Event Details

Are research-policy engagement activities informed by policy theory and evidence? 7 challenges to the UK impact agenda

Recent years have seen significant growth in activities aimed at bridging the gap between researchers and policymakers to increase the impact of research on public policy. These include a rapid expansion of university ‘policy brokerage’ functions. However, despite this surge in activity, recent studies have identified that the evidence of which practices have the greatest impact remains limited.  Evaluations of initiatives aimed at increasing the use of research in policy are few and far between and understanding how policy impact can be evaluated is complex.

In this interactive webinar, hosted by the Universities Policy Engagement Network and ARMA we will hear from members of the Transforming Evidence Team who have looked at the evidence for different types of approaches geared towards academic policy engagement and consider what implications this has for the impact agenda in future. In particular it will draw on insights of the team’s 2021 paper ‘Are research-policy engagement activities informed by policy theory and evidence? 7 challenges to the UK impact agenda’

Policy professionals working at the intersection of evidence and policy will give an insight into the complexities of working with research and evidence in a national government context. And a funder perspective will offer insight into how funding can be aligned to ensure practice is effective and evidence informed.

The session is aimed at professional support staff with an interest in policy engagement and impact who want to find out more about current debates and issues in this area. Attendees will get an insight into the challenges for funders, researchers and policymakers in terms of supporting and assessing the impact of research on public policy.