Francisco Branco

Francisco Branco is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Human Sciences, Catholic University of Portugal, where he teaches social work history, social research, and social policy. He coordinates the PhD in Social Work and is a researcher at the Católica Research Centre for Psychological, Family and Social Wellbeing (CRC-W). He is actively engaged in national and international research networks, including the European Social Work Research Association, and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of the journal Critical and Radical Social Work.

• PhD in Social Work, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (2001)

His research centers on poverty studies and public policies, with a focus on citizenship, minimum social protection, child welfare, and the role of social work in policy practice. He has led and participated in major research projects such as the “Adequate Income in Portugal” (2012–2017), the “European Reference Budgets Network” (2014–2015), and the study on “Trajectories and daily life of poverty in Portugal” (2019–2020). His recent publications explore themes like social workers’ influence on policy, foster care practices, and digital inclusion in aging populations.

The trends in his scholarly output show a consistent focus on social justice, policy analysis, and the professionalization of social work. His work bridges academic research and practical policy implications, particularly in the Portuguese context.

• Social workers’ involvement in policy practice in Portugal
• “A highly demanding measure”: practitioner contributions to improving practice and policy for foster families
• Bridging the digital divide: insights from an umbrella review of older adults’ digital competencies

Francisco Branco has supervised multiple master’s and doctoral students, including theses on alcoholism, social work history, and gender-based violence. He has been involved in numerous research and consultancy projects, such as those on CUF’s social policy and child poverty. He is a key contributor to the CRC-W, where he collaborates on interdisciplinary research related to well-being and social inclusion.

He is a member of the research group on Social Work, History and Research and the Social Work and Policy Practice group of the European Social Work Research Association. He also contributes to policy development through research and advisory roles, including consultancy work for government-related initiatives.