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‘Policy based on evidence’  

The new Downing Battcock Institute was launched at Downing College, Cambridge, in October 2025, following a generous £5 million donation from Downing alumnus Humphrey Battcock. 

“This Institute was born from my longstanding connection to Downing and to Cambridge and from my wish to see policy based on evidence. I would like to reduce the gap between research and policymakers, to inform decision makers and bring about positive change”.

Founding Donor, Humphrey Battcock (CBE). 

The Institute’s inaugural director, Dr David Halpern, is a leading behavioural scientist, academic and policy expert. David has served under four Prime Ministers, including as Chief Analyst in Tony Blair’s Strategy Unit (2001-2007), head of the Number 10 'Nudge Unit', and as the UK’s National What Works Adviser (2013-2022). He has also held posts at Oxford, Harvard and Cambridge. 

Historic roots in Westminster  

With a historic connection to Westminster, Downing College is in many ways a natural home for Cambridge’s first college embedded policy institute. 

The founder of Downing College, Sir George Downing, was the grandson (and namesake) of the man responsible for building No. 10 Downing Street – the official residence of the UK’s Prime Minister.  

His 1717 will stipulated that upon his death, his fortune should be used to found a Cambridge college focused on ‘useful learning.’ This phrase is a partial inspiration for the Downing Battcock Institute, which will work to present rigorous and ‘useful’ evidence to guide policy decisions that could improve the lives of millions – as well as to leverage the practical and theoretical insights that come from policy work to update and inform academic learning itself.

The links between Downing College and Downing Street have been periodically renewed over the years. Interestingly, when Downing Street was being refurbished in the 1960s, a number of the old doors from No.10 were dispatched to the College. One can still be seen today in staircase D and bears a plaque explaining its provenance:  


Cambridge: A leader in policy 

As a top UK University, people and expertise have long flowed between Cambridge and Whitehall. The Downing Battcock Institute will strengthen the University’s policy offering - including by enabling residential events for policy discussion.  

It is well placed to coordinate closely with other Cambridge policy entities, including Cambridge’s Centre for Science and Policy (CSaP) and the Bennett Institute, to amplify the use of evidence and innovation in policymaking and practice.  

It will also add a new draw for policy-minded students and academics to join Cambridge - and Downing College.