How to engage with policymakers?

Policymakers are non-experts who value academic expertise and research evidence that is timely, relevant and well communicated to help inform policy-making. Find useful guidance on ways to engage with policymakers.

Engaging with Scottish policy

The Scottish Parliament’s website provides resources and outlines opportunities for academics to engage with Scottish parliament.

Scottish Parliament academic engagement webpage

The Scottish Parliament Research Exchange (SPRE) is a network that helps Scottish policy officials seek solutions to policy challenges through facilitating engagement with researchers. They provide a number of useful resources for researchers to learn how to get started with policy engagement.

Scottish Parliament Research Exchange website

Engaging with UK policy

The UK Parliament has an extensive resource to help you engage with UK policy at both parliamentary and governmental levels, including guides and free online training events tailored to different researcher career stages.

Research impact at the UK Parliament webpage

The Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) database allows researchers to search, browse or analyse ARIs from UK governmental bodies to see how their research could help solve problems and inform government policy.

Areas of Research Interest webpage

Policy Lab are a multi-disciplinary team that bring new policy tools and techniques to the UK government and have visualised the different styles of government intervention.

Government intervention styles by Policy Lab

The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) bridges research and policy in the UK parliament. They offer academic fellowships, which provides researchers opportunities to conduct projects with the UK Parliament, and are a great channel into policy engagement.

POST website

POST academic fellowships

Engaging with policy internationally

You can influence international policy by working with governments and parliaments of countries outside the UK, or through working with international organisations who exert decisive influence on national policies. Policy making processes can differ from country to country as well as social, economic and political imperatives that drive policy.

University of Oxford guide - International policy engagement

Engaging with think-tanks and charities

Engaging with think-tanks and charities can also be an effective intermediary to help get your research considered by policymakers. They may have a specific political agenda or may focus on raising awareness and informing debate on current issues.

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