Policy Fellowships provide the opportunity to tackle ambitious and challenging research, apply that research to pressing policy challenges and support the career development of academics in the process.
Embedding some of the UK’s brightest researchers into the heart of government, fellows help inform and shape effective public policy and its implementation.
Fellows are seconded to a number of different UK government departments, devolved governments departments and What Works Centres (collectively referred to as hosts). Fellows spend the first three months of the fellowship co-designing their research plans to inform policy on a priority area linked to the government missions and UKRI strategic priorities.
Areas of research
In previous rounds the Policy Fellowships have focused on areas of research within economic and social science, arts and humanities, and biotechnology and biological sciences. The scheme is expanding to cover areas of research within all of the UKRI research councils. The areas of research will be clearly linked to the government missions.
How to work with a policy fellow
As a host organisation
If you are interested in becoming a host organisation contact ukripolicyfellowships@ukri.org
Current host organisations are available from the database of fellows.
As a policy maker
If you are interested in working with a fellow on a particular area you can search their areas of expertise and get their contact details through the database of fellows.
How to apply
Applicants must hold a PhD or equivalent research experience and be based at an organisation eligible for UKRI funding. All fellowship opportunities are 18 months in duration, and fellows will spend the main placement phase of 12 months seconded to the host with a mix of office and remote working.
The scheme is run annually and the next opportunity is scheduled to open in April 2025. When the scheme is open for applications they will be published on the funding finder.
Fellowship benefits
The policy fellowships benefits host organisations by:
- supporting policymakers and practitioners to access and use the best and most relevant research when developing and implementing new policies
- developing strong research, science and technology capabilities within the civil service and research organisations
- improving the flow of knowledge and talent between government, academia and research organisations
- raising government leaders’ awareness of the importance of science and innovation
The fellowships benefit the research community by:
- providing an exciting opportunity to work in government or a What Works Centre and use research to inform the major policy challenges of our times
- upskilling researchers to enable more effective engagement and collaboration with policymakers
- providing an opportunity to publish across policy and academia
- building relationships between academics, research organisations and policy organisations
Awarded fellowships
The growing alumni provides an ever-stronger connection between academia and policy to significantly increase the science and research capabilities of government. We have so far awarded 71 policy fellows across host organisations.
The database of fellows gives more information on their areas of research, outputs and contact details.
Last updated: 11 December 2024