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The academic-policy ecosystem

This interactive map shows the current organisations, bodies, networks and roles that make up the ecosystem of UK academic policy engagement.

Launch interactive map

What this map includes and excludes

The map includes UK based sector or cross-government level organisations focused on research and public policy engagement. It does not include single institutional initiatives, and it does not cover international policy engagement.

We note that formal infrastructure should not distract from the importance of the informal, that is relationships, networks, shared norms, and ways of working between government and universities which sits underneath and within this ecosystem.

Additional information around the eco-system

    • Events and milestones that are national in scale.
    • Government bodies if they work across the UK and policy fields.
    • Influential policies including White Papers, government strategy documents, select committee inquiries, Ministerial speeches, government guidance, independent reviews, and public reports on the sector.
    • Cross-cutting governmental organisation. This might include a body based in a single department as long as it works across Government.
    • ADR-UK. (n.d.). About ADR UK. Retrieved 4 July 2024, from https://www.adruk.org/about-us/about-adr-uk/
    • Bailey, J., & Lloyd, P. (2016, June 25). The introduction of design to policymaking: Policy Lab and the UK government. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2016.314
    • Boswell, C., Smith, K., & Davies, C. (2022). Rethinking policy impact; Promoting Ethical and Effective Policy Engagement in the Higher Education Sector. https://rse.org.uk/programme/policy-advice/projects/rethinking-policy-impact/
    • Breckon, J. (2024, July 12). How to grow universities’ policy engagement functions. Wonkhe. https://wonkhe.com/blogs/how-to-grow-universities-policy-engagement-functions/
    • Cabinet Office. (2014, August 5). What Works Review of the Use of Evidence in the Department for International Development. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-works-review-of-the-use-of-evidence-in-the-department-for-international-development–2
    • Cabinet Office. (2018). The What Works Network: Five Years On. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-what-works-network-five-years-on
    • Campbell Collaboration. (n.d.). History of the Campbell Collaboration. Campbell Collaboration. Retrieved 4 July 2024, from https://www.campbellcollaboration.org/about-campbell/history.html
    • Capabilities in Academic Policy Engagement. (2020, June 15). £3.9m awarded to national collaboration to support academic engagement with public policy—CAPE. https://www.cape.ac.uk/2020/06/15/cape-launch-announcement/
    • CAPE. (2024). Building a National Agenda for Regional Academic-Policy Engagement. https://www.cape.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Building-a-national-agenda-for-regional-academic-policy-engagement-Feb-24.pdf
    • Davies, R. (2022, November 11). Enter the dragon: Senedd committees Areas of Research Interest pilot project – CAPE. https://www.cape.ac.uk/2022/11/11/senedd-aris/
    • de Campos, A. L. (2010). A Study on Methodologies for Research Impact Assessment: Responses of the UK Research Councils to the Warry Report. Industry and Higher Education, 24(5), 393–397. https://doi.org/10.5367/ihe.2010.0006
    • ESRC. (2023, November 9). ESRC to radically expand UK behavioural research capacity. https://www.ukri.org/news/esrc-to-radically-expand-uk-behavioural-research-capacity/
    • Evaluation Task Force. (n.d.). About us. GOV.UK. Retrieved 4 July 2024, from https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/evaluation-task-force/about
    • Ford, C. J., & Mason, K. (2018). The Open Innovation Team: An Independent Evaluation of a Cabinet Office Initiative [Report]. https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/149180/
    • Geyer, J. (2019). Reflections on the What Works Scotland initiative | What Works Scotland. Scottish Government. http://whatworksscotland.ac.uk/publications/reflections-on-the-what-works-scotland-initiative/
    • Government Office for Science. (2019). A review of Government Science Capability: Progress update (9 January 2024). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-science-capability-review/a-review-of-government-science-capability-progress-update-9-january-2024
    • Government Office for Science. (2020). Guidance for government Chief Scientific Advisers and their Officials Chief Scientific Advisers and their officials: An introduction. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5e145810ed915d06f75e5e41/chief-scientific-advisers-and-their-officials-an-introduction.pdf
    • Government Office for Science. (2023, September 12). New one-stop shop to find the topics government is interested in researching. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-one-stop-shop-to-find-the-topics-government-is-interested-in-researching
    • Green, D., Bryant, V., Edwards, S., Kemp, C., McKenzie, M., Shah, S., & Soulsby, I. (2023). Then there were seven: A commentary on creating a public involvement strategy group for a policy research unit in behavioural science. Research Involvement and Engagement, 9(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-023-00413-w
    • Haddon, C., & Sasse, T. (2018). How government can work with academia. Institute for Government. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publications/how-government-can-work-academia
    • Halpern, D. (2015). Inside the Nudge Unit: How small changes can make a big difference. WH Allen.
    • Halpern, D. (2017, February 21). Transparency and evidence – show your workings – Civil Service Quarterly. https://quarterly.blog.gov.uk/2017/02/21/transparency-and-evidence-show-your-workings/
    • Hampshaw, S., Morling, J., & Black, M. (2023). Investing in research infrastructure to address health inequalities: Learning by doing. Public Health in Practice, 7, 100460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhip.2023.100460
    • HM Government. (2012). Civil Service reform plan. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-reform-plan
    • Hodgkin, R., & Kelsey, T. (2024). Putting analysis and assessment at the heart of government. Institute for Government. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/analysis-assessment-heart-of-government
    • Hodgkinson, P. (2000). ‘Who Wants to be a Social Engineer? A commentary on David Blunkett’s Speech to the ESRC’. Sociological Research Online, 5(1), 74–84. https://doi.org/10.5153/sro.433
    • House of Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee. (2024). Transforming the UK’s Evidence Base; Fifth Report of Session 2023–24 (HC 197). https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmpubadm/197/summary.html
    • House of Commons Science and Technology Committee. (2007). Scientific Advice, Risk and Evidence Based Policy Making: Government Response to the Committee’s Seventh Report of Session 2005–06 (HC 307).
    • IDOX. (2015, January 7). Local government knowledge navigator. The Knowledge Exchange Blog. https://theknowledgeexchangeblog.wordpress.com/tag/local-government-knowledge-navigator/
    • Institute for Government. (2018). How government can work with academia. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/report/how-government-can-work-academia
    • Institute for Government. (2020, March 31). Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE). Institute for Government. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/article/explainer/scientific-advisory-group-emergencies-sage
    • Manville, C., Morgan Jones, M., Frearson, M., Castle-Clarke, S., Henham, M.-L., Gunashekar, S., & Grant, J. (2015). Preparing impact submissions for REF 2014: An evaluation: Findings and observations. RAND Europe Report. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR727.html
    • Martin, S. (2023). ‘Pulling rather than pushing’: A demand-led approach to evidence mobilisation. In The What Works Centres (pp. 100–112). Policy Press. https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.56687/9781447365112-013/html?lang=en
    • Menon, A., & Rutter, J. (2022, August 18). UK in a Changing Europe: Injecting social science into a polarised political debate. Impact of Social Sciences. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2022/08/18/uk-in-a-changing-europe-injecting-social-science-into-a-polarised-political-debate/
    • National Audit Office. (2013). Evaluation in Government—National Audit Office (NAO) Report. https://www.nao.org.uk/report/evaluation-government/
    • National Audit Office. (2003, April 16). Getting the Evidence: Using Research in Policy Making – NAO report. National Audit Office (NAO). https://www.nao.org.uk/reports/getting-the-evidence-using-research-in-policy-making/
    • Nesta. (n.d.). Alliance for Useful Evidence. Nesta. Retrieved 4 July 2024, from https://www.nesta.org.uk/project/alliance-useful-evidence/
    • Nurse, P. (2015). Ensuring a successful UK research endeavour; A Review of the UK Research Councils by Paul Nurse. Department for Business, Innovation & Skills. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nurse-review-of-research-councils-recommendations
    • Oancea, A. (2023, May 3). What is Responsible Knowledge Exchange, Engagement and Impact? Impact of Social Sciences. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2023/05/03/what-is-responsible-knowledge-exchange-engagement-and-impact/
    • Oliver, K., & Boaz, A. (2019). Transforming evidence for policy and practice: Creating space for new conversations. Palgrave Communications, 5(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-019-0266-1
    • Oliver, K., & Boaz, A. (2020, November 27). Building new bridges between research and policy during a national lockdown. Impact of Social Sciences. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2020/11/27/building-new-bridges-between-research-and-policy-during-a-national-lockdown/
    • Oliver, K., Boaz, A., & Cuccato, G. (2022). Areas of research interest: Joining the dots between government and research at last? (11:1509). F1000Research. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.127542.1
    • Parliament. (n.d.). Knowledge Exchange Unit. Retrieved 4 July 2024, from https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/research-impact-at-the-uk-parliament/knowledge-exchange-at-uk-parliament/
    • Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology. (n.d.). Areas of Research Interest. POST. Retrieved 4 July 2024, from https://post.parliament.uk/areas-of-research-interest/
    • Parsons, W. (2002). From Muddling Through to Muddling Up—Evidence Based Policy Making and the Modernisation of British Government. Public Policy and Administration, 17(3), 43–60. https://doi.org/10.1177/095207670201700304
    • Pearson, H. (2024). Scientists are building giant ‘evidence banks’ to create policies that actually work. Nature, 634(8032), 16–17. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-03100-2
    • Policy Profession. (2024, April 12). Policy profession standards. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/policy-profession-standards
    • Public Accounts Committee. (2022). Use of evaluation and modelling in government. Fourth Report. HC 254. House of Commons. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmpubacc/254/summary.html
    • Public Administration Select Committee. (2007). Skills for Government Ninth Report of Session 2006–07. https://committees.parliament.uk/work/4405/civil-service-skills-inquiry/
    • Puttick, R. (2013). Why we need to create a ‘NICE for social policy’. Nesta: Alliance for Useful Evidence. https://www.nesta.org.uk/report/why-we-need-to-create-a-nice-for-social-policy/
    • Puttick, R., & Mulgan, G. (2013). What should the ‘What Works Network’ do? Nesta. https://www.nesta.org.uk/report/what-should-the-what-works-network-do/
    • Scottish Parliament. (n.d.). Scottish Parliament Academic Network. Retrieved 4 July 2024, from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/research-prepared-for-parliament/academic-engagement/how-to-engage/scottish-parliament-academic-network
    • Sealey, B. (2022). UPEN Phase II: Final Report—Scoping Business Models for UPEN’s Sustainability. Universities Policy Engagement Network.
    • Senedd. (n.d.). Areas of Research Interest. Retrieved 4 July 2024, from https://senedd.wales/senedd-business/areas-of-research-interest/
    • Stevenson, C., Grant, J., Szomszor, M., Ang, C., Kapoor, D., Gunashekar, S., & Guthrie, S. (2023). Data enhancement and analysis of the REF 2021 Impact Case Studies. RAND Corporation. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2162-1.html
    • Technopolis. (2023). Strategic Priorities Fund (SPF) Interim Impact Evaluation – Main report. https://www.ukri.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/UKRI-04082023-Strategic-Priorities-Fund-interim-impact-evaluation-main-findings-report.pdf
    • UK Covid 19 Inquiry. (2024). Module 1 report: The resilience and preparedness of the United Kingdom; A report by The Rt Hon the Baroness Hallett DBE Chair of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry. https://covid19.public-inquiry.uk/reports/module-1-report-the-resilience-and-preparedness-of-the-united-kingdom/
    • UK higher education funding bodies. (2011). Decisions on assessing research impact 2011-01. https://2014.ref.ac.uk/pubs/2011-01/index.html
    • UKRI. (n.d.). UKRI impact acceleration accounts. Retrieved 4 July 2024, from https://www.ukri.org/what-we-do/browse-our-areas-of-investment-and-support/ukri-impact-acceleration-accounts/
    • UKRI. (2020, December 2). ESRC-funded observatories will help tackle impacts of COVID-19. https://www.ukri.org/news/esrc-funded-observatories-will-help-tackle-impacts-of-covid-19/
    • UKRI. (2023, February 21). UKRI policy fellowships 2023. https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/ukri-policy-fellowships-2023/
    • University Policy Engagement Network. (2021). Surfacing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion within Academic-Policy Engagement. https://www.upen.ac.uk/news/latest_news/?action=story&id=251
    • Wilsdon, J. (2020, January 27). A requiem for impact? Wonkhe. https://wonkhe.com/blogs/a-requiem-for-impact/