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 29 April 2026)

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 invite 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 

Support resources: find guidance on submitting evidence to select committees on the KEU’s ‘how to guides’ page  

Hear, Hear! Thematic Research Leads – the best Westminster buzz!

Westminster is famous for the constant burble of voices — that hum of ideas and excited conversation you hear as you move through its corridors. We’re delighted to say the Knowledge Exchange Unit has been adding to that buzz recently.

Behind the scenes, we’ve been beavering away getting ready to launch our next big opportunity: a call for seven researchers to join us on a UKRI supported fellowship as our new cohort of Thematic Research Leads. It’s been a hive of activity, and we’re really excited about what’s coming next.

You’ll be hearing more about this over the next two round‑ups, but for now, here’s a taste of what it’s all about:

What are Thematic Research Leads?

Thematic Research Leads (TRLs) join us in parliament for three days per week, for two years, while retaining their substantive post for their remaining working time.

TRLs work strategically to increase both the volume and effective use of peer-reviewed, evidence-based research within parliament. Drawing on their deep thematic expertise, and combining this with understanding of the policy environment, TRLs use knowledge exchange mechanisms to strengthen the flow of research evidence into parliament and help ensure it’s applied effectively to meet parliament’s priorities across the broad policy theme.

That sounds fun! But what would I really do?

Parliament has been privileged to work with eleven brilliant TRLs already and they’ve responded to parliament’s evidence requirements in different ways – shaping, collaborating and innovating to meet their team’s needs. You can expect variety in the role and to work on some medium length projects balanced with rapid and responsive work. Here are some examples of ‘everyday’ activities in the TRL role:

  • scoping what a select committee inquiry will cover or helping to write the terms of reference for an upcoming inquiry
  • helping parliamentarians and the committee team find knowledgeable witnesses to speak at an evidence session
  • delivering a teach-in to inform or upskill staff on a niche aspect of your thematic area
  • collaborating with other TRLs to bring rounded, cross-disciplinary perspectives on an aspect of new legislation
  • co-authoring briefing content, evidence synthesises, or providing oral briefings to inform members of parliament or parliamentary colleagues
  • setting up a discussion forum where external researchers/experts can share their insights with parliamentary policy analysis colleagues
  • engaging with other fellows, including our PhD interns, to help them scope briefings for members in cutting edge policy relevant areas
  • arranging webinars or information sessions on focal thematic topics – sourcing the right people to speak, setting the sessions up, briefing the speakers, and helping to implement outcomes
  • acting as an impartial adviser
  • engaging with visiting delegations from international parliaments
  • reviewing up-to-the-minute academic literature and synthesising findings to ensure parliamentary specialists have timely access to recent evidence.

If you’d like more on what this looks like in practice, you can read what our first TRLs enjoyed about the first year of their role:

And the moment you’ve been waiting for…ta da!

To help you plan ahead we’re excited to announce that we will be recruiting to these seven thematic portfolios:

  • AI, Digital and Technology
  • National Security and Resilience
  • Infrastructure, Planning and Land Use, including Clean Energy Industries
  • Health and Life Sciences
  • Education, Children and Young People
  • Criminal Justice
  • Place-Based Economic Growth

The TRL roles are a targeted opportunity which aim to support the appointee’s professional progression and experience. They are open to researchers who have completed their PhD and are in an academic or equivalent research role below professorial level.

The successful candidates will be skilled in research, able to adapt to a different working culture – including working impartially, and capable of writing in a policy-focussed style. They will also be comfortable working across a broad thematic policy area, beyond their specific research specialism.

But my research is niche – I don’t know everything about an entire policy area!

You’ll learn quickly! We don’t expect applicants to know everything about the entire thematic policy area, but you will need to show policy insight and be able to assimilate and digest new information at pace, becoming confident to make judgements and provide your impartial opinion or advice. Happily, we know this is a skill set that researchers excel at.

What should I do next?

Keep an eagle eye on our round ups and POST’s Linked In account. We’ll be bringing you all the key information through these channels.

Know someone who might be interested in the TRL roles but doesn’t receive the round up? Please share this with them, or they can subscribe to receive it direct to their inbox.

If you’re a knowledge mobiliser consider having a chat with colleagues who you think would be brilliant for the TRL role to offer them some encouragement. 

Watch this space — there’s plenty more noise to come!

Why should I engage? The position of TRL is a highly influential and prestigious role at the heart of Parliament. The role presents a unique opportunity for you to work closely with policy, research and analysis staff from across the UK Parliament. It offers an exciting opportunity for you to see first-hand how research feeds into policy, through shaping parliamentary work with your research expertise and participating in the development of parliamentary processes for knowledge exchange.  

You will be uniquely placed to build connections with parliamentary and government stakeholders to take forward through your career, and this participation will provide you with rich and varied experiences to support you on an upward professional trajectory. Former TRLs have reported that the role has contributed to advancement in their careers, including to professorial level.

More information: Thematic Research Leads were created to build a strategic bridge between Parliament and the research community, helping ensure that parliamentarians have access to rich sources of evidence and expertise. Finding out more about the current and former TRLs will provide insight into their areas of focus, and show you how we work together to enhance the ways your research can flow into Parliament.  Find more information about Thematic Research Leads here.

Applications now open for two Midlands Innovation POST fellowships

POST and Midlands Innovation are offering two 13-week fellowships for PhD students to work in the heart of the UK Parliament. Starting in January 2027, the successful applicants will help bridge the gap between academic research and policy. POST Fellows support Parliament’s use of research evidence. Fellows typically produce a POSTnote (a briefing document for MPs and Peers), assist Select Committees with inquiries, or organise seminars to disseminate research. The role offers unique access to the two Houses of Parliament, allowing researchers to interact closely with MPs, Peers, and parliamentary staff.

All information about how to apply for the Fellowship, including important eligibility information, is here.

  • The scheme is open to PhD students at the Universities of Birmingham, Leicester, Loughborough, or Warwick, whose research relates to social sciences, life sciences, health sciences, or medicine.
  • Applicants must have completed their first year and must not have submitted their thesis before the fellowship begins.
  • The two Fellowships are funded by Midlands Innovation and successful candidates receive a stipend of £8,128.50 (or a 13-week extension for clinical academic candidates).
  • Candidates must submit an online application, a two-page briefing on a policy-relevant topic, and a supervisor approval form.

Key dates

  • Information webinar: Wednesday 13 May 2026
  • Application deadline: Sunday 31 May 2026
  • Interviews: Tuesday 7 July 2026

Why should I engage? Fellows at POST will have the opportunity to produce their own parliamentary briefing from start to finish. By the end of their time at POST, our fellows will have learned how to write for policy-makers with balance, impartiality and succinctness. They will also have developed a unique understanding of Westminster, forged important relationships with key stakeholders, and delved into a novel and exciting topic of research.

What should I expect? All applications will be read and taken into consideration, but please note you may not receive a direct response from us. If you do not hear anything further, then please assume your application has not been successful on this occasion.

More information: Read about previous fellows’ experiences here, and find out more about the impacts of participating in a fellowship here.    

Calling all experts on neuroscience and digital childhoods 

The House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee is conducting an inquiry into neuroscience and digital childhoods, to examine the impact of digital devices on brain development, as well as wider physical impacts, the differences between types of devices and types of use, and the impacts on those of different ages and from different backgrounds.

The committee have specifically asked us to draw your attention to this inquiry and they are keen to hear from all researchers whose research or expertise can inform the below questions: 

The call for evidence asks the following questions: 

  • What impact do digital devices have on the brain development of children and adolescents?
  • What are the short-, medium- and long-term effects on the brain of using digital devices in childhood and adolescence?
  • How do children and adolescents view the impact of digital devices, and how far are their views taken into account in policy?
  • Is there adequate evidence around the impact of digital devices on the development of children and adolescents?
  • What are the wider social and economic implications of the impacts of use of digital devices in childhood and adolescence on brain development?

Please do submit written evidence if you have expertise in the above areas, the committee are keen to receive more robust evidence from researchers. 

For further information, including how to contribute your expertise, please click here. 

The deadline to respond to this request is 10 May 2026.

Why should I engage? Submitting evidence to a select committee can lead to further engagement, such as an invite 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  

Support resources: find guidance on submitting evidence to select committees on the KEU’s ‘how to guides’ page   

There is also: 

Guidance on submitting evidence to Commons select committees

Guidance on submitting evidence to Lords select committees

Reminder: British Psychological Society fellowship scheme

This fellowship scheme is in collaboration with the British Psychological Society (BPS). It provides a funded opportunity (£8,128.50) for a current or recently graduated doctoral student working in a psychology-related field to be seconded to the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) to support the creation of briefing materials for MPs and peers. The fellowship lasts 13 weeks (full-time) or longer if part-time. It may be undertaken remotely, in person at POST’s offices in Westminster, or under hybrid working arrangements.

The successful applicant will start their fellowship in January 2027.

The application deadline is 18 May 2026. Apply here.

You can also get the insider perspective on the fellowship by reading the insights shared on what a typical day looks like, written by 2025 BPS fellow, Annie O’Brien. 

Why should I engage? Fellows at POST will have the opportunity to produce their own parliamentary briefing from start to finish. By the end of their time at POST, our fellows will have learned how to write for policy-makers with balance, impartiality and succinctness. They will also have developed a unique understanding of Westminster, forged important relationships with key stakeholders, and delved into a novel and exciting topic of research.

What should I expect? All applications will be read and taken into consideration, but please note you may not receive a direct response from us. If you do not hear anything further, then please assume your application has not been successful on this occasion.

More information: Read about previous fellows’ experiences here, and find out more about the impacts of participating in a fellowship here.  

Reminder: Call for experts in distributed ledger technology

The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) aims to produce a short briefing for Parliament on the topic of distributed ledger technologies. 

We are looking for an external expert to work with POST staff to develop the briefing, which will be impartial, relevant, timely, and accessible to a non-specialist audience.

The briefing may cover what distributed technologies are, where they are used in finance and beyond, what other technologies are underpinned by them, and their impact on the UK’s financial system, regulatory frameworks, and data. The briefing will be up to 1500 words.

To express interest in collaborating with POST to produce the briefing please click here.

The deadline to express interest is 14 May 2026 at 23:59.

Why should I engage? Sharing your research findings through contributing to a co-authored briefing is a great route to impact. Parliament seeks to draw on a body of existing research to inform decisions, so it’s a way to demonstrate your research in practice and the real-world change it contributes to. Contributing to writing for parliamentary audiences, and making connections with parliamentary teams, can lead to additional opportunities for collaboration in the future. 

What should I expect? All submissions will be read and taken into consideration, but you may not receive a direct response. 

More information: Find out more about why to engage with Parliament here. 

Reminder: Health and Social Care Committee’s Independent Expert Panel 

Calling experts in the transition from child to adult services 

The Health and Social Care Committee’s Independent Expert Panel is seeking evidence for their evaluation of the transition from child to adult health and social care services.  

The call for evidence covers six focus areas:  

  • Timeliness and pace of the transition into adult services 
  • Effectiveness of the transition process and cross-service coordination 
  • Meaningful involvement of children, young people and their carers 
  • Workforce and training 
  • Enabling developmentally appropriate independence 
  • Promoting equity across the transition 

The Expert Panel has identified key questions within each focus area and is looking for evidence specifically in relation to these questions. You do not have to respond to all of the questions listed.

The call for evidence can be found here.

The deadline to respond to this request is 10 May 2026 at 23:59. 

Why should I engage?
Engaging with the Independent Expert Panel (IEP) means you can inform parliamentary thinking on critical stages of the health and care journey. By contributing your research and expertise, you can help inform national guidance, service design, and future health policy—ensuring that evidence drives decisions when supporting young people transition from childhood to adulthood services.

More information:

To submit evidence please click here.

Reminder: Social Science POSTnote

As a reminder, POST’s social science section has two exciting new POSTnote topics and the team are currently looking for experts to contribute in the following areas:  

Approved work: Impacts of screen and phone use on children and young people’s development:

This briefing will synthesize the latest evidence on children’s screen and phone use, updating the 2020 POSTnote  Screen use and health in young people. It will evaluate the strength of scientific findings across developmental, social and wellbeing research including neuroscience and biomedical research. It will  assess anecdotal evidence and stakeholder perspectives on the impact of school-level policies and examine inequalities in access to digital technologies. It may also identify methodological limitations and evidence gaps.  
Further details can be found here.

To contribute to this POSTnote please share your information through this form. 

Deadline: 8 May 2026

Approved work: Impacts of social media on children and young people:

This briefing will synthesise the available evidence on social media’s effects on children and young people. It will evaluate the  available evidence and identify gaps, consider the risks and benefits of social media use,  and explore recent policy changes, international approaches, and the attitudes of children, young people and parents.

Further details can be found here.

To contribute to this POSTnote please share your information through this form. 

Deadline: 8 May 2026 

If you’re new to POSTnotes or haven’t contributed your research before read on for some general information explaining POSTnotes and what you can expect. 

POSTnotes: explainer

POST collaborates with stakeholders and researchers from industry, government, academia and specialist research institutions, the third sector and beyond, to help identify important themes and source critical literature to produce POSTnotes. Researchers also help peer-review the final reports. POST releases information about the new POSTnotes and briefings it is working on 3-4 times per year and calls for researchers with expertise in the topics identified to share their research and knowledge to contribute to the new POSTnotes. They welcome hearing from researchers working within all disciplines.

What are POSTnotes?
POSTnotes are comprehensive, trusted, and impartial briefings on new and emerging research areas from across science and the social sciences. They inform parliamentary debate, support decision-making, and help parliamentarians scrutinise government policy. 

Why should I get involved?
Sharing your expertise to contribute to POST’s work can be a time-efficient way to get your research in front of parliamentarians. To tell us about your work please share your personal details, a brief summary of your expertise and key issues relevant to the briefing topic through the links listed above.

What happens when I share my research insights?
POST carefully reviews and considers the information you provide. To produce the briefing POST draws on the research that fits best and references this research in the publication. POST sometimes also contacts contributors to obtain further information. It is not possible to discuss individual contributions, not all submissions will be used, nor all researchers contacted. Rest assured, POST will reach out to you should they need further information. There is also no need to highly polish the wording when you share your research insights through the form. POST will reword all submissions to fit seamlessly within the published briefing.

All submissions used will be credited in the publication which will be available online with open access on POST’s website: https://post.parliament.uk/. 

For guidance or to find out more about how POST acknowledges contributions browse the webpage: contributing to POST research as an expert

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 great way to feed your expertise into the UK Parliament as part of a trusted, impartial publication. POSTnotes are used in Parliament to inform select committee inquiries, help answer questions from MPs, and can be cited by parliamentarians during Chamber business. All contributors are acknowledged when the POSTnote is published.  Therefore, your contribution can help raise your profile and promote your research.

What should I expect? 
All submissions will be read and taken into consideration, but you may not receive a direct response. If your submission is relevant to the scope of the final POSTnote and mentioned in the POSTnote you will be listed as a contributor. On publication, you and your organisation’s communications team will be notified to publicise the POSTnote and your contribution. 

More information:

Find out more about contributing to a POSTnote as an expert. 
Sign up for POST alerts to receive updates when new research briefings are published. 

Secrets, Suffrage, and Scrutiny: St Stephen’s Hall’s past

This week we are back on our virtual tour of the parliamentary estate… 

… next up and this week’s fun fact is St Stephen’s Hall and Corridor. 

St Stephen’s Hall was the House of Commons Chamber until destroyed by fire in 1834. MPs conducted their business from St Stephen’s Hall again on the first day of each session between 1945 and 1950 while the Commons Chamber—badly damaged during the Second World War—was rebuilt.

Today, St Stephen’s Corridor is lined with statues of notable parliamentarians from across history. 

In 1909, a suffragette chained herself to one of the statues as part of a protest demanding political rights for women. When she was forcibly removed, part of the statue was chipped. That damage remains visible to this day!

Engagement leaves a record

The chipped statue is a permanent reminder that engagement with parliament can have a lasting impact. While research may not leave a physical mark, it can leave a clear imprint on legislation or increase public understanding.

Today, UK Parliament actively seeks evidence from experts, practitioners, and researchers to inform its work:

  • Giving evidence to select committees
  • Submitting written briefings
  • Supporting peers and MPs with specialist knowledge

For more information: