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).

Jump to:

Select committee inquiries launched in the last week (since 22 June 2023)

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.

Select committee inquiries launched in the last two weeks (since 15 June 2023) 

Please click the title of any inquiry listed below to be taken to a summary of that inquiry and the full call for evidence. 

Membership of the House of Lords | Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee | No current deadline 

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”.

Specialist Adviser – Scotland’s space sector

The House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee is inviting applications for the role of Specialist Adviser to the Committee’s inquiry on Scotland’s space sector.

The Scottish Affairs Committee scrutinises the expenditure, administration and policies of the Scotland Office, and its associated bodies. The Committee also examines the wider UK Government, to assess policies and legislation that lead to direct impacts on Scotland. While the role focuses on Scotland, the Committee welcomes applications from all over the UK.

The Specialist Adviser will balance their university role alongside working with the Committee secretariat on an ad-hoc basis to provide authoritative advice. The role is likely to last until Spring 2024 and the overall commitment across this period will be around 10 days of work. The role is hybrid and will include both remote and onsite working in Westminster, London. The Adviser will be paid a daily honorarium on the basis of work done and necessary in-role expenses will be met.

The successful applicant may:

  • Work with the Committee secretariat and the inquiry manager to analyse issues raised during the course of the inquiry
  • Comment on drafts of written material produced by the Committee secretariat
  • Advise on sources of information and evidence
  • Contribute to briefing material for the Committee, and
  • Attend Committee meetings and provide oral briefings when required

Parliament welcomes applications from everyone regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status or whether or not they have a disability. We also ask that you please consider how you could ensure diversity and inclusion when passing this opportunity to your contacts.

This link provides more information on the knowledge and skills the Committee is looking for.

Apply to be the Specialist Adviser

The deadline to apply is 5pm on Monday 17 July. 

Why should I engage? Being a special adviser provides a great opportunity to work closely with a committee, informing its work and approach to an inquiry – such as inquiry focus, selection of oral witnesses, and report development and conclusions. Find out more about why to engage with Parliament here. And find more on engagement for impact here.   

More information: watch a short video with researchers who’ve been specialist advisers talking about their experience. 

Calling all academic experts on the UK’s Civil Service! 

Our colleagues in the secretariat of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee have asked us to flag that the committee is particularly keen to hear from academics in response to their current inquiry into Civil Service Leadership and Reform. 

The committee welcomes academics to provide written evidence submissions, prior to the deadline of Thursday 20 July 2023. The evidence submissions received will be published on the committee’s inquiry page. Find out more about the inquiry here. 

Expertise wanted
More broadly, the committee’s secretariat – and the Parliament and Constitution Centre in the House of Commons Library – are looking to build their knowledge of academics with expertise in the UK’s Civil Service, including:

  • the constitutional position of the Civil Service;
  • the provision of advice to ministers;
  • what constitutes good leadership in the Civil Service;
  • Ministers’ role in hiring, firing and promotion of Civil Service leaders; and
  • accountability of Ministers and Officials for policy formulation.

The committee’s secretariat is also interested in identifying experts who can bring comparative perspectives from which the UK could benefit. 

If you have expertise in one of the above areas, or know a researcher who does, we would really appreciate you sharing a few details on your expertise on this short form, or forwarding it on to them to complete themselves, so that parliamentary staff conducting work in this area can more easily draw on your expertise and research.  

The form asks you or the researcher to outline their expertise (100 words maximum), provide a link to their university profile, provide a link demonstrating their public speaking (optional), and to provide their contact information.

The deadline to do this is also Thursday 20 July 2023.

Why should I engage? Making yourself known to committee and Library staff can lead to opportunities to contribute your expertise and insights to Parliament. These may include being called to give oral evidence, contributing to a briefing, or participating in a roundtable or seminar. 

More information: Find out more about why to engage with Parliament here. And find more on engagement for impact here.   

A Parliament fact to impress any history teacher

On this day in 1802 Parliament was dissolved by proclamation.

After the 1802 dissolution, the first general election to the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland took place. This recognised the Act of Union with Ireland when 100 new Members had joined the House of Commons in 1801. Both Henry Addington and William Pitt ‘The Younger’ served as Prime Minister during this Parliament.

The term ‘a Parliament’ means the period from one general election to the next, and within this it subdivides into ‘sessions’ (session lengths vary – but roughly one year), and ‘sittings’ which are the daily meetings of the House.    

So what?

Navigating the parliamentary lingo helps researchers understand the flow of business through Parliament and spot when their research might contribute. For example, the State Opening of Parliament marks the formal start of the parliamentary year and the Monarch’s Speech sets out the Government’s agenda for the coming session, outlining proposed policies and legislation. It’s a great time for researchers to begin planning their engagement by spotting if their research relates to elements within the Monarch’s speech as the topic may feature in Parliament’s business during that session.

Parliament also has resources for researchers to check which Parliamentarians hold particular responsibility for the area their research covers. There are lists for the Members of the Government’s Cabinet and listings by Government department. The same information is also available for His Majesty’s Official Opposition – the Shadow Cabinet and by Opposition department. And there is a search function to find information on all Parliamentarians (including Members of the House of Lords).  

More information: