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).

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Select committee inquiries update

No new select committee inquiries were launched during the recess period. However, you may wish to review all the select committee inquiries currently open for submissions of written evidence (which will have been featured in previous round-ups). Remember that you don’t have to answer every question posed in each call for 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”.

Apply now: POST PhD fellowship for students in natural, scientific or social science fields

POST and the Nuffield Foundation are offering a 13-week fellowship for PhD students working in a natural, scientific or social science field who are undertaking or have recently completed their PhD study.

Successful applicants will be based in UK Parliament, supporting its use of research evidence.
Most fellows assist POST in providing briefing material for parliamentarians on emerging science topics. PhD Fellows are encouraged to interact closely with people and activities in the two Houses of Parliament, including Select Committees, MPs and Peers, their support services, ‘All-Party Parliamentary Group’ meetings and the very wide range of other activities at the Palace of Westminster.

The fellowship can be carried out full-time or part-time during 2024, with the start date to be agreed between the applicant, POST, the Nuffield Foundation and the applicant’s supervisor. Successful applicants will receive a grant totalling £7000, paid in two instalments.

The deadline for applications is 5 November.

Find out more about the fellowship and how to apply on POST’s website.

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. 

Reminder: fellowship opportunity with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK Branch 

In case you missed it, applications are still open for a new Parliamentary Academic Fellowship opportunity with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK Branch (CPA UK) to review their 2019-2025 Strategy. The fellowship is open to university-based knowledge exchange professionals and researchers.

This exciting opportunity to inform approaches for strengthening parliamentary democracy and collaboration and work with a range of stakeholders in the UK Parliament and across the Commonwealth closes on Wednesday 22 November 2023.

Here’s what Prof Gavin Phillipson had to say about being a Parliamentary Academic Fellow:

“Aside from REF-style impact, I gained both enormously valuable insights into how Parliament and Government work in practice, and a range of wonderful contacts I’ve drawn on since for my continuing work in this area. I also got multiple opportunities to speak as a result of my role at prestigious events in and outside Parliament.”

Find out how to apply and more information on the Parliamentary Academic Fellowship scheme on the KEU website.

Why should I engage? Fellowships offer the opportunity to work closely with a team in Parliament, supporting and informing its work, building capacity or helping evolve processes, or delivering a unique project. Find out more about why to engage with Parliament here. And find more on engagement for impact here. 

More information:  Find out more information about the Parliamentary Academic Fellowship Scheme here. And find information about the outcomes and impacts arising from previous fellowships here.  

New role to increase academic engagement with the Welsh Parliament/Senedd Cymru

An exciting opportunity has arisen to work at the interface of research and policy in the heart of Welsh democracy as a Knowledge Exchange Manager. Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the new post is a collaboration between the Senedd, Swansea University as host institution, and Cardiff University. The role will be integral to the delivery and expansion of the Senedd’s knowledge exchange strategy.

The post holder will be employed by Swansea University but will spend four days a week working for the Senedd, and one day a week working with Swansea University, Cardiff University and other research organisations. It is a full time, fixed term post available until 17 December 2025, with 0.8 FTE hours also considered.

Apply below by 12 November:

Why should I engage? Working embedded in the Welsh Parliament/Senedd Cymru affords unique insight into the inner operations of a legislature and the importance of devolved matters. It will allow you to make new contacts and relationships both within the Senedd and the wider university sector, experience leading projects to build capacity, and help to evolve processes and shape projects. 

More information: Find out more about the opportunity here.

Contribute to the Senedd’s Areas of Research Interest

Senedd committees have just launched two new Areas of Research Interest (ARIs).

The Senedd’s Equality and Social Justice Committee is keen to explore what action government and employers can take to increase employment opportunities for disabled people and reduce the disability pay and employment gaps.

Relevant Senedd committees will also be looking at gender quotas and diversity in parliaments. They are interested in exploring existing evidence around the use of gender quotas in parliaments and the impact that the collection and publication of diversity information has on improving the diversity of parliaments.

There are four other ARIs still open for contributions, on behaviour change in response to climate change, modal shift and active travel, sustainable communities, and health literacy.

Find out more about how the Senedd uses ARIs and how you can contribute on their website.

Why should I engage? ARIs, and the research and insights which you contribute in response to them, help to support committees’ scrutiny of government. When you register on the repository, parliamentary staff will be able to access your research to inform their work. If this area becomes a topic of scrutiny within the Senedd, staff may search the repository for relevant research and contacts.More information: Find out more about the Senedd’s ARIs here.

Black History Month and the Parliamentary Archives

On 11th June 1987, Labour candidates Diane Abbott, Paul Boateng, and Bernie Grant achieved a historic electoral breakthrough, becoming the first elected black MPs. The Parliamentary Archives blog explores their formative years. In another blog, the Archives chronicle Tottenham MP Bernie Grant’s unforgettable career, highlighting the extensive range of subject areas Parliamentarians contend with in the course of their work. For many years, Dr David Pitt was one of the most recognisable Civil Rights Campaigners in Britain, but did you know his medical background informed his approach to public health scrutiny?

Did you know?

The UK Parliament Archives blog ‘Inside the Act Room’ has a number of interesting and engaging articles for researchers to enjoy. These articles include information on parliamentary figures and commemorate key dates in the history of Parliament. They also provide explanations of key acts which had a lasting impact on the history of the UK, and signposts how researchers and academics can access the UK Parliament archives.  

More information: