Research in focus: Vince Hopkins

Name:

Vince Hopkins

My pronouns:

he/him/his

Title:

Assistant Professor (tenure stream)

Faculty/Department/Unit:

Arts/Political Science

Location:

Vancouver

Year I started working at UBC:

2023

Provide an overview of your research in 75 words or less:

I study behavioural public policy and Canadian politics, focusing on improving access to public services, especially employment programs. I explore why eligible Canadians don't apply for these services and how governments can improve take-up. Using quantitative methods (e.g., experiments, web-scraping, Machine Learning) and user experience design (e.g., interviews, community co-design), my interdisciplinary research aims for positive impact. I also build partnerships with government and industry to maximize impact.

What do you hope will change as a result of this research?

I hope to make it easier for people to get the government benefits and services they need. Low uptake of government programs is a huge problem, and it’s all around us. Not being able to access public services quickly compounds inequality by limiting upward mobility. My research helps to identify barriers to job services and other programs that can help change this. See, for example, this article on the Beyond website: Making it easier for people to get the government benefits and services they need.

What have you learned during your research that has surprised you the most?

One of the biggest surprises in my research is how hungry policymakers are for evidence—but they often don’t have the time or tools to get it. Experiments can fill that gap, showing exactly which small changes, like simplifying forms, make policies more effective. I’ve seen firsthand how even minor tweaks can dramatically boost program take-up. Good policy might mean, big sweeping reforms. But it also means improving the systems we already have. That includes paying close attention to how people apply for services and making sure they actually get the support they need.

Learn more:

Departmental page
Centre for Migration Studies affiliation
This Beyond UBC article