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 28 February 2024)

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 three weeks (since 15 February 2024)

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”.

Contribute evidence to a POSTnote

Enhanced weathering: spreading rock dust to remove greenhouse gases – new POSTnote accepting contributions   

Enhanced weathering solutions remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and add inorganic carbon to soil. The enhanced weathering process seeks to accelerate the natural breakdown of silicate-rich rocks, such as basalt, into soil inorganic carbon by crushing materials, thereby increasing the surface area and rate of chemical reactions and applying to land surfaces. In the first trial of Enhanced Rock Weathering on upland grasslands, UKCEH applied 56 tonnes of finely ground basalt rock from quarries to three hectares of farmland in Plynlimon, Powys in May 2023 and are repeating this at the same time next year. 

This POSTnote will set out the challenges of adopting this approach across UK farmland and the possible contribution to reducing emissions from hard to decarbonise sectors.  

We will accept stakeholder contributions until 22 April 2024.Contact forrestn@parliament.uk

Open

POST welcomes contact from researchers with relevant research in the below topic areas. Researchers are encouraged to get in touch via the email address if they wish to contribute their evidence to these POSTnotes:

Supply of semi-conductors | To contribute your expertise or literature email woodsdb@parliament.uk before 13 March 2024

Public health impacts of heat and humidity | To contribute your expertise or literature email bunnsk@parliament.uk

Trust in broadcasters and news providers | To contribute your expertise or literature email bettisj@parliament.uk

The hydrogen backbone | To contribute your expertise or literature email oxbyj@parliament.uk

6G – Next generation mobile communication technologies | To contribute your expertise or literature email post@parliament.uk

Cybersecurity of the metaverse | To contribute your expertise or literature email brawleys@parliament.uk

Closed

The POSTnotes on
– Increasing the resilience of landscapes and habitats to wildfires
– Diet, nutrition and cancer
– Reform of the Mental Health Act
– Disinformation
are no longer accepting contributions from researchers.

POSTnotes are short briefings produced by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) which review emerging areas of research for Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff. 

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 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.

New training opportunity: Parliament for Researchers with the House of Lords

Join us for the first in a series of new online Parliament for Researchers training sessions, in collaboration with Members of the House of Lords.

In our upcoming session, we will be joined by Lord Ravensdale, who will share insights on the value of academic research in Parliament, informed by his professional background in engineering.

About the session

During the session, you will find out about how research evidence is used in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords and how you can work with Parliament as a researcher.

Who is this for?

This session is suitable for early career researchers, PhD students, researchers who are new to engaging with the UK Parliament as well as those who would benefit from a refresher. The session will cover useful information for researchers of all academic backgrounds, but may be of particular interest to those in physical science and engineering related disciplines.

Sign up now


The first session will take place online, on Friday 22 March, 13:00-14:00. You can register for the session here.

Each subsequent session will focus on a different academic discipline. Details for future sessions will be shared in this round-up and on our website.

Why should I engage? 

Parliament for Researchers with the House of Lords training sessions offer a unique opportunity to learn more about the UK Parliament and how it uses research from the perspective of a Member of the House of Lords. The sessions also contain practical information and advice on how to engage with Parliament as a researcher, including details on select committees, the House of Commons and House of Lords Libraries, POST, and working with individual Parliamentarians.

More information 

Find out about upcoming sessions and how to sign up here. You can also find recordings of previous training sessions here.

Why is there a plaque in a broom cupboard in Parliament?

You may know Emily Wilding Davison as the suffragette who died after colliding with the King’s Horse at the 1913 Derby.

Two years earlier, Emily illegally hid herself in a broom cupboard in the crypt just off Westminster Hall. It was the night of the 1911 census.

She did so to state that her address was The House of Commons, which she used to claim that she had the same rights as men.

Tony Benn MP was determined to install a plaque to commemorate her bravery. In 2001 he said in the House of Commons “I have put up several plaques – quite illegally, without permission; I screwed them up myself. One was in the broom cupboard to commemorate Emily Wilding Davison”.

So what?
This International Woman’s Day (8 March) we’re celebrating the lives of women who have shaped the history of Parliament. The theme this year is #InspireInclusion

On Friday 8 March, Baroness Barran (Conservative), Lords government spokesperson for equalities, and Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Department for Education, will debate the steps taken to promote the economic inclusion of women. 

More information