director

Prof. Eric Jensen

Expertise and experience

Funding

Training and capacity building

Publications

News media

Languages

Research | Evaluation | Engagement | Training

Ireland | United States of America | Estonia

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