These opportunities and resources have been compiled by UK Parliament’s Knowledge Exchange Unit (KEU) to help you understand how to engage with Parliament as a researcher.

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

Jump to:

Select committees currently accepting written evidence (compiled 2 July 2025)

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.

New calls for evidence:

All other inquiries currently accepting 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 here. And find more on engagement for impact here. 

What should I expect? All evidence will be read and taken into consideration, but you may not receive a direct response from us or the Committee. To stay informed, we encourage you to follow the progress on the respective committee / inquiry webpages.

More information: all inquiries currently accepting evidence are found here  
Guidance on submitting evidence to Commons select committees
Guidance on submitting evidence to Lords select committees

Calling all healthy ageing experts

The Health and Social Care Committee has launched a new inquiry into the role of physical activity in improving the health and wellbeing of our older population.

The Committee is keen to hear from researchers with expertise on relevant topics, including ageing, population health, public health, physical activity and health inequalities. Research insights on the following questions are particularly welcome:

  1. What are the opportunities in public health to promote physical activity to prevent physical and mental ill health at a population-level as people begin to age and help them remain healthy into older age? How can this be delivered?
  2. What are the opportunities for health services to promote physical activity to reduce the impacts of ill health and reduce the development of multimorbidity and/or frailty in older people who already have a long-term health condition? How can this be delivered?
    • What interventions would have the most impact in reducing the gap in healthy life expectancy between older people living in the most and least deprived regions?

You can find a full list of questions from the Committee in the terms of reference for this inquiry. We encourage researchers with relevant expertise to consider submitting written evidence to this inquiry. Remember that there’s no need to answer every question posed in the call for evidence.

You can read more about the inquiry here. The deadline to submit evidence is Thursday 7 August, 23:59.

Parliament after dark

Step into the historic Palace of Westminster for an unforgettable evening dedicated to the remarkable individuals who safeguarded and upheld Parliamentary democracy during World War Two. Immerse yourself in captivating stories and rich history at this dynamic, free-flowing event. 

You can explore the Palace of Westminster at your own pace, including iconic spaces like the House of Commons Chamber, House of Lords Chamber and Westminster Hall.

Highlights of the evening include: 

Historical Imagery Display: From the Parliamentary Collections, explore a curated collection of powerful images showcasing a range of figures who protected and supported Parliamentary democracy during World War Two. 

Engaging Short Talks: Listen to insightful talks about people who were involved with the war effort. 

Historical documents: Get up close to books, telegrams, and other items of significance from the war.  

Entry is £10 per person and tickets must be purchased online. If you have any specific accessibility requirements, please contact visitparliament@parliament.uk so we can ensure your needs are met. 

Still time to apply for a fellowship with POST

There are two different types of PhD fellowships available this week:

Parliamentary fellowship (chemistry): A funded (3 month*) fellowship is open to Royal Society of Chemistry members** who are undertaking or have recently finished their PhD study. The successful applicant will be based in the UK Parliament, supporting its use of research evidence by preparing briefing material for parliamentarians on emerging science topics.

*The fellowship can be carried out full-time for 13 weeks or part-time over a longer period. The start date will fall within the period between January 2026 and October 2026.
** Potential applicants who are not already a member of the RSC can apply to join prior to submitting their fellowship application.

UKRI policy internships: Funded placements are available to current or recent PhD students to intern at UK Parliament within POST, a select committee, or the House of Commons or House of Lords Libraries. An online information session will be held on Thursday 3 July for prospective applicants. Email post@parliament.uk to book to attend the information session.

These internships are part of the wider UKRI scheme: view the full range of hosts for the Policy Internships scheme – it includes parliamentary teams, government departments and non-governmental bodies, learned societies and other organisations. Look through the detailed information about all the UKRI Policy Internships. Or access more information on the internships based in POST. Information on the funding arrangements is in the applicant guidance (Annex A).

Pups for PMBs

Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets), Dogs (Protection of Livestock), Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales), Company Directors (Duties), National Cancer Strategy, Bereavement Support (Children and Young People), Child Criminal Exploitation, Regulatory Impact Assessments, Aviation (Accessibility), Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation… Phew, let’s take a paws.

This Friday is a special one in Parliament – it marks one of only thirteen sitting Fridays in the parliamentary session dedicated to private members’ bills (PMBs). Listed above are the first ten PMBs currently on the docket for tomorrow (in order), though it’s likely time constraints mean many will not be covered. At this stage, priority is given to those bills that are furthest along – usually those that have already had their second reading and committee stage. Any bills approved in the Commons tomorrow will go to the Lords for their first reading.

So what?

This excellent Commons Library briefing describes PMBs as  ‘bills introduced by a member of the House of Commons or the House of Lords who is not a government minister’. For researchers, PMBs can be an avenue to contribute to legislative scrutiny and connect with MPs and Members of the House of Lords outside the government who are interested in your research area. You could:

  • Watch the debates on PMBs related to your area of expertise on Parliament TV
  • Reach out to the MPs who proposed the bills and offer to brief them or share your research
  • Track the progress of any PMBs of interest on the Parliament bills website
  • Share relevant research or policy briefs with MPs and Members of the House of Lords interested in a bill related to your area of expertise. To find out who might be interested, try:
    • Using Hansard to find out who has contributed to previous debates on the bill (by searching for the name of the bill)
    • Searching Hansard or TheyWorkForYou to find out who has previously spoken in Parliament on the topic
  • Get ahead by suggesting topics to MPs for new PMBs in the next parliamentary session
    • Be strategic: connect your suggestions to existing legislation or gaps and focus your communication on MPs you have an existing relationship with, and/or those who have demonstrated interest in your research area