OPEN - local, national, and global engagement
The following impact case studies illustrate some of the ways in which the Oxford Policy Engagement Network is shaping policy and practice, building capacity, and deepening relationships - as well as nurturing new ones.
In Oxfordshire
Low-carbon transport solutions
‘Scaling up of car-sharing models can contribute to decarbonisation and, particularly in rural areas where public transport is less viable, tackling social inclusion concerns. Seed funding from OPEN enabled a collaboration with the County Council and car clubs across Oxfordshire to better understand how car clubs, especially those providing electric vehicles, can achieve such goals and remain commercially viable.’
Dr Hannah Budnitz, Research Associate in Urban Mobility, School of Geography and the Environment
‘We’re always interested in connecting with academia and developing cross- sectoral partnerships. We’re now developing a car club strategy for the county to help achieve our decarbonisation goals.’
Jenny Figueiredo, EV Charging Projects Manager, Oxfordshire County Council
Find out more about Hannah and Jenny's collaboration in our Researcher Stories video
Ethic challenges in healthcare resource allocation
‘In the wake of the pandemic, allocation of healthcare resources across patient groups requires a robust ethical framework of the kind we have developed through this collaboration. This has the potential to shape outcomes across the South-East region and beyond.’
David Clayton-Smith, Chair, Thames Valley Priorities Committee (2019-2022)
‘This project sparked a wider collaboration with NHS commissioners, healthcare providers, and patient and policy organisations, aimed at tackling overlooked inequalities in treatment for people at different life-stages.’
Dr Sapfo Lignou, Senior Researcher in Bioethics, Oxford Population Health
Reducing health disparities
‘The County Council created the Oxford Community Research Network (OCRN) to facilitate collaboration between local communities, councils, academic institutions and health services to address local issues. My OPEN Fellowship with the Council aimed to increase the impact of local community-led and community-engaged research on public health policy to reduce health disparities within Oxfordshire.’
Dr Joanna Crocker, Senior Researcher in Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences
‘Joanna’s recommendations are being used to directly guide the OCRN’s next steps, which will enable us to understand and tackle the health issues that matter to local communities much more effectively.’
Dr Adam Briggs, Deputy Director of Public Health, Oxfordshire County Council
‘When we heard via the weekly OPEN Alert about the chance to pitch ideas for an inquiry to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, we proposed one into policy gaps affecting the UK’s resilience to rising temperature levels.’
‘We were delighted to serve as specialist advisers for this inquiry, and urge the Government, which committed to the UN’s Global Cooling Pledge at COP28, to act on its findings.’ 
‘The Indian Ocean is a major conduit for trade and energy, and its littoral states account for more than a third of the world’s population and almost a fifth of global GDP – but they face significant maritime insecurity. OPEN kick-started my collaboration with the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) through a Fellowship – an experience I drew on during a subsequent secondment to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. I was delighted to secure an award from the Public Policy Challenge Fund to resume collaboration with the IOC, including on strengthening local ownership of maritime governance and reduction of maritime crime.
‘Better use of data collected by rangers has enormous potential to help the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) tackle elephant poaching, so it has been thrilling to see the recommendations that came from my OPEN Fellowship implemented by ZimParks. The Fellowship also catalysed collaborations to curb rhino poaching in South Africa.’ 
‘We gained valuable research insights from our collaboration with Tim and have used the project as a template for future international research collaborations.’ 