Policy Hub
Warwick Policy Hub
"We are pleased to launch Warwick’s Policy Hub for Social Science research. Policy engagement - whether that be at the regional, national or international levels - is core to ensuring that the important research we do at the University of Warwick can make a real and positive impact on the broader world. The ESRC IAA-funded Policy Hub will provide a locus for this work, with events, training, tools and fellowships to facilitate policy engagement. This will provide a forum that informs policy debate and connects our research with communities of policy and practice."
- Professor James Hayton, Chair of the Faculty of Social Sciences and PI of the ESRC IAA
Funded by the ESRC IAA
Training
Whatever stage you are at, there is policy training to support you on your policy engagement journey.
Policy Support
A selection of policy tools and resources are available to assist with your policy journey.
GOV UK Routes for Academic Engagement with GovernmentLink opens in a new window
This handy guide has been compiled by the Academic Engagement team in the Government Office for Science and includes avenues to submit research and evidence, useful networks and a comprehensive directory of current exchange schemes between policy and academia.
The directory is useful for researchers and civil servants alike, and aims to cultivate the opportunity for academics at all career stages to identify initiatives for policy engagement, and policymakers to gain experience of working with academics.
Policy Hub Library
The Policy Hub Library provides a curated collection of useful policy-related reading. You can find all manner of guides, articles, blog posts and more for your reading leisure to deepen your understanding of policy-engagement and support the development of policy impact.
Academic-Policy Engagement Until Now: The UK Story
The landscape of UK research informing public policy has evolved and changed considerably over the last 30 years. To better understand the story so far watch this short video produced by Capabilities in Academic Policy Engagement (CAPE), a multi-partner project led by UCL and funded by Research England.
West Midlands Combined Authority: Areas of Research Interest 2025-26Link opens in a new window
Areas of Research Interests are statements of topics/research questions published by organisations that are looking to collaborate with others to carry out research to inform their policies and evidence-gaps. West Midlands Combined Authority Areas of Research Interest communicate their strategic research needs in line with WMCA's external stakeholders. These research needs support evidence-based policy making to address the WMCA's aims to drive economic growth, improve transport, and enhance housing and skills in the region by investing across the region in skills and training initiatives, the transport network, housing and regeneration schemes, business support, and in decarbonising homes.
OvertonLink opens in a new window
The University has recently secured a subscription to Overton, the world's largest searchable database of policy-type documents (including guidelines, regulatory frameworks, working papers and outputs from thinktanks). The platform parses each document - finding references, people and key concepts- and then links them to academic research, as well as to relevant news stories and other policies. The platform can therefore help us discover where Warwick research may be influencing or changing practice in the real world.
Policy Support Fund 2025-26
This fund provides internal grants for strategic projects working towards enabling evidence-based policy making. Please see the Policy Support Fund webpage here.
This call is now closed. We will update the webpage when we open the 2026-27 call, subject to available funding.
Any Questions?
If you are a Social Science researcher or knowledge mobiliser at the University of Warwick interested in engaging with policy or facilitating this work - at whatever stage - this is YOUR HUB. Please get in touch with any suggestions or questions