• Economic development and economic impact

• Manufacturing sectors, clusters and economies

• Neighbourhood regeneration, faith and community

Professor David Jarvis is Deputy Director of the Centre for Business in Society (CBiS) at Coventry University. He has more than 20 years post-PhD experience as a professional researcher and research leader in both commercial and higher education settings. During this period, he has delivered successfully more than 70 research, consultancy and evaluation assignments for clients across the public, private and charitable sectors. These have included multi-national corporate clients, the European Union, UK central government, local and regional government, non-departmental public agencies and voluntary and community sector organisations. David’s priority is excellent impactful research which makes meaningful connections between academe, policy and practice. His persistent focus on various dimensions of local and regional economic change is wrought of personal experience of deindustrialisation and includes a particular interest in both the automotive industry – its renaissance, transformation and low-carbon transition – and transport, especially the ways in which mobility shapes places, economies and communities. As a research leader, he has gained extensive direct experience of utilising both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Particular strengths lie in the following areas: 

• Leading the design and implementation of research and evaluation frameworks.

• Managing the use of electronic survey tools and analytical software to provide quantitative and qualitative information that is current, accurate and robust.

• Quantitative economic impact modelling and mapping of labour market intelligence, employment and population data.

• Triangulation of quantitative data and qualitative evidence through stakeholder and beneficiary engagement.

• Formulation of evidence-based policy recommendations and action plans, bridging the gap between research and practice.

Alongside his research profile, David has sought to use knowledge and experience gained through research and consultancy to enrich teaching innovation and curriculum development. This has included a supervision track record of significant scale, involving supervision of 26 Doctoral candidates (to date), and the development and delivery of module content on both Undergraduate and Postgraduate degree programmes. Such contributions have not been siloed within his own College, and have included provision of module content elsewhere across the University (e.g. in the College of Engineering and Computing), and most recently the creation of an research internship programme for final year undergraduate’s in the University's College of Business and Law as an alternative to the traditional final year undergraduate dissertation.

As an experienced PGR supervisor, David has also mentored ECR colleagues in order to build supervision capacity, inputted to the supervision of challenging or struggling students, supported registry colleagues through inputs to successive iterations of PGR curriculum development, and chaired numerous annual student progress review panels (PRPs) and Viva Voce examinations. Most significantly, as part of the foundation and expansion of Coventry Business School, David applied his knowledge and experience as an educator to bring about a step-change in the University’s executive education offer, leading the development and delivery of Coventry’s cohort-based Doctorate of Business Administration. In establishing the DBA, he created the programme structure and content, and led delivery for the first two intakes of students, all practicing senior managers. As the programme has expanded further, and the number of colleagues enrolled in delivery has increased, his role has shifted to one of strategic oversight.