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 04 June 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  

Thematic Research Leads 2027–29: Applications, Insights and Next Steps

Back in May we shared our excitement to welcome applications for the Thematic Research Lead roles here in parliament, supported by UKRI.

If you missed our special announcement do take a quick skim through.   

We’re recruiting for seven TRL portfolios commencing in April 2027 for two years: 

Everything you need to know is available through the guidance and FAQs on the TRL page in our web hub.  

We’re also running an information session to help applicants (and knowledge mobilisers supporting applicants). The session will build on the guidance already shared, so we won’t be repeating what you’ve already read. Instead, we’ll cover the key things its important that applicants understand about how parliament works so you can apply with confidence and we’ll share tips on what we’re looking for from an application.

Best of all, we’ll be joined by the current TRLs who will share their experience in the role and answer your questions. 

Register for the 18 June TRL information session (1-2.30pm) 

The Thematic Research Lead is a highly influential role, ideal for researchers looking to broaden their impact, develop policy insight, and build lasting connections across parliament and beyond. To give you a richer sense of the role, one of our current TRLs has written a short article reflecting on their experiences in their own words, and we’ll be sharing a second one soon. Together, they offer a valuable insight into what the role is really like in practice. Read the first of these here: 

Read all our TRL stories  

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.

Follow the work of select committees – sign up to Committee Corridor newsletter and social media channels

Want to know which policy issues are attracting the most attention in parliament? Select committees are often at the centre of the action – scrutinising government policy and spending, examining legislation, and investigating matters of public concern.

The House of Commons Select Committee Team has launched some new digital channels to better engage people with select committee scrutiny.

Subscribe to the Committee Corridor newsletter for a weekly update straight to your inbox, served up at Monday lunchtimes while parliament is sitting. Follow and subscribe to stay on top of the latest calls for evidence, report launches, inquiries, and correspondence.

You can now find committees on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Reddit, X, and YouTube.

Whether you work closely with committees or simply want to stay informed, these channels are a quick and accessible way to keep up with committee work and opportunities to engage.

Why should I engage? Select committees are a key way for academics to share their research with the UK Parliament, and the Committee Corridor newsletter highlights the different ways that select committees analyse topics and scrutinise how the Government is responding to issues of the day. The newsletter will allow you to stay on top of the latest calls for evidence, report launches, inquiries and correspondence. 

More information:  Find out more about the Committee Corridor newsletter and sign up here.

Calling all ODA funding recipients… The International Development Committee wants to hear from you! 

If you were a previous recipient of an Official Development Assistance (ODA) funded scholarship or research grant, the International Development Committee would be keen to hear your thoughts by completing this survey.

Please also pass on to colleagues within your network who have received ODA funded scholarships and grants – we are keen to maximise engagement and feedback.

The Committee is seeking to understand the value and impact of ODA-funded scholarships and research partnerships through how they shape professional development, strengthen international collaboration and contribute to long‑term development impact.

The deadline for completing this survey is 28 June 2026. 

Why should I engage? Select committees are a key way for academics to share their experience with the UK Parliament. The International Development Committee are keen to understand the value and impact of ODA-funded scholarships and want to hear the first-hand experiences of the individuals who have received this funding. 

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

The history behind the House of Commons chamber

As I mentioned above, yesterday I attended my first ever Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs). And, of course, the lively debate takes place in the House of Commons Chamber, which leads me to this week’s fun fact. 

The Commons Chamber – which is easily recognisable from its green furnishings, will be familiar to many of you from television coverage… no doubt you’ve all seen it featured during the coverage of PMQs! 

You may notice that its layout – two rows of benches facing each other – is quite different from debating chambers in many other countries, which are often arranged in a horseshoe or semi‑circular shape. 

This distinctive design dates from the rebuilding of the Chamber after the Second World War. It is commonly linked to the views of Winston Churchill, who argued for a smaller, more intimate debating space with two opposing sides. The arrangement reflects a parliamentary tradition that emphasises direct exchange and rigorous debate. 

So what?

The Commons Chamber is all about the debate. As the politicians stand at the dispatch box and debate important topics, they could be using your research to evidence their point! As a researcher, your work can be invaluable in encouraging this debate. You can ground policy not just in facts, but in the broader context – including lived experience, societal impact, and the nuances behind the data. 

But it’s important HOW you engage with Parliament as an academic. We understand that you’ll be discussing a project you know inside out – something you’ve researched for years. However, the people you speak to (MPs, peers, and parliamentary staff) won’t share that same level of expertise! To make sure we can fully understand and benefit from your research, it’s essential to pitch it at the right level. This isn’t about “dumbing it down”; it’s about communicating complex ideas in a clear and accessible way. 

You can unpack complex evidence effectively by: 

  1. Starting with what’s familiar to your audience. 
  2. Introducing complexity gradually, building each idea on the last. 
  3. Explaining function before mechanism—what something does is easier to grasp than how it works. 
  4. Signposting your structure so your audience can follow your line of thought. 

For more information: 

To get a more in-depth insight into the history of The Commons Chamber, please click here: 

You can watch back our training session on Parliament for researchers: how to write for a parliamentary audience. 

Find out about the latest debates.