Meet the team: Joe Armstrong

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

I am Programme Development Manager at Durham University, working within the Research and Innovation Services Department and supporting UPEN Programmes around capacity building, skills and professional development. I lead on work within the Professional Development sub-committee, co-designing a framework to support knowledge mobilisers working at the research/policy interface. This includes identifying key skills and competencies for effective policy engagement and developing structured provision to support career development. The aim is to better understand the professional needs of those working in this space and to create practical, inclusive opportunities for learning and growth. I also work closely with UPEN members and stakeholders to ensure that what we develop is grounded in real-world experience and reflects the diversity of roles and pathways across the sector.

Tell us what you did before UPEN or what you do alongside your UPEN role?

Before taking up my current role within UPEN, I worked for Rise North East (formerly County Durham Sport), a health and wellbeing charity implementing Sport England’s Uniting the Movement strategy locally across the North East Combined Authority (NECA) area. As Programme Manager for Children & Young People, I led work across the local system to improve physical activity provision, while also collaborating with national stakeholders within the Active Partnerships network to influence government policy using insights from our place-based approach.

I graduated from Durham University in 2019 with a degree in Sport, Exercise and Physical Activity, and later completed a Masters by Research (MRes) focused on pupils’ experiences of PE across the primary to secondary school transition. I’ve always been involved in sport and continue to compete in middle to long distance athletics events. My current 5k personal best is 13:50, which keeps me motivated and focused outside of work.

What’s your favourite thing about your role?

One of my favourite things about the role is the variety – while I have clear priorities around professional development and policy engagement, I also get to explore new ideas, contribute to different strands of UPEN’s work, and collaborate with people across a wide range of institutions and disciplines. I really enjoy meeting others working in this space and learning about their interests, experiences and passions. It’s a great way to stay curious and keep evolving my own thinking.

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

Two moments stand out. The first was leading a local TV series in the aftermath of COVID-19 to encourage young people and their families to stay active at home while in-person activities were restricted. The project was funded by the local authority to support health and wellbeing, and I had the chance to work with a brilliant mix of people — from local schools and sports clubs to Olympians, including 2024 Paris Gold Medallist Keely Hodgkinson, who kindly agreed to appear. It was a real team effort and a creative way to keep communities moving during a difficult time.

The second highlight was delivering a workshop at the launch of Sport England’s Physical Literacy Consensus Statement in 2023 at the Royal Society of Arts in London. I’d spent a lot of time working with physical literacy as a conceptual framework in my previous role, so seeing it come together nationally was a proud moment and one I believe continues to shape the sector.

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

One of the biggest challenges right now is the competing demands on time – both within academic circles and among those working in policy and government. Everyone is stretched, and while there’s a clear appetite for collaboration, it can be difficult to create the space for meaningful engagement. I think one of the key things we can do is work out how to effectively reach and involve those who stand to benefit most from our work. That means being intentional about who we engage, how we engage them, and making sure our approaches are flexible, inclusive and responsive to real-world pressures.

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

I sometimes head out for a run before work, so if the weather’s decent when I wake up, it’s a good start to the day. It doesn’t necessarily need to be sunny – just not pouring down! That bit of time outside helps me clear my head and get into a better rhythm before jumping into meetings and emails.

What does your dream holiday look like?

Any holiday of mine pretty much has to revolve around running – having somewhere good to train is non-negotiable. I often head to the Algarve in Portugal for warm weather training, and it’s easily my favourite place to visit.

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?

This is a tough one – I’ve got over 3000 songs liked on Spotify and my taste is pretty varied! But if I had to choose three right now, I’d go with Rein Me In by Sam Fender featuring Olivia Dean – it came out this year and I’ve had it on repeat. I was lucky enough to get tickets to see Oasis this summer, so I’d include Acquiesce, which is probably my favourite track of theirs. And after The 1975 headlined Glastonbury, I’ve been listening to them a lot – About You would round out the list.

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

It is obviously early days, but the creation of the professional development framework for knowledge mobilisers within UPEN will take up a large part of my time over the coming months. A key part of this will be identifying and sharing good practice across member institutions, so if you’re doing interesting work in this space or think you could contribute, I’d love to hear from you.

How can we get in touch with you?

Email me or find me on LinkedIn.

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

Here’s a snap from my most recent race.