Fellowships and placements
Strengthening the UK’s academic–policy engagement infrastructure depends on people being able to move, connect and learn across the system.
Secondments, fellowships and placements give researchers, analysts and policymakers the chance to build knowledge, develop skills, and form the long-term relationships that make evidence use more effective.
This page brings together a regularly updated list of opportunities and organisations that help support mobility across the sector.
Opportunities
A round-up of the latest fellowship, placement and secondment opportunities in the sector
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Nottingham Civic Exchange Policy Engagement Fellow
Nottingham Trent University
Closing date: Friday 9th October
Join the Policy Fellowship Network
The Policy Fellowship Network supports individual members and the wider fellowship community in advancing policy and academic fellowship programmes. It is coordinated by UCL and Durham University and open to anyone in academia or policy interested in policy fellowships, internships or placements.
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Organisations
Find out more about some of the organisations offer fellowship and placement opportunities.
GO‑Science Directory of Opportunities
The Government Office for Science (GO-Science) maintains a directory of placements, fellowships and secondment schemes across government, including opportunities in Government departments, arm’s‑length bodies and specialist science units. The directory is a central resource for academics seeking hands‑on policy experience.
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Evidence Exchange (EvEx)
The Evidence Exchange is a national platform connecting public sector evidence needs with academic expertise. It provides a coordinated route for government and public bodies to access research insights, and hosts a growing directory of fellowships, secondments and policy‑engagement opportunities.
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UKRI Policy Fellowships
UKRI’s Policy Fellowships place researchers directly within government departments, What Works Centres, and public bodies for 18–24 months. Fellows work on live policy challenges, bringing analytical expertise and gaining deep insight into policymaking processes.
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Department of Business, Industry, Science and Technology Expert Exchange Scheme
The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology (DBIST) runs the Expert Exchange Scheme to enable short‑term placements between academia and government. The scheme supports rapid knowledge transfer on emerging technologies, digital policy, and science innovation priorities.
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Government–University Pairing Scheme
Hosted by UPEN, the Government–University Pairing Scheme connects policymakers with academic teams for structured, place‑based engagement. Pairings support mutual learning, evidence sharing and collaborative problem‑solving, often leading to longer‑term partnerships.
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Fellowships and placements resources
Research to Policy Fellowships: Six Pillars for Optimising Success
A toolkit to support research to policy fellowships, outlining six value-based pillars to build strong foundations and ensure successful collaborations.
Setting up a policy fellowship contract: Guidance note from CAPE
A guide to support setting up contracts for academic placements in policy organisations.
Hosting Policy Fellows: A guide for Higher Education Institutions
A guide for universities to create a fellowship programme for policy professionals to meet academics to discuss their policy questions.