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 since 7 September 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 since 19 July 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.

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”.

Reminder: Call for experts on the Defence Industry in Wales 

The House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee is preparing for an inquiry on defence manufacturing and cyber security in Wales. It will examine the importance of the industry to the Welsh economy, as well as the contribution it makes to the UK’s overall defence capabilities. This inquiry will also consider opportunities for growth in defence-related sectors with a strong presence in Wales, such as aerospace and cyber security. 

The Committee secretariat is looking for researchers with expertise in: 

  • Mapping defence industrial activity undertaken in Wales by both prime contractors and suppliers/SMEs;
  • MoD spending with industry in Wales;
  • Skills needed within the defence industry in Wales; and 
  • Defence related R&D taking place in Wales. 

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, and to provide contact information.

The opportunities for researchers to feed into the Committee’s work include:

  • Submitting written evidence
  • Giving oral evidence

The deadline for expressing an interest in engaging with the inquiry is Wednesday 20 September 2023. 
 
Register your expertise on the Defence Industry in Wales 

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.   

POSTbrief on AI Technologies – thank you!

Thank you for all the expressions of interest to contribute to the POSTBrief on AI Technologies. We are very grateful for the volume of responses received. We are now at capacity and the AI Technologies POSTBrief is no longer accepting expressions of interest.

Reminder: Online workshop – connecting Parliamentary research services around the world 

Registration is open for the AGORA Parliamentary Community of Practice online workshop, “Mapping and connecting parliamentary research services around the world.” The workshop is taking place on 20 September 2023, 12:00-15:00. 

During the event, Parliamentary Academic Fellows, Dr Vicky Ward and Dr Mark Monaghan, will share work they have done to map the services helping parliaments across the world to access and harness research evidence. 

The event will bring together parliamentary research and development practitioners and scholars, and will provide an opportunity to share and learn more about the work of parliamentary research services and their role in building strong parliaments around the world. 

More information about the workshop can be found on the Community’s webpage. Sign up for the event using the online form. 

Sweet Thoughts

It’s national gobstopper day today! A term first used by the author Roald Dahl to describe an everlasting sucked sweet, the gobstopper also provides the perfect moment to pause and reflect, whilst working through the layers of sugar. If you’ll excuse our irreverence – or cheekiness – we wondered how a gobstopper moment might help a researcher to engage with Parliament.

We regularly hear from researchers wanting advice on writing a policy brief. How to distil years of methodologically beautiful research into a short pithy one-pager for the busy parliamentary reader. What to include and what to omit – it’s a conundrum. However, it’s the perfect puzzle to solve in a gobstopper moment. Pop one in and take some time to consider what you most need to communicate about your research to the parliamentary audience. To help you on your way you can read POST’s top tips for writing a policy briefing (scroll towards the end of the webpage to view the tips). 

So what?
Providing a policy brief to a parliamentary audience is a great way to share your important findings and highlight their impact for policy purposes. You can use your brief to connect with parliamentarians who have a special interest in your topic and become known as an expert by specialist staff in the parliamentary libraries and select committees. Timely, short, policy briefs may also be useful to parliamentarians and staff ahead of an upcoming debate in the House.  

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.