Email: c.benoit@aston.ac.uk

I joined Aston University in 2010 and have undertaken varied roles such as Programme Director and Associate Dean International. In my current role as Associate Dean for Public Engagement for the College of Business and Social Sciences, I work on knowledge-sharing and knowledge-creating activities that bring together researchers at Aston and members of the community. I work closely with external stakeholders in our region and wider society. 

I also lead and teach modules in Sociology and Policy.

My research interests are in Sociology of Childhood, Education, and Religion. 

LK3036: Sociology Dissertations

LK3029: Education for the 21st Century (module leader)

LK3031: Religion and Society (module leader)

BS2239: Business, Government and Society (module leader)

Funding - Children & Young People, Education, and Religion: 

• Nov. 2022: Awarded £4,852 (Co-I) by Research England Policy Support Funding to gain a better understanding of the school protests that emerged in Birmingham - Sex Education and School Protests: Understanding the Causes and Consequences for RSHE Policy (PI: Dr Sarah-Jane Page)
• May 2022: Awarded £29,522 (Co-I) by Culham St Gabriel's Trust to investigate teachers' attitudes towards the concept of 'worldview' and how it is used in the Religious Education classroom (PI: Dr Tim Hutchings, University of Nottingham)
• Feb. 2022: Awarded 18,833 (Co-I) by Research England to capture Young Muslims' Voices and explore their attitudes towards Relationships and Sex Education (PI: Dr Sarah-Jane Page, Aston University; Co-I: Dr Fida Sanjadkar, Monash University).
• Sept. 2021: Awarded £1000 (Co-I) by the Coventry Diocesan Board of Education to create content for teachers of Religious Education / Religion and Worldviews in primary and secondary Church of England schools in Coventry (PI: Jennifer Jenkins; Co-I: Dr Tim Hutchings)
• May 2020: Awarded £8000 (PI) by the Religious Education Council for England and Wales to conduct research on ‘worldview’ in the curriculum (Co-Is: Dr Tim Hutchings and Dr Rachael Shillitoe)

Funding - Health Disparities in the Region: 

• Sept. 2023: Awarded £5420 (PI) by Research England Policy Support Funding to work with children and young people to tackle health inequalities and influence policymaking (Co-I: Dr Alexis Paton).
• July 2023: Awarded £1,920 (PI) by ESRC to the ESRC IAA Festival of Social Science to host three Knowledge Exchange events in East and West Birmingham on health inequalities
• March 2023: Awarded £109,000 (Co-I) by Birmigham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to train Community Researchers, based on the Community Connexions' Engagement Toolkit (PI: Dr Christine Burt; Co-Is: Dr Suzanne Cleary, Sophie Wilson, Dr Matthew Brooks, Florence Okwu)
• Nov 2022: Awarded £5,500 (PI) by Research England Policy Support Funding to work with local partners to tackle health inequalities in East and West Birmingham (Co-I: Dr Alexis Paton)
• April 2022: Awarded £24,240 (PI) by Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust) to act as Senior Partner on Community Connexions and tackle health disparities in the region
• Dec. 2021: Awarded £9422 (PI) (£6311 by Research England Policy Support Funding + £3111 by Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust) to work with local partners and community-led organisations to provide localised solutions to break barriers that lead to poor health outcomes (Co-I: Dr Alexis Paton)
• Aug. 2021: Awarded £18,840 (PI) by the Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to act as Senior Partner on the Community Connexions programme and launch framework for a sustainable community engagement in public health
• Mar. 2021: Awarded £6,902.31 (PI) by the Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to launch and lead a series of public engagement events
• Jan. 2021: Awarded £6806.33 (PI) by the Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to identify community engagement gaps and opportunities in public health

Learning & Teaching Awards - Internal Funding

• Oct. 2023: Awarded £3800 (PI) to conduct a L&T project entitled Emotional Literacy and Wellbeing among Students at Aston University (Co-Is: Aurélia Robert, Dee Walcott, Dr Christine Burt)
• July 2022: Awarded £5,944 (PI) to conduct a L&T project entitled Foregrounding the Lived Experiences of Students from Low Socio-Economic Backgrounds (Co-I: Aurélia Robert)

Other Awards

• 2020: Awarded Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
• 2013: Awarded Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

• Director/Trustee at the Religious Education Council for England and Wales (REC)
• School Engagement Officer – TRS-UK (Theology and Religious Studies in Higher Education, UK)
• Member of Socrel – the BSA Sociology of Religion study group
• Member of the British Educational Research Association (BERA)
• Member of the British Sociological Association (BSA)
• Member of the British Association for the Study of Religions (BASR)