Policy Fellowship Opportunity: Digital Nottingham

Context

Through the Capabilities in Academic-Policy Engagement (CAPE) project, we are pleased to announce a new Policy Fellowship opportunity with CAPE and the University of Nottingham’s Digital Nottingham team. This post is offered as a funded secondment open to people working in policy making and policy facing organisations with relevant policy making experience.

The secondment is offered on a part time or full time basis, for a period of 9 months with the possibility of extension. The secondment will match current salary, with total costs (including on-costs) capped at £70k pa pro-rated. It is intended that the secondment will commence in May/June 2022, with some flexibility for an exceptional candidate.

About Digital Nottingham

Digital Nottingham will be a collaboration to help transform the city region – developing Nottingham’s potential, skills and ambitions, while providing opportunities for growth and regeneration in a digital and data-driven world.  

The purpose of Digital Nottingham is to bring together academics, businesses, communities and organisations to catalyse and connect civic, research and innovation endeavour around digital transformation. In doing so, the programme seeks to improve ‘life, prosperity and prospects locally, nationally and globally.  

Principles of co-creation and co-production underpin Digital Nottingham, driving multidisciplinary KE that responds to local city needs. The lessons of Digital Nottingham will also be applicable more widely, and will be a model for collaboration between universities and local partners to support economic, social and cultural wellbeing.  

Central to Digital Nottingham will be the creation of a new civic engagement hub in Nottingham in the form of the Castle Meadow Campus development, and close collaboration with existing University centres of excellence – notably the Data-Driven Discovery Initiative (3DI).  

3DI has been launched to align new data-intensive research and impact activities with the University’s latest strategy update as well as current and future UK government initiatives and agendas, especially levelling up, and the National Data Strategy. The centre is currently launching new projects in collaboration with Digital Nottingham to understand the needs of local government in a data-driven future.  

Collectively, these programmes of activity will serve as a keystone for the University’s commitment to civic engagement and our place-based impact agenda, as well as for future- proofing our position as an elite, innovative and forward-thinking research institution.  

About CAPE

Capabilities in Academic Policy Engagement (CAPE) is a knowledge exchange and research project that explores how to support effective and sustained engagement between academics and policy professionals across the higher education sector.

CAPE is a partnership between UCL and the universities of Cambridge, Manchester, Northumbria and Nottingham, in collaboration with the Government Office for Science, the Parliamentary Office for Science & Technology, Nesta, and the Transforming Evidence Hub. CAPE is funded by Research England.

We believe that policy which is informed by evidence is stronger, more effective, and provides better value for public spending. By using research expertise we can make a positive difference to the UK economy, our wellbeing and to the world around us

Role Description

The fellow will report to Professor Paul Grainge (Academic Director, Digital Nottingham).   As a CAPE-sponsored fellowship there will be a dotted line to Stephen Meek and the Institute for Policy and Engagement, and the 3DI Scientific Advisory Board and external partner network.  The fellow will also liaise with Dr Benjamin Lucas, managing director of the Data-Driven Discovery Initiative.   

The successful candidate will be willing to embrace and contribute to a fast-paced ‘start-up’ work culture. We welcome applications from both policy experts with an interest in data and digital, and data and digital experts with an interest in policy. Specifically, the Digital Nottingham Fellow will:  

• Identify and engage key policy partners to map and understand their priorities and challenges, including areas of collaboration and tension (policy and political).  
• Identify the data assets held by policy partners and elsewhere on which Digital Nottingham and 3DI could draw to build a map of data, and to identify any issues with access.  
• Identify relevant capability and expertise across the University of Nottingham  
• Produce a set of recommendations for the areas and issues on which Digital Nottingham and 3DI can make the biggest difference and should focus its work for the first 2-5 years.  These recommendations will reflect partner priorities and will form a work programme.  

About you: Essential

• Excellent research and analytic skills, with demonstrable experience or transferable skills in translating research findings to other contexts 
• Someone who can demonstrate competence in harnessing and contextualising the use of data and digital innovation.  
• Ability to operate effectively, openly, and collaboratively within sensitive political contexts;  
• An ability to demonstrate neutrality and impartiality while navigating competing stakeholder interests.  
• Excellent communication skills and ability to effectively engage with people from different backgrounds and sectors, and at different levels of seniority.  

• Strong writing skills and proven communications experience with both academic and non- academic audiences.  
• The ability to connect local, regional and national policy priorities and identify opportunities for University, City and County. 
• Ability to work proactively, managing and prioritising your own workload, while managing contingencies between multiple project stakeholders.  
• Ability to operate openly and inclusively. 

About you: Desirable

• Previous experience of working in, or with, local and/or regional development.  
• Experience in working within key stakeholder networks. 
• Expertise in data analytics and data driven solutions.   

About Policy Fellowships

This Fellowship is open candidates from policy making or policy facing organisations with relevant expertise. It is offered as a secondment on a full- or part-time basis for 9 months in the first instance, with the possibility of extension. The fellowship will match salary up to a total cost, including on-costs, of £70,000 pa pro rated.

Specific terms and conditions will be stated in a fellowship agreement, which the successful candidate will be required to sign at the start of their fellowship.

To find out more please contact Paul Grainge ([email protected]) or Stephen Meek ([email protected]).

How to apply

To apply please send:

· A short CV (max 2 pp)

· Covering letter outlining your suitability for the role

To [email protected] by the closing date of 12th April 2022, 23.59pm.