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 13 May 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  

Ready to bring your research expertise into a prestigious role at the heart of UK Parliament? 

Another ThRiLl-ing update 

It feels like only a moment ago that we shared the news about the seven new Parliamentary Thematic Research Lead portfolios in our last round-up.

Now, fast‑forward a couple of weeks and we’re pleased to let you know we’ll be opening recruitment for these roles on Monday 18 May. Watch out for a special TRL edition of the round-up landing in your inbox around lunchtime. It’ll contain all the information you need to apply, or to support a colleague who is interested in applying for the TRL roles. 

Looking a little further ahead to Thursday 18 June (1-2.30pm), please pop a note in your diary as we’ll be holding an information session on the TRL role. We’ll be joined by some current TRLs so you can hear first-hand what it’s really like and quiz us with your questions. 

Here’s a reminder of the seven new TRL roles (2027-2029) 

  • 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  

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.

Reminder: 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

  • 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.    

Celebrating 100 years of Sir David Attenborough 

You may have seen that last week — on Friday 8 May 2026 — Sir David Attenborough celebrated his 100th birthday. In this round‑up, we wanted to mark this incredible milestone and wish him a very happy (and well‑deserved) celebration.

For keen followers of Attenborough’s work, you may have spotted in his latest documentary, ‘Wild London’, that the Palace of Westminster is home to peregrine falcon chicks. Once pushed close to extinction in Britain during the 1950s, peregrine falcons have made an extraordinary recovery — and London is now thought to support the highest urban population of peregrine falcons.

(All credit for this week’s fun fact goes, of course, to Sir David Attenborough himself.)

So what? 
Peregrine falcons are birds of prey and much like their home at Westminster they are very fast moving. They are also always ready to pounce! 

And now is the perfect time for you to pounce! 

That’s because this week, Wednesday 13 May, was the King’s Speech. This speech was produced by the government and read out by King Charles III to mark the State Opening of Parliament. The speech sets out the government’s priorities and upcoming bills for the forthcoming parliamentary session. 

The King’s Speech lays out the agenda for the year ahead, triggering new bills, Select Committee inquiries, and policy debates that will actively seek evidence to shape what comes next. This makes now the prime moment for you as academics to share your insight, and help influence how complex issues are understood, debated, scrutinised and legislated!  

Just like the age old adage goes …. the early bird catches the worm! 

And before you know it, much like the peregrine falcons, you find your home at the Westminster Palace!  

For more information:

For further information about the State Opening of Parliament click here.

Click here to find out more about the ways you can engage with parliament.

Here is the full list of committees you could submit evidence to.

For further information and useful, ‘how to’ guides click here.