In 2026 we’re going back to our roots and hosting our annual conference at one of our founding member institutions, UCL. We look forward to bringing the knowledge mobiliser, academic and policy communities together.
The use of research evidence in policymaking is becoming increasingly complicated by questions around trust in evidence.
We face a global landscape of contested facts, and rising misinformation. In engagement with our members and partners, we hear, see, and know one thing clearly, that within this climate, trust matters.
“In Evidence We Trust” will explore how we continue to strengthen trust and the research-policy interface while working within this complex external landscape.
This year, we want our conference to be about doing as much as sharing. We want to create a space to explore not only why trust is necessary, but also how it is built, maintained, and repaired, and think about the techniques and actions we might take in support of this. Join us in June 2026.
As one of UPEN’s founders, I am delighted that we are hosting the 2026 conference in UCL’s bicentenary year. The theme ‘In Evidence We Trust’ embodies UCL’s commitment to world-class and impactful research and partnerships, because only by working together can we build trust in evidence to tackle complex challenges and shape better policy for a brighter future.
Professor Geraint ReesUCL Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement)
29-30 June
Our 2026 Conference is held in partnership with UCL, and sponsored by UCL Public Policy. Join us on 29-30 June in London. Tickets and more details on the programme will be released in early 2026.
Do you want to be at the heart of organising our most ambitious conference?
We welcome colleagues at all levels of experience and expertise from UPEN member institutions to ensure the smooth running of our annual conference. The committee will support the delivery of all conference logistics. Roles will be tailored to accommodate time commitments and the roles where you have expertise (or where you would like to get some experience).
For 2026, we are expanding our capacity to welcome a wider audience and holding the conference over two days. This means more time to network, meet up with colleagues from across the UK and make new connections. We also hope that by holding the conference in London, we provide an accessible space for policy colleagues to attend and use the space as an interface between academic, knowledge mobiliser and public policy communities.
Anyone! We hope our conference will be of interest to a wide range of people whose work involves supporting or undertaking engagement between academia and policy including;
Professional services staff at universities
Those in the policy community; policymakers, analysts, researchers
Academics
Professionals working in third space and charity sectors
Professionals working in think tanks or IROs
We would love to be joined by more policy colleagues this year and we extend a warm invite to them especially.
You do not have to be working in a UPEN member institution to attend our conference.
If you need financial support in order to attend the conference, please email us.
We will be asking for expressions of interest to run conference sessions in early 2026. This year we encourage ideas with interactive elements and non-traditional delivery.
We will be opening registration in early 2026.
We’re looking for conference sponsors. If you’re an organisation looking to reach academics, knowledge mobilisers, and/or the policy community, we’d like to hear from you.
