By Dr Eleanor MacPherson and Dr Sarah Weakley, Knowledge Exchange Leads in the College of Social Sciences. Eleanor leads on research impact training, she joined the team in January and brings 15 years of experience in Gender and Public Health, including a decade based in Southern Africa. Sarah leads on brokering and supporting academic-policy engagement. She has spent over a decade researching poverty and social policy in the US and the UK, with experience in the US federal government.
We are both Research and Knowledge Exchange Leads in the College of Social Sciences at the University of Glasgow. We advise researchers on all aspects of their knowledge exchange and impact activity.
We hold these specialist roles because academics are increasingly required to demonstrate tangible impacts on society beyond the traditional academic outputs of books and journal articles. Engaging meaningfully with non-academic audiences not only brings unique perspectives into their research but also enhances their careers. The Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers explicitly encourages such engagement in knowledge exchange activities and policy development.
‘Policy engagement’ — where researchers and policymakers collaboratively explore common interests at various stages in the research and policymaking processes — is a pathway that allows researchers to translate their research into societal impact. It is widely accepted that evidence-informed policy brings significant benefits. However, until very recently, only small groups of researchers have managed to influence policymakers. Diverse voices, with a breadth of experience, can introduce innovative ideas, and ensure that the latest research findings are integrated into policy. Nevertheless, engaging with any non-academic audience can seem daunting, especially for researchers who have not traditionally been heard and who may find it challenging to navigate such a complex landscape.
In our roles, we support researchers at all career stages to engage with a variety of audiences. By combining one-on-one support with training opportunities, we aim to create a supportive environment where researchers are empowered to extend their impact beyond academia.
Our team alongside the University of Glasgow Centre for Public Policy recently hosted a Researcher Development Day, aimed at enhancing the knowledge and skills of researchers looking to engage with the UK Parliament. During the event, staff members from the UK Parliament, including Sarah Carter-Bell from the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology’s (POST) Knowledge Exchange Unit; Dr Amy Creese from the House of Lords Committee Office and Dr David Torrance from the House of Commons Library provided insights on effective academic engagement.
Key reflections for researchers wishing to engage with UK Parliament:
How to Start
The journey towards effective parliamentary engagement begins with a clear understanding of the available opportunities, ranging from formal mechanisms to more ad hoc engagements:
Select Committees: These are present in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Members of Select Committees, drawn from various parties, scrutinise government work. Parliament’s website regularly publishes calls for evidence and detailed guidelines for submissions. Providing evidence to Select Committees is a well-established method for academic engagement. Researchers should first take a look at the committees that discuss your topic (there may be more than one!) and see their current work. Once the relevant committee(s) is identified, you can follow them on social media to check for any upcoming inquiries where you have relevant expertise and knowledge.
The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST): POST assists members from both Houses in evaluating complex scientific issues and public policy landscapes. One aspect of POST’s work is producing briefing papers known as POSTNotes, which are research briefings written by POST staff members that draw directly on academic expertise. Each POSTNote will advertise a call for experts to contribute to their future research outputs on a topic.
A great way find out when new POSTNotes are announced and seeking academic engagement is to sign up for POST alerts.
Parliamentary Libraries: Both the House of Commons and the House of Lords have libraries that offer impartial information services to Members and their staff, including briefing papers and a private, personalized inquiry service. You can engage with these libraries by familiarizing yourself with recent briefings and sharing relevant research with the librarian who works on that topic.
All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs): These informal, cross-party groups of MPs and Peers focus on specific topics. With over 700 registered APPGs covering a broad array of subjects, researchers can identify key stakeholders inside and outside Parliament related to your topic and locate new fora through which to share your expertise.
Considerations for effective engagement
Parliamentary Engagement for All Researchers: All speakers at our event emphasized the importance of engagement from researchers at every career stage, noting that bodies like POST and the House of Commons Library thrive on diverse academic contributions. Researchers should not wait until their projects are ‘completed’ to share their insights; the expertise acquired through years of study is exactly what Parliament needs for its briefings, including those from early career researchers. Talk to your supervisor or PI if you have joint ownership of projects or if you are not sure about what is ready to be shared in policy spaces.
Reaching Out: Researchers should contact committee clerks or POST directly, explaining their expertise and offering insights relevant to current inquiries or topics. Concise communication that states the reason for contact and offers collaboration can be an important first step.
Starting Small with APPGs: For researchers new to policy engagement, starting with an All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) is advisable. By connecting with an APPG’s secretariat, researchers can become involved in meetings and discussions pertinent to their work.
Be proactive
To maintain and maximise impact in parliamentary engagement, we encourage you to be proactive about nurturing relationships. This includes keeping abreast of new inquiries and opportunities for providing evidence and considering longer-term engagements, such as Parliamentary thematic research leads or committee specialist advisors, to deepen involvement and influence in policymaking processes.
Most universities have staff in specialist roles just like ours, so if you are looking for support to get started, our first tip is to find out who your local experts are!
The Auditorium: a research culture and researcher development blog 