An academics’ guide to policy impact

Influencing policy is a powerful way for academics to generate real-world impact from their research. But understanding how to engage with ministers and government officials, communicate clearly and navigate political contexts requires planning, strategy, persistence and the right support. This guide brings together practical advice and real-world insights to help researchers around the world deepen their understanding of how government works, build relationships with policymakers, craft compelling messages and collaborate across disciplines to drive change.

How to develop a strategy for policy engagement

Effective policy engagement requires planning. These resources explore how to set clear goals for your studies, pinpoint your audience and focus engagement efforts – including a framework borrowed from the business world – to help you chart a clear path from academia to impact.

Campus talks - the secrets of effective policy engagement, from two academics who have worked in government: Two academics who are steeped in policy expertise, having worked in government in the UK and US, share practical insights on what works when trying to get research before the eyes of decision-makers. Hear David Garcia of Arizona State University and Michael Sanders of King’s College London offer advice based on personal experience.

‘Explain your research as if you were speaking to a smart teenager’: For researchers to give their work a chance to have real-world impact, they need skills and tools to communicate effectively with politicians. Here, Kylie Ahern of STEM Matters offers ways to make every engagement count.

From peanut butter to effective policy impact: In a sector that often seems tasked with being everything to everyone, each university needs a policy strategy that focuses institutional expertise where it will make the most difference, writes Alistair Sackley of the University of Southampton.

Arts and humanities scholars can engage with policy, too: Advice for arts and humanities academics who want to develop their impact profile while staying true to their roots, from Charlotte Faucher of the University of Bristol.

How to succeed at policy engagement, part one: define your purpose: In the first of her series on policy engagement, Jo Clift provides guidance on the importance of knowing what you’re trying to achieve in order to succeed.

Driving change through knowledge - how to increase policy impact: Academic research is invaluable in informing governments and leaders so they can make decisions that affect us all. Yaryna Basystyuk of the University of Southampton offers advice on how to make your research count in the policy world.

As a researcher, you need a personal strategy…could business frameworks help?Business frameworks could help academic researchers to develop a personal strategy to guide their work, writes Daniel Moraru of Shizuoka University.

Understand the workings of government

Governments may vary but what they all have in common is that they are huge, unwieldy organisations with their own unique ways of working, often borne more out of tradition and precedent than logic or efficiency. Academics wishing to engage with and inform government bodies and policymakers will need to get to grips with their ways of working to ensure their expertise is heard. These resources offer insights from researchers on UK parliamentary processes.

Parliamentary inquiries and lobbying explained: Martin Smith of Goldsmiths, University of London, offers an overview of parliamentary inquiries and lobbying for academics, looking at who is involved, how effective it can be and what results it can offer beyond direct policy change.

What I learned about knowledge transfer with policymakers during my parliamentary fellowship: Advice on how to share your research with the aim of maximising knowledge transfer among policymakers in parliament, from Rajiv Prabhakar of the Open University.

My experience of speaking in front of a select committee: Nicola Searle of Goldsmiths, University of London, shares lessons for academics on speaking in front of a parliamentary select committee, to provide insight on topics linked to your research.

How to succeed at policy engagement, part two - mapping the landscape: In the second part of her series on policy engagement, Jo Clift advises how to build a picture of the policy landscape in your area of interest and establish who to engage with.

Build relationships with policymakers

Relationships sit at the heart of policy impact. Academics need to build trust and position themselves as experts in their space, if they wish to be consulted on the issues with which they are engaged. These resources offer insight on relationship building with those in government.

How to facilitate knowledge exchange and build trust with policymakers: Those seeking to create impact with their evidence should be ready to understand how public sector bodies make sense of the value of research, writes Julian Molina of the University of Bristol.

Why relationship building is key to policy influence: To influence policy, researchers must go beyond data to build trust and relationships. Strategic networking makes the difference, writes O. Grace Ngullie of Manipal Academy of Higher Education.

How to succeed at policy engagement, part three - building relationships: In the third and final part of her series on policy engagement, Jo Clift looks at how to create positive and lasting relationships across your policy network.

Make your research relevant to policy issues

For research to gain traction with policymakers, it must be relevant and helpful. Find out how to link your research to a specific need or problem with which politicians are preoccupied, how to leverage networks and build support for your work and finally, communicate it in meaningful ways to those in the corridors of power.

Learning the craft of using your research to engage in policy: David Garcia of Arizona State University explains how academics can get their research noticed by politicians in order to inform and impact policy decisions.

Five steps for engaging policymakers with research: Pointers to help researchers get policymakers interested in their work, based on a guide co-created by government and academics from the University of Leeds, shared here by Ben Walmsley.

Convey your message effectively to policymakers

Effective communication is vital to policy impact. Researchers must identify the headline information that will interest those in power. These resources break down the techniques needed to present research in ways that grab attention, highlight relevance and offer clear take-aways.

Writing and presenting reports for government - five dos and five don’ts: A guide for academics on the dos and don’ts of writing and presenting research reports designed to inform policymakers, by Naresh Pandit of the University of East Anglia.

When refuge isn’t safe - uncovering real-life stories to shape policy: Human stories that feed into research can be a powerful tool for driving policy change but need careful and sensitive handling, as Lizzie Kirsch of the University of Birmingham explains.

Want your research to have an impact on policy? Know your audience: Politicians are novices by design, so tailoring your communications with them gives you the best chance of cutting through, says David R. Garcia of Arizona State University.

What’s the story? Creative ways to communicate your research: Early in your academic research, you should ask how you can creatively communicate it to a wide audience. The results may surprise you, says Steven Beschloss of Arizona State University.

Research communication that reaches beyond academia

Academics must translate and communicate their findings in ways that resonate with people outside their field if they are to capture the attention of politicians and civil servants. These resources share ideas on how to explain your findings – and their implications – to diverse audiences beyond academic circles.

The perils of unheard policy: Effective communication is a core component of successful policymaking. Whether you’re a policy professional or working in communications, how you convey your message can determine whether your ideas thrive or fade, writes Alistair Sackley of the University of Southampton.

Why is no one listening? Academic ways of communicating are often the exact opposite of what you need to draw widespread attention to your research, writes Simon Hall of the University of Cambridge. Here are simple ways to help your message reach its audience.

How to harness community knowledge to tackle complex policy challenges: Working with local communities can help uncover new insights to tackle complex social policy challenges. Saffron Woodcraft and Joseph Cook of UCL explain how to set up high-impact citizen social science research.

Does the UK need an observatory for university engagement with policymakers?Any such project would need to guard against numerous pitfalls, but the benefits in terms of bringing together various initiatives and engendering new skills could be great, as academics at the Capabilities in Academic Policy Engagement (CAPE), Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN) and UCL explain.

Embedding equality, diversity and inclusion within public policy training for academics: Steps higher education institutions can take to make their policy engagement training programmes as diverse and inclusive as possible, based on the experience of a UK university, shared by Audrey Tan of UCL.

The art of change - using creative research methods to solve the plastics crisis: Incorporating theatre, music and the visual arts as research tools complements analytical and qualitative approaches to environmental challenges – and goes beyond public engagement into local and global policymaking, writes Cressida Bowyer of the University of Portsmouth.