TASO becomes independent charity

As an independent charity, TASO will continue to work in partnership with the higher education sector to eliminate equality gaps through evidence-informed practice – with several research projects already underway.

TASO was set up by a consortium of King’s College London, Nottingham Trent University and the Behavioural Insights Team in 2019 and is currently funded by the Office for Students (OfS) on an initial grant until 2023.

Dr Omar Khan, Director of TASO said: 

“I am very excited to lead TASO’s strategic direction as an independent charity. Working in partnership with the higher education sector, TASO will help embed best practice evaluation and generate more robust evidence to eliminate equality gaps. I am hugely grateful for all the hard work the establishment consortium of King’s College London, Nottingham Trent University and the Behavioural Insights Team put into launching TASO. I look forward to working with my exceptional TASO colleagues, who have responded not just to the challenge of an international pandemic, but to the challenge of setting up a new organisation in such circumstances.”

Professor Eunice Simmons, Chair of TASO’s Board of Trustees and Vice-Chancellor, University of Chester said:

“I am delighted that TASO has become an independent charity, after King’s College London, Nottingham Trent University and the Behavioural Insights Team successfully established the centre in 2019. I would like to thank all members of the establishment consortium for laying such a solid foundation for the new independent charity to build upon. I am confident that TASO will become an integral part of the higher education landscape in no time. I look forward to working with the new team to ensure TASO realises its vision to eliminate equality gaps in higher education.”

TASO is an affiliate What Works Centre, and part of the UK Government’s What Works Network. This means that TASO is committed to the generation, synthesis, and dissemination of high-quality evidence about effective practice in widening participation and student outcomes.

TASO will co-locate with other What Works Centres in a new office space called the Evidence Quarter (EQ). The EQ brings together centres to share a physical space, increase collaboration, and tackle joint challenges together.

Following the initial OfS grant, TASO will seek ongoing funds from a range of sources.

Trying to get in touch with the TASO team? Our email addresses have changed to firstname.lastname@taso.org.uk.