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 01 July 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  

Last chance to apply: Thematic Research Lead roles and updated FAQs

You’ve just over 3 weeks left to get your applications for the new Thematic Research Lead positions in. You can find all the information here.

We’d particularly love to encourage applications for the following roles:

The deadline is 9 August 2026 at 23:55.

For further information, including the recording of our information session, the transcript, the guidance for applying and our newly updated FAQs (following the information session) please click here. 

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 out more or to apply to one of the seven TRL roles: Thematic Research Leads.

Calling all academics – Survey: Transport Researchers and Engagement with UK Parliament

Are you an academic at a UK University whose research relates to transport? If so, our Transport TRL Louise Reardon would love to hear from you through a ten minute online survey, available at this link.

Louise is wanting to hear your views on research use in UK Parliament and motivations and barriers to engagement, and is keen to hear from transport researchers who haven’t engaged with Parliament before as well as those who have. Insights gained through the survey will be used to inform the development of resources to support future academic engagement.

Why should I engage? We are always keen to break down barriers that researchers face in engaging with Parliament. We’ve known for a long time that researchers face different barriers, And we are committed to overcoming these.  There may be particular barriers that researchers working on transport face, and so we are keen to support Louise to surface these so that we can work together to address them.  by sharing your insights with Louise you are giving us key information to help us make Parliament more inclusive in the research  it engages with.

More information: Find out more about some of the things we have done over the years to make Parliament’s engagement with research more inclusive. 

Save the date! Wednesday 25 November 2026: Parliament for Researchers with the House of Lords

We’re delighted to announce that on Wednesday 25 November 2026 we will be hosting an online conference, ‘Parliament for Researchers with the House of Lords’. Designed for academics and delivered by Members of the House of Lords, the event will provide insights into how the House of Lords uses research and how researchers can engage effectively with Parliament to maximise the impact of their work. 

Further details, including registration information, session timings and the programme, will be shared following Parliamentary recess. 

If you are interested in looking at our 2024 online training, please watch the recording of the online recordings here. 

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 throughout the day will contain practical information and advice on how to engage with Parliament as a researcher, including details on select committees, the House of Lords Libraries, POST, and working with individual Parliamentarians. 

More information : You can find recordings of previous training sessions here. 

Reminder: PhD Fellowship – applications now open! 

The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology is welcoming applications for a 13-week funded fellowship for members of the Royal Society of Chemistry* who are undertaking or have recently completed PhD study. The fellowship will support the use of research evidence, usually through preparing briefing material for parliamentarians on emerging science topics. 

*Applicants who are not currently members of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) but wish to be considered for this opportunity can join the RSC (at least one week) ahead of submitting their fellowship application.
 

Read the full details about the fellowship,including how to apply.  
Deadline for applications: 1 August 2026

Why should I engage? POST’s PhD fellowships offer a once in a lifetime opportunity to view the epicentre of policy-making from the inside. By the end of their time at POST, fellows learn how to write for policy with balance and impartiality. They also develop a unique understanding of Westminster and forge important relationships with key stakeholders, while often delving into a novel and exciting topic of research.

Find out more about what a POST fellowship is like and the opportunities it can lead to. 

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: Find out more about POST fellowships. Watch an interview with a previous POST fellow to learn about her experience. 

Reminder: Calling out to all experts in the UK’s engagement with the multilateral system

The International Relations and Defence Committee is undertaking an inquiry into the UK’s engagement with the multilateral system.

The inquiry will proceed in two stages: the first will consider the main trends affecting the multilateral system and what this means for UK strategy, while the second phase will concentrate on three or four priority areas for multilateral engagement that are critical to the UK’s national interest and where the UK can play to its strengths.  

This call for evidence is the first of two to be published by the Committee and covers the first stage of the inquiry. The second call will be published over the summer.

The committee has expressed that they are keen to have contributions from the academic community. The committee will use the written evidence to shape the inquiry and inform their report.. To find out more about the inquiry please click here. 

The call for evidence can be found here. 

The deadline for written evidence responses is 5pm on 20 July 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 select committees can be found here.

Parliament’s Out for Summer… or Is It?

On Thursday 16 July, both the House of Commons and the House of Lords will rise for the summer recess.

So, what happens during parliamentary recess?
During recess, both Houses stop meeting to conduct most parliamentary business, meaning there are no debates in the Chamber and parliamentary activity generally slows down. MPs, however, certainly do not stop working. Much of their time is spent supporting local constituents, and gathering information to inform their future parliamentary work.

Recess is therefore a great time to reach out to your local MP and share your research. You may also wish to contact MPs who have previously demonstrated an interest in your area of expertise.

A useful way to identify parliamentarians who have spoken on your topic is through the Hansard website, which provides transcripts of parliamentary debates and proceedings.

Select committees will also continue collecting evidence during the recess – so keep submitting your research! Committee staff will still be available to answer questions about open inquiries and how to contribute.

And, of course, here at the KEU, we will still be quietly hustling away behind the scenes. As ever, we’re keen to help connect your research with parliamentarians and support you with any questions or enquiries you may have. (Though some of us will be taking annual leave, so please bear with us from time to time!)

For more information: