Ahead of the announcement of the 2027-9 Parliamentary Thematic Research Leads, the current cohort, including the University of Exeter’s Associate Professor David Strain, were invited to an event celebrating the value of their work, and highlighting the important role research and evidence play in the Parliamentary landscape.
The Parliamentary Thematic Research Leads scheme, although a relatively new initiative, has already demonstrated immense value within Parliament, showcasing the impact of creating a dialogue between policy and research. This event celebrated the work of the 2024-6 cohort, composed of researchers from the Universities of Manchester, Southampton, Birmingham, Nottingham, and Exeter, Loughborough University, and Kings College London. Invited guests, including representatives from the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), shared their perspectives on the programme, praising the importance of research in political debate, and the integrity and resourcefulness of the researchers themselves. These values were at the heart of the Thematic Research Leads’ roles, enabling them to cultivate expert networks, and provide high-quality evidence across a variety of Parliamentary settings.
The 2024-6 Thematic Research Leads are now approaching the end of their positions, but the work they have undertaken continues to have a profound impact. Professor Ruth Lamont, Professor Helen McCae, Dr Leslie-Anne Duvic-Paoli, Dr Jane Parry, Professor Louise Reardon, Professor Varuna De Silva, and Associate Professor David Strain spoke to assembled guests to discuss their experiences of being involved in the scheme. The cohort emphasised not only the personal benefits of their involvement – such as the opportunity to increase their understanding of policymaking, and potential research priorities – but the wider benefits of these roles having been created. The scheme allowed for the cohort to collaborate with one another across disciplines, and reframe the research publication as not the end of a project, but a stepping stone towards policy development.
While there was evidently much accomplished during this cohorts time in Parliament, this too, is seen as only the beginning. The researchers expressed a great deal of interest in further investigating the interplay between these two disciplines, and finding opportunities for transforming not just research to policy, but policy to research.
With the new cohort to begin work next year, the Thematic Research Leads Scheme is continuing to draw on researcher expertise. The 2027-9 scheme welcomes applications from early to mid-career experts across the themes of Health and Life Sciences; AI, Digital and Technology; Education, Children and Young People; Place-Based Economic Growth; National Security and Resilience; Criminal Justice; and Infrastructure, Planning and Land Use, including Clean Energy Industries. Applications for the scheme close on the 9th August 2026, and the successful candidates will begin their appointment in spring 2027.
All photography credits – ©House of Commons