The Knowledge Exchange Unit supports the exchange of information between UK Researchers and Parliament. They prepare a list of opportunities for researchers each week, which we will be disseminating in part through this blog.

If you are engaging in any of these opportunities, please email Glenn Harris or Suzi Edwards

These opportunities have been compiled by UK Parliament’s Knowledge Exchange Unit (KEU).

Take a look at the KEU’s webhub of information and resources for researchers. 

These opportunities and resources have been sent to members of the KEU’s informal network for knowledge mobilisers, for circulation to the research community (find out more about the network).

Select committee inquiries launched in the last seven days (since 12 May 2022)

Please click the title of any inquiry listed below to be taken to a summary of that inquiry and the full call for evidence.
Remember that you don’t have to answer every question posed in each call for evidence. And you can also explore all select committee inquiries currently open for submissions of written evidence

Why should I engage? Submitting evidence to a select committee can lead to further engagement, such as an invitation to give oral evidence. Your submission will be published on the Committee webpage. Your insights may inform the Committee’s conclusions or recommendations it makes to the Government. Find out more about why to engage with Parliament. You can also read more on engagement for impact.

More information: Explore all select committee inquiries currently open for submissions of written evidence. 

Support resources: Find guidance on submitting evidence to select committees on the KEU’s ‘how to guides’ page. Watch our 30 minute online training session “How to work with select committees”.

Eight new POSTnotes announced – contribute your expertise!

Following approval from the POST (Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology) Board in April, POST has announced it will be working on eight new POSTnotes. You can find the POST work programme here.

The POSTnotes are on the topics of:

You can get in touch with the POST team if you would like to contribute your expertise to a briefing POST are producing – the links above include contact details for each POSTnote along with lots more information. 

Find out more about contributing to a POSTnote as an expert.

Why should I engage? POSTnotes are used by Members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords and UK Parliament staff to navigate complex research. Contributing to a POSTnote is a good way of feeding your expertise into the UK Parliament as part of a trusted, impartial publication. All contributors are acknowledged online when the POSTnote is published. On publication, you and your organisation’s communications team will be notified to publicise the POSTnote and your contribution. Therefore your contribution can help raise your profile and promote your research. 

More information: Find out more about contributing to a POSTnote as an expert. For queries about POST or POSTnotes contact POST.

Come and join the Knowledge Exchange Unit!

We in Parliament’s Knowledge Exchange Unit have a really exciting opportunity to join our small and friendly team!

The Knowledge Exchange Unit (based in the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology) is the team which connects Parliament to the research community to help research feed into scrutiny, legislation and debate. Activities include: training researchers, promoting Parliament’s research evidence needs, and delivering academic fellowships. We work with colleagues in all parts of Parliament, as well as lots of different external stakeholders, and consider ourselves a high-energy and innovative team!

We are looking for someone to join as Knowledge Exchange Manager from September (0.6FTE, permanent), leading or managing some of our activities and helping to develop our work.

The deadline for applications is Thursday 16 June 2022.

Find more information on the role and apply.

For an informal confidential chat, please feel free to contact: Sarah Foxen, Knowledge Exchange Lead foxens@parliament.uk

We’re very keen to reach a diverse range of applicants with this opportunity, and to encourage them to apply. To help us to reach as many people as possible with the opportunity, we would be very grateful if you are able to share this announcement with your networks.

British Ecological Society (BES) Fellowship 2022/23 – now open for applications!

The British Ecological Society (BES) Fellowship 2022/23 is currently open for applications.

The fellowship is open to British Ecological Society members currently studying for a PhD in a UK university.

Fellowships offer great opportunities to PhD students, to gain an insider’s view of how Parliament works. During the three-month Fellowship, successful candidates hone their ability to communicate scientific issues to a wider audience, by writing policy briefs for MPs and Peers. Fellows work closely with people across the UK Parliament and get to see how select committees, all party parliamentary groups and libraries work.

Fellowships will start in September/October 2022 or January 2023, subject to final agreement between the applicant, POST, and the applicant’s supervisor and University. Fellowships are also conditional to security clearance.

The successful applicant will receive a £6,000 award to cover their living costs while undertaking the three-month fellowship. Computing, email, and other facilities necessary for the project will be supplied by POST. £5,000 will be paid on at the start of the fellowship, and the remaining £1,000 on completion.

For more information, including about the scheme, who is eligible, how to apply, funding, frequently asked questions, and the application pack, please see the fellowship webpage.

 Applications need to be completed by 23:59 on Monday 13 June 2022.

Why should I engage? POST’s PhD fellowships offer a once in a lifetime opportunity to view the epicentre of policy-making from the inside. By the end of their time at POST, fellows learn how to write for policy with balance and impartiality. They also develop a unique understanding of Westminster and forge important relationships with key stakeholders, while often delving into a novel and exciting topic of research. Find out more about what a POST fellowship is like and the opportunities it can lead to.

More information: Find out more about POST fellowships.Watch an interview with a previous POST fellow to learn about her experience.

Other POST fellowships currently open to applications

POST (the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology) also has several other fellowships open to applications at the moment, including the 2022 UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) POST Fellowship (deadline for applications 23:59 on 22 May 2022), and the 2022/2023 Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) POST Westminster Fellowship scheme (deadline for applications 23:59, 12 June 2022).

Find out more about these fellowships.

Why should I engage? POST’s PhD fellowships offer a once in a lifetime opportunity to view the epicentre of policy-making from the inside. By the end of their time at POST, fellows learn how to write for policy with balance and impartiality. They also develop a unique understanding of Westminster and forge important relationships with key stakeholders, while often delving into a novel and exciting topic of research. Find out more about what a POST fellowship is like and the opportunities it can lead to.

More information: Find out more about POST fellowships. Watch an interview with a previous POST fellow to learn about her experience.

A Parliament fact about online training

Did you know that you can access online training on how to engage with Parliament as a researcher/ expert on our Knowledge Exchange Unit webhub?

We haven’t mentioned this for a while, so wanted to make sure you knew that the KEU webhub contains free online training sessions for researchers and knowledge mobilisers (including academic librarians).

So what?

A range of sessions are available for researchers on how to engage with the UK Parliament, including sessions targeted specifically at PhD students and early career researchers. Sessions are also available on a range of topics related to engaging with Parliament, including how to work with select committees, and how to write for a parliamentary audience.

Watching these sessions will give you insights to support you to feed your expertise into Parliament. Sessions are also available about how to engage with the devolved legislatures, and how to engage with Government, in contrast to Parliament.

Sessions are between 30-60 minutes long. You can watch recordings and access slides and useful resources from previous training sessions.

More information

Note on this round-up

If you have been forwarded this email and would like to get it yourself, you can subscribe directly to receive our weekly email round-up of opportunities for the research community to engage with UK Parliament. These opportunities can include calls for evidence from select committees, academic fellowship opportunities, requests for expertise from Parliament and more. You will receive the round-up each Thursday morning, with some exceptions such as parliamentary recess. 
If you consider yourself a knowledge mobiliser, find out how to join our informal network of knowledge mobilisers. This is a network of people whose role includes sharing research from their institution with other sectors, or supporting researchers to share their research.