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Research Strategy Office

 

 Successful routes to impact through policy engagement include:

  • Targeted publications such as policy briefings, industry journal articles and on-line materials which present research findings in a format that is accessible to policy-makers such as RECOUP
  • Advisory roles, such as contributing to government inquiries, reports, panels and committees
  • Partnerships with stakeholders enabling the research to be tested in real-life contexts and providing access to these organisations’ networks of policy contacts such as Energy Market Regulation
  • Presentations and workshops with Government, industry and practitioners: face-to-face discussion with key individuals is a powerful way to get research noticed such as Hinckley Point C Workshop

Further information and guidance

The Centre for Science and Policy (CSaP) helps the sciences and technology to serve society by promoting engagement between researchers and policy professionals.

The Centre for Science and Policy (CSaP) can work with researchers to run policy workshops during the lifetime of the grant. These workshops represent a tried and tested formula for bringing policy makers from across relevant governmental organisations together with researchers and industry, allowing highly effective knowledge exchange and network building. Policy workshops are generally for about 16-20 people, drawn from academia, policy and business/third sector. Each policy workshop generates new connections between researchers and policy officials. These workshops will provide an insight into current relevant policy questions, as well as the current state of research, and a written report will be produced to be shared with all participants. More information about previous policy workshops is available here.

Researchers can also work with CSaP to identify and recruit a project-related policy stakeholder to the role of Policy Fellow. Following the search, identification and recruitment of a suitable individual, CSaP will arrange a series of meetings with approximately 30 researchers as part of an ‘immersion week’. CSaP will also support further networking activities in order to engage the Fellow over the two-year duration of the Fellowship. CSaP’s Policy Fellowship programme recruits around 36 policy makers each year to enter into two-year programmes with the University, to explore ways in which academic research can inform policy...

Contact the Centre for Science and Policy.

The Public Policy Strategic Research Initiative aims to support public policy research across Cambridge University, working with colleagues in science, social science, the arts and humanities, to apply new thinking to public policy problems and promote research and analysis into the public policy process. We connect and raise the profile of existing public policy related work across the University and support collaborative research that includes policy development in a range of subject areas. 

Download 'Policy Impact: a how to guide for researchers' (PDF).

Contact the Public Policy Strategic Research Initiative

The Bennett Institute for Public Policy, in collaboration with the Centre for Science and Policy and Churchill College, have been working on a pilot project to create a pipeline of science policy advice.  On-line Policy Resources, hosted on the Bennett Institute website, have been produced to provide practical advice on how academics can engage with and inform a range of policy makers in the UK parliament, government and beyond. You can access the resources here.