Meet the team: Ayden McKeating, Head of Programmes and Operations

Hi Ayden. What’s your role within UPEN and what do you do?

I’m the Head of Programmes and Operations for UPEN, I lead on financial planning, governance arrangements, day-to-day operations, and ensuring our Programmes team have the capacity and support needed to meet their deliverables, both in line with KPIs linked to the Research England investment (January 2025-December 2028), and wider ambitions for a future UPEN model.

Tell us what you did before UPEN?

Prior to UPEN I was the Operations Manager at the International Public Policy Observatory, a research initiative founded in 2020 to mobilise and assess evidence from across the world, to inform policymakers about the best ways to address social harms.

What’s your favourite thing about your role?

No day is the same. I’m very fortunate that I get to speak with so many people across UPEN. Funders, institutional leads, programmes partners, national and local government. I enjoy being responsible for delivering the operational infrastructure to UPEN, helping us to achieve a sustainable future.

What has been your career highlight (or highlights) to date?

I’ve always been ambitious. Having started my career in Higher Education as a Personal Assistant I developed a keen interest in project management and operationalising projects. I’ve since moved up the career ladder thanks to colleagues giving me opportunities, and now finding my way around the many routes to academic-policy engagement.

What do you think the biggest challenge in academic-policy engagement is at the moment and what can we do about it?

As universities start to tighten their purse strings, I think the biggest challenge can be ‘selling’ academic-policy engagement to institutions that don’t have departments or areas of the business focused on this activity. I’m hopeful that with UPEN’s investment from Research England, we can enable more universities to see the importance of this work, and help them with this activity.

What’s one small unexpected thing that always brightens your workday?

I think the days of the water cooler moment have been lost since the pandemic, so if I’m able I try to join calls before they start, to get an opportunity to chat to colleagues about their weekend plans!

What does your dream holiday look like?

A boujee ‘adults only’ all-inclusive. My husband, a pair of headphones, a good book and a swim-up bar.

Time for Desert Island Discs! If you were cast away on a desert island, what three songs would you currently take with you and why?

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this, and it changes all the time, I have an eclectic taste and a big fan of most genres

Fontaines D.C – Starburster, Robyn – Talk To Me, Obongjayar – Not In Surrender (The Blessed Madonna Remix)

Give us a plug for something you’re working on at the moment

For the eagle eyed amongst you, you’ll know that we haven’t yet launched our Innovation funds, a scheme that supports initiatives that advance collaborative practice and experimentation in academic-policy engagement, with awards of up to £50,000. Well, there’s lots of ongoing conversations with legal teams and UPEN’s Strategy Group before it can be formally launched. The fund will be open to UPEN Member institutions (not involved in the Research England bid). Not a UPEN Member yet? Why not? Keep an eye on our website and newsletter for more information on a launch date!

How can we get in touch with you?

You can email me, or connect with me on LinkedIn.

& finally, share with us a snapshot of life outside of work

While Paul and I eloped to the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas, our Liverpool wedding was the most beautiful day. Here’s a picture with our bridesmaids.