UCL Public Policy

➡️ Calling researchers and research-active staff: Las chance to join a focus group to share experience and expectations of external appointments. Help UCL shape a healthier, more inclusive and sustainable research culture. Deadline 7 February.   Are you a researcher and/or a research-active staff member from any discipline and career stage, that has experience with an external appointment, or has an interest in applying for an external appointment?   If so, UCL's Research Culture team want to hear from you! They are running a series of focus groups with researchers and research-active staff who:   Are currently undertaking an external appointment and/or have experience with previous external appointments: to understand your experiences and what you gained from it, what worked well, the process of obtaining an external appointment, and what you wished you knew to prepare you for the role; or   Have an interest in undertaking an external appointment: to understand the barriers that may be preventing you from applying for an external appointment and what knowledge and skills development you would appreciate, should you be successful.   This will feed into wider development work to create a new learning and development programme to prepare researchers and research-active staff at UCL with the knowledge and confidence to apply for external appointments alongside their current UCL role, and to equip them with the necessary skills to perform in these roles. The project is being delivered as part of the UCL Research Culture programme ‘Enabling collaboration and team science,’ funded by Wellcome Trust’s Institutional Funding for Research Culture, in alignment with the Research Culture Roadmap, to help UCL develop a healthier, more inclusive and sustainable research culture.   Register now for focus groups: You are invited to take part in a focus group to be held on Teams or in person, running from Monday 10 – Friday 28 February. There will be a limit of up to 10 people per focus group, last up to 1hr 30 minutes, to enable everyone the opportunity to contribute. The deadline to sign up is Friday 7 February.   They welcome honest and open discussions during the focus groups, and anything shared will remain anonymous. If you have any accessibility requirements or queries about the focus group, please contact researchculture@ucl.ac.uk Click here to find out more and sign up for a focus group: https://lnkd.in/g8iY9sEZ  

I am excited to share that the 'Structurally Unsound' team have won the Professional Services Support for Knowledge Exchange Award at UCL’s Creating Impact through Knowledge Exchange Awards 2025! This award recognises our collaboration between UCL Public Policy, UCL Grand Challenges, and the Resolution Foundation, bringing together academic, policy, and third-sector expertise to tackle persistent structural inequalities in the UK. I’m proud to be part of this incredible team (and could not have done it without them - Siobhan Morris, Sinéad M. & Dr Olivia Stevenson) and grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such meaningful work. A huge thank you to UCL Innovation & Enterprise for organising such an inspiring event, and congratulations to all the other winners—it’s an honour to be among you!

🏆 Immensely proud to celebrate my colleagues Dr Olivia Stevenson, Siobhan Morris Sinéad M. and Ethne James-Souch for their collective win of the Professional Services Support for Knowledge Exchange award as part of the UCL Creating Impact through Knowledge Exchange Awards 2025. The team were acknowledged for their incredible work leading Structurally Unsound, a UCL collaboration with thinktank the Resolution Foundation, exploring structural inequalities in the UK, the role of research and how policymakers can design effective interventions to address inequality. You can find out more about the team, the project and the award here: https://lnkd.in/e86n8z4E UCL Public Policy UCL Grand Challenges UCL Innovation & Enterprise

Book your place at out next Up Close and Policy session: Advancing Net Zero Through Evidence and Collaboration. Hear how the UCL Net Zero What Works Group is Shaping Policy, Practice, and Partnerships for Effective Climate Action. 📅19 Feb at 1pm - 2pm https://lnkd.in/euZ_R3FK Alice Tofts Katherine W.

Complete the UK Science & Technology Capability Survey - Government Office for Science Within the Technology Insights, Futures and Foresight unit of the Government Office for Science, are assessing the UK’s capability in science and technology (S&T), in areas including facilities, expertise, resources and regulation. They need your expert knowledge to help them in this important research. This survey is an opportunity to contribute to informing the Government about issues, opportunities, and trends within UK S&T, and future intervention to address them. The survey will take around 15 minutes to complete. Responses are anonymous: https://lnkd.in/e4PE5-kq Thank you for your participation.

The winners of the Creating Impact Through Knowledge Exchange Awards 2025 were announced yesterday at Senate House.   It was a fantastic evening which recognised and celebrated knowledge exchange activity across every corner of UCL, in everything from drug discovery and regenerative medicine to energy use and AI.    UCL staff, students and alumni were awarded including Professor Paola Giunti receiving the Partnership with Industry award for her collaboration with Reata Pharmaceuticals, now Biogen, to deliver the first-ever treatment for Friedreich’s Ataxia, neurodegenerative disorder. Additionally, a team from the IOE was awarded the Impactful Partnership with Public and Third Sector award for their work with civil society organizations in Lebanon and along the Thailand-Myanmar border.   Professor Geraint Rees, UCL Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement), said: “Congratulations to all the individuals and teams who were commended and won. The quality of the award nominees was exceptionally high this year. We’re thrilled to see even more of our innovative community taking their ideas out into the world in such impactful ways.    “UCL is committed to building a strong knowledge exchange culture, and events like this go a long way to providing positive examples and a deep pool of inspiration for our staff, students, alumni and partners.”     Read the article: https://lnkd.in/eHTMf68e Nguyen T. K. Thanh, MAE FRSC FAPS FInstP FRSB FIMMM UCL Engineering UCL Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering Dean Barratt UCL Translational Research Office (TRO) IOE - UCL's Faculty of Education and Society Elaine Chase Multi-Aid Programs (MAPs) Jusoor Inclusive Education Foundation - Mae Sot Eileen Kennedy Diana Laurillard Tejendra Pherali, PhD Gabi Witthaus Bing Li Dr Olivia Stevenson UCL Public Policy UCL Grand Challenges UCL Research Siobhan Morris Ethne James-Souch Sinéad M. Ina Jovicic eNOugh UCL School of Management Gaelic Jara Reinhold UCL Electronic and Electrical Engineering UCL Consultants Ltd UCL Consultants Ltd Paul Ruyssevelt UCL Business Ltd Endomag Quentin Pankhurst Kathryn Walsh

New news story: 'Structurally Unsound’ team win the 'Professional Services Support for Knowledge Exchange award' UCL Public Policy and UCL Grand Challenges’ Structurally Unsound team have won the Professional Services Support for Knowledge Exchange award as part of the Creating Impact through Knowledge Exchange Awards 2025. Speaking on the award and project, Dr Olivia Stevenson, Sinéad M., Siobhan Morris and Ethne James-Souch said: "Team work, trust, and transparency have been at the heart of our collaboration, and we are delighted to see our approach recognised with this award. Working across professional roles, disciplines, and sectors has been invaluable in ensuring research informs policy in meaningful ways. We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to this partnership over the years—their dedication and insight have made the project's success possible. As we look ahead, we remain committed to deepening these collaborations and continuing vital conversations about reducing structural inequalities, ensuring our work drives meaningful and lasting change." Read the full news story: https://lnkd.in/eUEUMRKu UCL Innovation & Enterprise

Have your say on the National Data Library! Tony Blair Institute for Global Change/Entrepreneurs' Network project are seeking to understand what the academic community would value from the forthcoming National Data Library (early details of which were announced in the Government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan). They've announced a new survey to collect views on the National Data Library. This survey aims to better understand data demand in the academic community to inform the recommended NDL's design. Deadline to fill out the survey: Monday, 10 February https://lnkd.in/dvbteJza

Last month I attended the second roundtable on ending youth violence run by UCL Grand Challenges and the Ending Youth Violence Lab. In the discussions we had, a couple of points lept out at me (thoughts/views my own): 📖 The importance of the language we use when shaping policies affecting children and young people. Even the naming of a well-intentioned initiative - such as to prevent antisocial behaviour - can hyper focus on the problem that needs fixing, and lose sight of the opportunities that can be opened to young people. It struck me how important it was to set the tone of a policy as something that empowers and supports young people, rather than something that just prevents and tackles issues. 👥 🔁 🏫 We looked at how past initiatives aimed at supporting prosocial behaviour among young people focused almost exclusively on adjusting their environment. Results have been patchy, in large part because many of these initiatives did not account for the nuances of children’s mental and emotional states, and how these vary from person to person. Children may interact differently to a given environment simply because no two children are exactly the same. The individual differences of young people got me thinking about two sides of the same coin. On the one hand, growing up in a challenging environment may adversely affect one young person’s #MentalHealth and behaviours more than another’s. On the other, interventions aimed at supporting children’s mental health may benefit one child more than another. I was also reminded that the mental and emotional states of young people are not immutable things- they fluctuate. I learned how young people are not passive recipients of their environments; they actively participate in their worlds and co-create the dynamics with other people in their lives. The takeaway? ➡️ Any policy that supports young people to thrive must take into account the diverse psychological states of children at different ends of the mental health spectrum, and the two-way interaction with their environment. And it should focus on the potential of all young people. 🧳 I’ll take these insights with me as I prepare for my Churchill Fellowship travels, where I’ll be researching factors that support the healthy emotional development of boys and young men. Shout out to UCL Public Policy for making my participation in this important area intersecting research, practice and policy possible. 🙏🏻 #childrights #childprotection #childwelfare #ChurchillFellow24 🌐 https://lnkd.in/ey76kMHX

Last chance to apply: Impact Manager for Equalise: ESRC Centre for Lifecourse Health Equity The Research Department of Epidemiology & Public Health (EPH) is a world-leading and multi-disciplinary research department that conducts timely, rigorous and independent research with sound statistical methods into a better understanding of health and the prevention of ill health. Our research focuses on a wide range of public health concerns such as heart disease; dental public health; mental health and well-being; and child development and ageing. Our research has significant real-world impact, informing policy and practice both in the United Kingdom and around the world. EPH is now looking for an Impact Manager to progress their career as part of a very strong multidisciplinary and multisectoral team. Click below to find out more. https://lnkd.in/eQfURWQx Closing date 9 Feb. UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care