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Workshops will enable researchers to work with the UCL Policy Lab team to help communicate their research to policymakers, organisations and the public more effectively
The UCL Policy Lab is launching the first in a series of Policy and Communications Accelerator sessions. From writing an opinion column to pitching ideas to policymakers, the sessions will enable researchers to collaborate with the Lab to optimise their research for broader impact.
Sessions will be led by a combination of internal and external experts each with an impressive track record of working effectively with leading academics and policymakers to transform the impact of their work. Each session will be interactive and create opportunities for specific guidance to be shared on individual projects.
Early expressions of interest for the relevant sessions below will enable us to plan effectively and we will be back in touch with scheduling details for next term. Each session will be two-hours in length.
Avaliable Sessions
- The UCL Policy Lab: an introduction to transforming policy. The first session will present an overview of the key concepts and approaches that shape influence and impact. It will identify areas in which academics are often well-prepared and areas which often present more challenge. It will also share some of the fundamental “tricks of the trade” that enable researchers to reach beyond their conventional audiences and reach wider and more influential partners.
- Power mapping and policy networks. Ever wondered who you should try to contact in order to advance the impact of your research? Or struggled to identify the right people to invite along to your workshop, roundtable or advisory group? Or have you ever identified the right people, but not know how to reach them and persuade them to engage? This session explains how effective influencers develop maps and networks so that their ideas and research reach the people who can really help make a difference.
- Personal storytelling. Most academics are trained in rigorous research methods but few are trained how to share their personal motivations and backgrounds in ways that excite and engage policymakers and other partners. This is despite all the evidence that demonstrates that importance of personal storytelling to building deep and sustained policy partnerships. This session explores how to bring aspects of your own motivation to the surface in ways that help you explain the person behind the research.
- Effective policy pitches and one-to-one meetings. Sometimes we have an opportunity to pitch policy ideas to politicians, civil servants, NGOs and philanthropists but are unsure how to do so in a way that will both grab the attention and enable us to explain our core points. In this session, we will explore how to design one-to-one meetings in ways that enhance your chances of pitching effectively and generating sustained policy impact. We will identify the obstacles that most frequently inhibit such interaction and discuss strategies to overcome them
- Introduction to media impact. Developing relationships with journalists and generating media excitement about your ideas is a distinct skill. In this session, we will examine key messaging, media approaches and tone. We will explore the importance of creating clear goals for journalistic engagement and a timeline to enable it to succeed. We will look at the basic building blocks of effective blog or opinion editorial writing and what enables some people’s work to register with the media and what inhibits others.
- Advanced media impact and strategic communications. Once you have succeeded in placing opinion editorials or blogs in prestigious publications, it can sometimes be possible to build towards an even more influential, long-term relationship with particular journalists and media outlets. This session examines these kinds of more strategic long-term media relationships and asks how they can be created and sustained.
- Impact for REF and promotion. As researchers, most of us believe in the power of our work to improve the world. But it’s also true that working on impact can mean lots of extra work, so it’s essential researchers get credit for their efforts. This session examines how impact work can contribute to the REF and career progression. We will also explore how you can demonstrate the impact that you are having and, importantly, the strategies for gathering evidence.
How to book
The first round of Policy and Communications Accelerator Sessions will take place over Term One, and we’re keen to make sure everyone is able to attend the sessions.
With this in mind, please take five minutes to complete the Policy and Communications Accelerator expression of interest form. Please select all the sessions you’d like to attend. Once we know how many people we have for each session we'll then get in touch with a selection of dates.