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This case study reports on a collaboration project between the Austerity and Altered Life-Courses (AALC) research team at The University of Manchester (UoM) and the Poverty Strategy team at Manchester City Council (MCC). The project aimed to co-develop innovative strategies to address poverty in Manchester, using co-production to achieve mutual benefit. Key outcomes include Anti-Poverty Strategy, qualitative research training for MCC staff, and recommendations for affordable childcare. The collaboration has strengthened the relationship between MCC and UoM and has provided new opportunities for further joint initiatives.

In this case study report, Jane McDermott (University of Manchester) reflects on her CAPE policy fellowship in the Science, Research and Evidence Directorate at the Department of Health and Social Care. The case study reports on her work developing the Women’s Health Strategy for England including the key priorities and commitment to co-production which helped to shape the work. The case study reveals Jane’s own reflections on her experience of the fellowship, outlines key challenges, lessons learned and the benefits it has brought to herself and her policy partners.

Drawing from her experience as a United Nations Delegate for the Commission on the Status of Women, University of Cambridge and British Library PhD candidate, Kirstie Stage reflects on the progress and barriers to developing disability policy in national and international settings. The blog explores the importance of building communities and the interconnectedness of disability policy with other realms, and offers insights into how greater inclusivity can be achieved.

The House of Lords select committee on Artificial Intelligence in Weapon Systems has launched a new Area of Research Interest (ARI) alongside their Call for Evidence. Academics, research institutions and experts with technical and other expertise concerning AI in Weapon Systems are invited to complete a short survey about their research.

As part of our exploration into the importance of knowledge exchange events in academic-policy engagement, we reflect on a pilot network within CAPE called the Policy Knowledge Brokers Forum (PKBF). The network bought together policy knowledge brokers in policy organisations to meet and share experiences. Kayleigh Renberg Fawcett and Jenny Hasenfuss, CAPE coordinators who supported the network, share reflections on what we’ve learnt based on the collective experience from founding members of the network from the Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology, Government Office for Science, and the Evidence & Partnerships Hub at the Ministry of Justice . Our insights from this initiative show that knowledge exchange events are a great way to build networks, provide a safe space for disruptive thinking, and work well when there is a diversity of voices present. 

The House of Commons International Development Committee has now updated its Areas of Research Interest for 2023 to support the Committee’s scrutiny of the UK’s international development strategy and funding. Academics at all career stages, research institutions, and experts are encouraged to register their interest in these ARIs, add their existing research in the topic areas to the ARI repository, provide their insights, and suggest questions that the Committee could be asking the Government. 

In September 2022, two Senedd committees launched the Senedd’s first Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) as a new way to improve committees’ engagement with the research community. ARI topics include climate change, modal shift and active travel, sustainable communities, and health literacy. In this blog Rob Davies, CAPE Policy Fellow, outlines how researchers can engage with the ARIs and how they aim to support parliamentary scrutiny.

CAPE is pleased to see the launch of the Yorkshire & Humber Policy Engagement & Research Network (Y-PERN) which has been awarded £3.9m of funding from the Research England Development (RED) fund.

Elizabeth Lomas, CAPE Policy Fellow with DCMS, is working on the update to the department’s 2018 Areas of Research Interest document. She shares with CAPE how DCMS is developing these and her reflections on the process so far.

Sarah Chaytor reflects on the implications of open access research for increasing evidence-informed policy making and how we can ensure that policy communities can benefit from the increasing volume of research available.