{"id":205,"date":"2026-07-31T12:09:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T12:09:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/exeterpolicyblog\/?p=205"},"modified":"2026-07-31T12:09:59","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T12:09:59","slug":"how-thematic-research-leads-work-with-parliament","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/exeterpolicyblog\/2026\/07\/31\/how-thematic-research-leads-work-with-parliament\/","title":{"rendered":"How Thematic Research Leads Work with Parliament\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ahead of the announcement of the 2027-9 Parliamentary Thematic Research Leads, the current cohort, including the University of Exeter\u2019s 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.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019 roles, enabling them to cultivate expert networks, and provide high-quality evidence across a variety of Parliamentary settings. <\/p>\n\n\n

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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 \u2013 such as the opportunity to increase their understanding of policymaking, and potential research priorities \u2013 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While there was\u00a0evidently much\u00a0accomplished during this\u00a0cohorts\u00a0time in Parliament, this too, is seen as only the beginning.\u00a0The researchers\u00a0expressed a great deal of interest in\u00a0further investigating the interplay between these two\u00a0disciplines, and\u00a0finding opportunities for transforming not just research to policy,\u00a0but policy to research.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the\u00a0new cohort to begin work next year,\u00a0the Thematic Research Leads Scheme is\u00a0continuing to draw on researcher\u00a0expertise. The 2027-9 scheme welcomes applications from\u00a0early to mid-career experts across the themes of Health and Life Sciences;\u00a0AI, Digital and Technology;\u00a0Education, Children and Young People; Place-Based Economic Growth; National Security and Resilience; Criminal Justice; and Infrastructure, Planning and Land Use, including Clean Energy Industries.\u00a0Applications for the scheme close on the\u00a09th<\/sup>\u00a0August 2026, and the successful candidates will begin their appointment in spring 2027.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All photography credits – \u00a9House of Commons<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ahead of the announcement of the\u00a02027-9 Parliamentary Thematic Research Leads,\u00a0the\u00a0current cohort, including the University of Exeter\u2019s Associate Professor David Strain, were invited\u00a0to\u00a0an event\u00a0celebrating\u00a0the value of their work, and\u00a0highlighting\u00a0the\u00a0important role\u00a0research and evidence\u00a0play in the Parliamentary landscape.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2305,"featured_media":209,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[9],"tags":[61],"class_list":["post-205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fellowships-and-secondments","tag-parliamentary-thematic-research-leads"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow Thematic Research Leads Work with Parliament\u00a0 - 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