How to Engage Policy Makers with Your Research

Edited by Tim Vorley, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Hertfordshire, Syahirah Abdul-Rahman, Co-investigator, Innovation and Research Caucus and Senior Lecturer and Lauren Tuckerman, Co-investigator, Innovation and Research Caucus, Oxford Brookes University and Lecturer, University of Glasgow and Phil Wallace, Communications and Engagement Coordinator, Digital Futures team, University of Manchester, UK

‘There is a growing interest in improving academic policy engagement in the UK and internationally. However, we still have a lot to learn about how to do this work better. This book provides a novel contribution, with authors drawn from UK government, parliament, research funders and academia. It focuses on three key areas: how academics articulate the value and relevance of research to policy, the different ways in which academic-policy engagement occur and how research impacts upon policy. The contributors bring a vast amount of experience to bear on these topics and as such help to move forward our thinking on how academic-policy engagement might help to promote the use of research to support policy making.’

• Contents:PART I UNDERSTANDING THE NEED ANDARTICULATING THE OFFER1 Introduction to How to Engage Policy Makers with YourResearch 2Syahirah Abdul Rahman, Lauren Tuckerman, Tim Vorleyand Phil Wallace2 What do policymakers want from researchers? Developingbetter understanding of a complex landscape 10Graeme Reid and Sarah Chaytor3 The value of research evidence for policy 28David Christian Rose and Chris Tyler4 Speaking a shared language 38Sarah Foxen and Rowena Bermingham5 From broadcast to engagement: moving beyond traditionalmechanisms 50Anand Menon and Jill Rutter6 Between disciplines and perspectives: ACT asa PERIpatetic researcher 61Matjaz Vidmar7 Co-producing policy relevant research 73Clementine Hill O’Connor, Lucy Gavens, Dan Chedgzoyand Mary Gogarty8 Developing and delivering university consortia 83Annette Bramley9 When worlds collide: the role of the funder in connectingresearch and policy 94Melanie Knetsch and Lauren TuckermanPART II MODES OF ENGAGEMENT10 Critical friends – real time insights for shaping strategy 104Debbie Johnson, Geeta Nathan and Syahirah Abdul Rahman11 Designing and delivering targeted policy engagement events 113Sarah Weakley12 Collaborative doctoral research 124Tim Vorley and Cristian Gherhes13 Doing and making the most of PhD internships 136Lauren Tuckerman14 Enabling collaboration and building capacity throughresearch networks 146Phil Wallace, Heidi Hinder, Adam Luqmani and Lisa Hanselmann15 Mission research: experiences from participation in OECDentrepreneurship policy research projects 154Helen Lawton Smith16 Intersectional Anti-Racist Academic Activism forPolicy-making (INTARAAP) through community engagement 164Ima Jackson and Judy Wasige17 Commissioned research 175Dan Hodges and Syahirah Abdul RahmanPART III EXAMPLES OF INFORMING, INFLUENCINGAND IMPACTING POLICY18 Engaging with policy makers in emerging markets 185Ekkehard Ernst19 The City-Region Economic Development Institute –establishing a successful place-based research institute tosupport regions in turbulent times and beyond 196Rebecca Riley, Simon Collinson, Anne Green and RaquelOrtega-Argilés20 Impacting small business policy: the Enterprise Research Centre 207Vicki Belt21 Impacting policy thinking through partnership: insightsfrom Northern Ireland 217Jen Nelles, Tim Vorley and Eoin McFadden22 Critical engagement in diversity and entrepreneurship:lessons from the Centre for Research in Ethnic MinorityEntrepreneurship 229Monder Ram23 Supporting policy towards sustainability 241Alice Owen24 How to win friends and influence policy: a guide for newresearchers 249Katy JonesIndex 259