Meet the Policy To Research Fellows

Meet the visiting fellows currently working in research

Visiting Fellowship: An exploration of how public institutions in high-scrutiny, technically complex sectors can build lasting public trust, secure political support, and sustain skills pipelines during long-term environmental and infrastructure missions.

September 2025- January 2026

James Craig’s visiting fellowship is looking at the following research questions:

1. What stakeholder engagement models best build and maintain trust in high-scrutiny, technically complex sectors, and how can they be adapted for long-term missions such as nuclear decommissioning? 
2. How can institutions develop narratives that secure public consent and “social licence” for environmental restoration? 
3. What policy tools and partnerships most effectively sustain local STEM skills pipelines during major economic and energy transitions?

Policy Professional Fellowship: Empowering boys to understand, express and regulate their emotions

March 2025-March 2026

Paul's Fellowship looks at the development of emotions in young people, particularly how cultural norms around masculinity play a role in how boys and young men understand and relate to their emotions. His focus is on the research-to-policy interface and how schools and the education system can better support boys in developing an adaptive, healthy relationship with their emotions. 
 
Paul was also awarded a Churchill Fellowship which will see him work with international researchers, educators and practitioners to identify interventions in this space that can be piloted and used in the UK. Paul's time at UCL will support wider public policy initiatives such as protecting young people from antisocial behaviour and violence. 
 
Prior to his role as a public Policy Adviser, Paul trained at the KCL Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience in forensic mental health, before researching perinatal mental health and the role of parental stress on infant brain development. 
 
 
Supervisors: Alice Tofts, Essi Viding and Argyris Stringaris
 

Lead for Research, Evaluation & Performance at the Mayor of London's Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) 

Policy to Research Fellowship: Housing support for young Londoners fleeing violence 

November 2025-2026 

After completing a visiting fellowship, Alison is now embedded within UCL Public Policy and UCL Institute for Global Health. Alison will be producing two systematic reviews to understand housing needs and support for youth fleeing violence, producing systems maps of the current provision and gaps in London. As a result, she will develop recommendations for improved housing support and data recording. 

VRU aims to generate evidence and develop policy recommendations to improve housing support for young people experiencing homelessness due to extrafamilial harm.  It takes a public health approach centred on prevention and early intervention, working across several areas including youth work, healthcare, community safety, education, online harms, families, and neighbourhoods. This fellowship is an opportunity to build a wider network of research partners that can support VRU’s projects to take an evidence-led approach. 

Supervisors Alice Tofts and Alys McAlpine.