Designed for senior policymakers and decision-makers from government and the third sector, the IPR Policy Fellowship Programme offers you the opportunity to explore the policy questions, or challenges, you are looking to address in your professional role.

Structured around tailored one-to-one or group cohort meetings, our programme enables you to meet with world-class academics across the University of Bath. The programme is delivered in a hybrid format, allowing you to participate in-person or online.

Established in 2013, our Policy Fellowship Programme has garnered great success, and delivered policy impact, over the years. To-date, we have welcomed over 70 policy professionals from more than 50 organisations, and local, national and international government; engaged with more than 100 experts at the University of Bath; and formed a growing, global policy alumni network.

The University of Bath is home to cutting-edge research and interdisciplinary expertise which informs key areas of policy.

Drawing on the insights of our experts forms an important part of the Policy Fellowship experience. Our research informs new approaches to organisational management and service delivery, enhances professional practice, and supports changes in policy formation and delivery.

Engaging with our academics will inspire you with new ideas and perspectives to help drive innovation; apply new tools, models and frameworks; and advance the ways in which policy is developed and delivered.

Our Policy Fellowship Programme is free-of-charge, and our team will be able to facilitate future meetings, networking or collaborations with our academic experts, following your initial Fellowship meetings.

In choosing Bath, you will also gain access to our Library resources, which includes online access to journals, and join an active, global policy alumni network with invitations to our exclusive networking events and webinar series’.

Tailoring your experience

To ensure the programme works for you, we will have an initial discussion with you about your areas of interest and motivations for taking part. We will ask you to prepare between six and eight policy questions around which you would like to focus your discussions. We will also ask for a biography to outline your background and current professional role.

Individual or group meetings

You are welcome to apply to our programme as an individual. You may also apply as a group cohort if you are from the same department or organisation and you would like to explore the same questions.

What to expect

Using your questions as a framework, we will arrange a series of 40-60 minute virtual or in-person meetings with academics whose work is relevant to your policy area.

Not all the people you meet with will be working directly in your area, or able to give specific answers to your questions. They will all, however, be able to engage in a thought-provoking discussion which will stimulate your, and their, thinking.

We will select your participation in our Policy Fellowship Programme based on your professional role; the policy challenges you wish to address; and whether these can be matched to expertise we have across the University.

To apply, please e-mail Amy Thompson, Head of Policy Programmes and Communications, with details including:

• your current professional role
• your reasons for applying to the Fellowship
• the questions you want to explore through the Fellowship
• your availability to virtually meet researchers
• a short biography

If you are a member of staff at the University of Bath and wish to participate in our Policy Fellowship Programme, please e-mail Amy Thompson to express your interest.