Local Policy Lab

The Local Policy Lab is a new initiative that will build meaningful and long-lasting connections between local public policy actors and communities and academic researchers.

The Local Policy Lab aims to:

• connect University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes researchers with County and District Council policymakers, local volunteer and charity organisations, and with communities to support evidence-based public policy in key areas, initially focusing on health and climate policy, and;
• create opportunities for graduate students, supervised by academics and county officers, to work on existing datasets, collect new qualitative data, and undertake impact evaluations.

The Local Policy Lab is supported by the University of Oxford’s ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (ESRC IAA).

Key activities:

Chief Scientific Advisors

The Local Policy Lab is seeking to appoint three Chief Scientific Advisers (CSAs): new appointments who will provide crucial strategic research leadership in priority policy areas focused on addressing socio-economic determinants of health and reducing inequalities across the county. By engaging a network of researchers, policymakers, practitioners and communities, the CSAs will collaboratively scope and deliver an ambitious, co-produced three-year research agenda, influencing at senior levels in local government and effecting direct impact on the ground.

The Local Policy Lab is currently recruiting Chief Scientific Advisors to each of the following thematic areas:

• Enabling children and young people to thrive
• Delivering inclusive growth, a skilled workforce and fair employment
• Addressing inequalities and ensuring a health standard of living for all

If you are an established academic with expertise in any of these fields, find out more about the Chief Scientific Advisors call for applications. 

Local Policy Lab Fellowship Programme

In its first year, the Local Policy Lab ran a pilot Fellowship Programme in partnership with the Oxford SDG Impact Lab.

The Local Policy Lab Fellowship Programme pairs graduate students with a policy partner to conduct research with the goal of supporting evidence-based policymaking in the areas of climate and health in Oxfordshire.

Find out more about the Local Policy Lab Fellowship Programme.

Get in touch

If you would like more information or if you have a project that could benefit from the Local Policy Lab's involvement, please contact localpolicylab@admin.ox.ac.uk