On-track: Informing Policy with Research
What is it?
As many of you are increasingly interested in or are already working on policy-relevant research, we have organised an event to discuss the best ways of achieving policy impact, on Tuesday 28 November (10am - 1pm). We will hear from Dr Sarah Foxen, who works on UK Parliament’sengagement with academics, and Chris Webber, who runs a team in Cabinet Office that uses research to inform government's thinking. Royal Holloway’s Dr Alice Milner will also share insight from her time at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. This is followed by lunch, and an optional practical workshop on how to write policy briefs, with Luisa Porritt (1.30 – 3pm). Please see the detail below.
We encourage everyone who is interested in influencing policy to attend even if you can only make part of the session. Please email orgdev@rhul.ac.uk to sign up.
Part 1: Engaging with Policy Makers: 10:00 - 13:00
Dr Sarah Foxen, Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST)
Sarah works on increasing UK Parliament’s engagement with academia, and will be discussing how Parliament works, how researchers can inform its work, and some of the concrete actions needed to get your research into Parliament. You will also have a chance to share your thoughts on how Parliament could further support academics to get involved with Parliamentary scrutiny
Chris Webber, The Open Innovation Partnership at Cabinet Office
Chris leads a new Cabinet Office initiative that connects policy makers within government with academic and other evidence to support policy work. Chris will discuss the background and remit of the Open Innovation Team, the project areas they are currently engaged on, and advice for researchers looking to work with policy makers..
Dr Alice Milner, Royal Holloway’s Geography Department
Alice will offer an academic's perspective on the best ways to engage with Government's departments, and share learning from her time as a research expert embedded in the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Alice's mission was to help improve the reliability of Government decision-making using evidence from academic research.
The session will allow time for discussion and opportunity to ask questions in relation to your own work.
Optional workshop: Writing Policy Briefings 13:30 – 15:00
This workshop will run from 1.30-3pm and is designed to demonstrate how to turn your academic research into targeted briefings that will attract the attention of policymakers. It's led by Luisa Porritt, a strategy, communications and policy advisor. The session will be practical and engaging, using real life examples of academic papers converted into concise briefings to show how this can be done. It will be interactive, allowing plenty of time for questions.
Please email orgdev@rhul.ac.uk to book your space, stating whether you’re joining the whole day or one of the sessions.
Scheduled dates