This report explores what academic policy engagement means to both academic and professional services staff in universities, what the experience of engaging is like on the ground, and what a ‘good outcome’ looks like.
The key findings highlighted that:
- Academics and professional services across UK HEIs are committed to trying to effect change through academic policy engagement.
- Relationships matter both in the act of engaging with policy and also the outcome of that engagement.
- Engaging with policy can be rewarding for academics but it is also hard work and time intensive.
- Better systems and structures are needed to support engagement: more time, funding, and reward should be given especially earlier in academic careers. Professional services need improved career trajectories.
About CAPE
Capabilities in Academic Policy Engagement (CAPE) is a knowledge exchange and research project funded by Research England from 2020-2024, which has been exploring how to support effective and sustained engagement between academics and policy professionals. The project is a partnership between UCL and the Universities of Cambridge, Manchester, Northumbria and Nottingham in collaboration with the Government Office for Science, the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology, Nesta and the Transforming Evidence Hub.
