This initiative represents a significant investment in strengthening the links between research and policymaking, with 47 academic fellows embedded in 21 government departments and five What Works Centres across the UK and an alumni network of 71 fellows.
Over the next six months, UCL will take an innovative approach to assess the programme’s impact, drawing on expertise from Professor Huw Morris at the UCL Institute of Education (IOE), Dr Alice Tofts and Dr Olivia Stevenson at UCL Public Policy, and Dr Eleanor MacKillop at the Welsh Centre for Public Policy. This expertise will bring robust knowledge in evaluating research-policy interactions and supporting evidence-based decision-making within government.
Dr Alice Tofts coordinates the UCL Public Policy Fellowship Programme and has previously conducted an evaluation of the Research-England CAPE project on policy fellowships. She emphasised the importance of ensuring findings translate into action: “Policy fellowships have enormous potential to bridge the gap between research and policy, but their success depends on how they are designed and supported. Through this evaluation, we are assessing a range of impact potential for both research and policy and will work closely with UKRI to ensure that insights lead to practical improvements, helping to enhance the UKRI Fellowships model so it is as effective and sustainable as possible.”
Professor Huw Morris, who is co-leading the evaluation with Dr Tofts, highlighted the programme’s significance. He said: “Policy evaluation is inherently complex. Impacts take time to emerge and defining success can be challenging. However, by leveraging UCL’s interdisciplinary expertise in evaluation, we aim to provide robust insights into how the Policy Fellows Programme shapes policymaking in the UK.”
James Canton, Deputy Director of Public Policy and Engagement at ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council), said: “UKRI’s Policy Fellowships Programme is a keystone of our ambition to support deeper, more sustained collaboration between researchers and policymakers. By embedding experts at the heart of government, the programme helps to build trusted relationships, supports targeted research on government priorities, and enables the flow of knowledge across boundaries. Independent evaluation is essential – not just to understand what works, but to ensure we continue to evolve and improve the scheme for future cohorts.
“We’re very pleased to be working with UCL to assess the programme’s impact. Their work will provide critical insights that shape the future of the programme and help maximise its impact for both policymakers and researchers.”
This evaluation underscores the commitment of both UKRI and the government to investing in evidence-driven policymaking, which involves a robust understanding of what works and what doesn’t.
Related links
- Subscribe to the UCL Public Policy newsletter to receive key findings from UCL and the evaluation’s progress and insights
- UCL academics embedded in government offices as UKRI Policy Fellowships
- Ofsted blog: What I learned about barriers to children’s early learning: reflections from a UKRI Policy Fellowship, by Dr Laura Outhwaite
- Research at UCL Institute of Education
- UCL Public Policy
Image: Mary Hinkley, UCL.