Policy Engagement

The University of Essex, alongside the Universities of York, Lancaster and Brunel, are partners in a programme with HM Government’s Open Innovation Team (OIT) that helps Government departments to ‘generate analysis and ideas by deepening collaboration with academics’.

The OIT works across all areas of government policy, providing demand-led, consultancy style service that helps officials understand and weave academic insights into their policy work. The partnership offers opportunities for PhD students and academic staff to work with the Cabinet Office and other Whitehall Departments and our academics can access specialist support to help understand and engage with the policy making process in Whitehall. The OIT offer regular training, delivered through the Impact Academy on how to influence the policy making process.

The University of Essex works with the Industry and Parliament Trust (IPT) a UK charity that provides a trusted platform of engagement between Parliament and UK business. The IPT provide regular policy training, delivered through the Impact Academy and opportunities to engage with MPs and UK business.

The University of Essex is part the Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN) a community of UK universities committed to increasing the impact of research on policy. Through our membership with UPEN we have a dedicated contact point for policymakers, and the opportunity to take part in collective responses to requests for evidence.

The University of Essex is a formal academic partner of the East of England All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) which brings together the East of England’s MPs and Peers with elected local leaders – and the private and third sectors – to give a strong political voice for policies which support the East of England’s economy and promote its potential as a place to work, study, live and invest.

The Research Impact Toolkit provides a suite of tools and resources to support you with engagement, knowledge exchange and impact. There are a number of routes through which researchers and academics can engage with policymakers at a local, national and international level. Find out more about engaging with the UK Government and Parliament, local Government, the Devolved Legislatures and International Governments and organisations.

Access a range of resources to support you with policy engagement, including a branded template and guidance for producing policy briefs.

Impact Academy provides training and development opportunities to improve your understanding of research impact and build your skills to maximise the societal, economic and environmental impact of your research.

Read the latest edition of policy@essex, our fortnightly bulletin highlighting upcoming policy engagement opportunities, events and training. Contact policy-engagement@essex.ac.uk to subscribe.

Contact policy-engagement@essex.ac.uk for specialist guidance and support for policy engagement and to find out how to access opportunities and support offered through our external partnerships.