For many researchers, policy engagement can feel daunting. You might know that your work has relevance beyond academia, but do not know where to start, who to contact, or what ‘good’ engagement with policy actually looks like in practice.
Here we share a set of UK-focused resources from the UK Parliament Knowledge Exchange Unit on engaging with UK parliament.
This post summarises this resource from the UK Parliament Knowledge Exchange Unit, offering clear next steps and ‘how to’ guides for researchers at any career stage. While the examples and links here are specific to the UK, we hope this can act as a template and conversation starter for researchers elsewhere.
If you work outside the UK, we’d love you to use this post as a prompt and share equivalent resources from your own country or context in the comments.
What resources are shared?
💡Where to start - An overview of the different ways researchers can engage with Parliament, alongside introductory training and orientation materials.
💡How to identify relevance - Guidance on spotting opportunities connected to select committees, parliamentary libraries, POST briefings and All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs).
💡Ways to get involved - From submitting written evidence and contributing expertise, to fellowships and longer-term collaborations.
💡Practical ‘how to’ guides - Step-by-step advice on topics such as making impact with your research, writing for a parliamentary audience, submitting evidence, and finding parliamentarians with relevant interests.
Do you work in a different country or policy context? We’d love to hear about equivalent guides, training, or support available where you are. Share links, experiences, or reflections in the comments and help us build a more global set of resources for researchers interested in policy impact.
You may also find it useful to explore the wider collection of policy and impact-related posts already published on Research Communities: