From 2023, Niall is an Honorary Norham Fellow at the Department and a Visiting Fellow at Kellogg College. His main research interest is advancing knowledge of the complex development processes involved in designing socially-just technology innovations. This research agenda has been supported by over €7m in funding.
Niall was previously Professor of Education and Technology at the Department, co-convenor of the Critical Digital Education Research Group, and Director of the MSc Education (Digital and Social Change. Niall continues to supervise DPhil students but is no longer accepting new students.
Before joining the Department of Education in 2014, Niall was a Reader in Learning Technologies at the UCL (previously London) Knowledge Lab, UCL Institute of Education and Deputy Head of the Department of Culture, Communication and Media. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from Trinity College Dublin.
Niall has been a visiting researcher at the Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon and MIT Media Lab Europe, a Fellow of the L’Institut d’études avancées de Paris, a member of the Visiting Faculty of the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA), Sciences Po, Paris, co-editor of the British Journal of Educational Technology (BJET), member of the ESRC Peer Review College, a Trustee (former Chair of the Board) of the Restart Project and has consulted for UNESCO, WHO, DFID and the NHS.