Via this page, you will find regular updates of policy engagement opportunities, including policy secondments and pairings, events and training and details of government consultations and calls for evidence.

To search a database of all open opportunities related to your current area of research, log on to Overton using your University of Bath single sign-on.

Visit the Routes for academic engagement with Government page on the gov.uk website for more information on the different ways in which you can share your expertise with Government.

To discuss any aspects of this, or for further support, please contact the IPR.

Upcoming events and training

Engaging policy with A&H research: Introduction & case studies showcase

A UPEN session on 29 January (13:00-15:00) in which classicist Arlene Holmes-Henderson, Vice-Chair of UPEN and Professor of Public Policy at Durham University, will explain routes into policy engagement for researchers in Arts and Humanities disciplines. The first part of the session (13:00-14:00) will be a practical and interactive session, with the opportunity to ask questions and design a strategy for getting started. Part two of this session (14:00-15:00) will be a showcase of the newly published case study report. This report collates case studies from researchers in diverse institutions, spread across the UK, and shares their experiences of working with policy professionals.

Policy engagement in the context of political shifts

This UPEN masterclass, hosted by Dr Andrew Mycock, a specialist on the party politics of the UK, will explore the multiple challenges that researchers face in navigating this ever-changing complex political landscape. It takes place online on 5 February (13:00-14:00), and is relevant for all researchers, but particularly those in the early to mid-career.

Areas of Research Interest: A masterclass

Another UPEN masterclass, this time focussing on Areas of Research Interest (ARIs), which – since their introduction less than a decade ago – have become a key route for academics to engage with policy. This online event on 26 February (13:00-14:00) is run by UPEN Areas of Research Interest Sub-Committee in partnership with the UKRI FLFDN. This event will be recorded and posted to the UPEN YouTube channel and website.

Evidence requests

POSTnote contributions

POSTnotes are short evidence briefings produced by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST). POST welcomes researchers with relevant expertise to get in touch in relation to upcoming POSTnotes. If you would like to find out which research projects you can contribute to, and how to contribute, please follow the guidance on the Parliament website.

Consultations and calls for evidence

The UK Government website has a live list of open consultations and calls for evidence.

Select Committee inquiries

The UK Government website has a live list of open Select Committee enquiries. You can filter by keywords and date. Some committees currently accepting written evidence include:

Secondments, internships, and placements

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Call for Experts

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is opening applications for its first ever College of Experts. Recruiting experts from a diverse range of science, engineering, and industrial backgrounds who can provide advice and expertise to help create policies that deliver for the British public and are resilient to current and future challenges.

Applicants will be available to help advise on complex issues such as planning policy, building safety, homelessness and issues facing local government. The department will use a pool of successful candidates to recruit into short-term, temporary project-based work where expertise is most needed.

Roles are expected to be appointed in the Spring. Once finalised, the department will publish a list of the successful applicants. Positions will be initially awarded for a year, with the option to extend as necessary. Apply by 11:45pm, 31 January.

Resources

Bath Policy Engagement Academy guides

The Bath Policy Engagement Academy has shared various guides on getting started with policy engagement, policy audiences, routes to policy engagement, communications, networks and impact, programmes and placements, and learning from other researchers.

New climate communications resources

The Grantham Institute (Imperial) and Purpose Union have shared two new resources for climate scientists: a Climate Scientists’ Toolkit for Communicating on 1.5°C and a Climate Communicators’ Evidence Bank.

The toolkit is designed for climate scientists who need to comment on or share perspectives about the likelihood and impact of global warming exceeding 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. It aims to help scientists to share their expertise in meaningful and compelling ways and to communicate climate science effectively within the context of wider debates about the climate. It was developed through a process involving a series of focus groups and workshops with climate scientists, members of the policy community and communications specialists.

The evidence bank provides up-to-date facts and figures on a range of topics related to climate change that come up frequently in the wider public discourse. This resource is particularly useful for climate communicators who are seeking up-to-date information to illustrate their speaking points.