Since 1998 David has been involved in various projects relating to lifelong learning, widening participation, and personal development plans. His current post as 'Universitas 21 Project Officer', within Birmingham's International Office, is to coordinate the institution's contribution to the global network of Universitas 21 research-intensive universities. See http://www.u21.bham.ac.uk/ for more details.

David's PhD emerges from his experiences of managing a widening participation project in inner-city Birmingham, comparative analysis with other similar projects, and the wider political and historical contexts.