Events from OPEN
Connecting research with policy can be a daunting task, given the many forms of government and ways to engage. OPEN offers a diverse range of activities throughout the year, including workshops, talks, masterclasses, and networking events. These events offer practical guidance to researchers and policymakers on how to collaborate effectively and bridge the gap between their respective areas of expertise.
Engaging with policymakers is essential for ensuring that research findings are taken into account when making policy decisions. By working together, researchers and policymakers can create evidence-based policies that have a real impact on society.
Researchers and professional services staff from all areas of the University are welcome to take part in OPEN's activities, and increase their confidence for engaging with policymakers and better understand how to bridge the divide between their areas of expertise and work together in effective ways.
New events are being added regularly so Join OPEN or follow OPEN on X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky, and on LinkedIn for updates.
30 January | CANCELLED - Information Session: Getting Started in Policy Engagement for the Medical Sciences Division (MSD)
14:00 - 15:30, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Room A.
Learning outcomes
- A better understanding of the differences between policy influence, impact, and engagement.
- Enhanced understanding of the policy process at different levels of government (local, regional, national and international)
- Increased awareness of practical tools and strategies to create a policy engagement plan
In this session, you will benefit from a combination of presentations, short exercises, and opportunities to discuss with peer researchers your motivations, plans, and challenges when it comes to engaging with policymakers and the public policy world.
Intended audience
Researchers, DPhil Students, and Professional Services Staff.
Facilitators
Jose Rojas Alvarado, Learning & Development Manager, OPEN
Naomi Gibson, Public and Policy Engagement Facilitator (Medical Sciences Division)
Register here for 'Getting Started in Policy Engagement - MSD'
4 February | Information Session: Getting Started in Policy Engagement
14:00 - 15:30, Online.
If you are interested in creating valuable connections between academia and policymakers and sharing your research insights to better inform public policies, this opportunity is for you. This introductory session, tailored to those new to policy engagement, is designed to support researchers, DPhil students, and professional services staff, in transforming their motivations for impact into a structured understanding of how to engage with the public policy world.
Learning outcomes
- A better understanding of the differences between policy influence, impact, and engagement.
- Enhanced understanding of the policy process at different levels of government (local, regional, national and international)
- Increased awareness of practical tools and strategies to create a policy engagement plan
In this session, you will benefit from a combination of presentations, short exercises, and opportunities to discuss with peer researchers your motivations, plans, and challenges when it comes to engaging with policymakers and the public policy world.
Intended audience
Researchers from all divisions, DPhil Students, and Professional Services Staff.
Facilitator
Jose Rojas Alvarado, Learning & Development Manager, OPEN
Register here for 'Getting Started in Policy Engagement'
20 February | Networking: Policy Engagement Networking Lunch
13:00 - 16:00, St Anne's College.
Join us for the launch of the new round of the OPEN Peer Mentoring Scheme. Connect with Oxford researchers and policy professionals through a facilitated networking session, followed by an expert panel discussion. Learn from peers and contribute to bridging the gap between academic insights and effective policymaking.
The event includes a networking lunch (13:00-14:00) where you can connect with Oxford researchers and policy professionals from 10 government departments. This will be followed by a Q&A session with
- Emily Jones, Associate Professor in Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government
- Karri Aston, Head of the Academic Engagement Team, Government Office for Science
- Sophus zu Ermgassen, Postdoctoral Ecological Economist, Department of Biology | Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery
Intended audience
Researchers from all divisions, DPhil Students, and Professional Services Staff.
25 February | OPEN Conversation: History, Archives, and Policymaking: Getting Humanities Research to Speak to Policy
17:00 - 18:30, Rees Davies Room, History Faculty.
How can humanities research speak to the needs of present policy? What unique perspectives do humanities scholars bring to the policymaking process that might otherwise be overlooked? These are some of the questions we will be asking in this upcoming OPEN Conversation that brings together leading humanities scholars.
Professor Patrick Salmon is Chief Historian of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, a position he has held for twenty years. He regularly briefs ministers and overseas posts, providing them with historical advice, and is an editor of the series Documents on British Policy Overseas (DBPO).
Professor Patricia Clavin is Professor of Modern History at the University of Oxford, and an expert in twentieth-century history, who has regularly engaged with policymakers. She is a Co-Director of the Changing Global Orders programme at the Oxford Martin School, which seeks to improve global governance in the 21st century by revealing the role of path-dependency from the 20th century.
This will be a very interactive session. We will facilitate a conversation between the speakers and the audience, giving you the opportunity to exchange ideas with leading experts who have worked at the intersection of academia and policy.
So come prepared with thoughts and questions, and be ready to share your perspectives and engage in open discussion.
Intended audience
Researchers, DPhil Students, and Professional Services Staff.
Facilitators
Professor Patrick Salmon, Chief Historian, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Professor Patricia Clavin, a leader of Changing Global Orders, Oxford Martin School
Tom Kelsey, Humanities and Public Policy Officer
12 March | Workshop: Stakeholder Mapping for the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences (MPLS) Division
10:00 - 12:00, Careers Lounge, Careers Service.
Who do you need to engage with in the policy world to achieve impact? In this workshop, we will help answer this and other questions by equipping MPLS researchers, professional services staff, and DPhil students to identify and map the people and groups who influence or are impacted by their research, when it comes to policy engagement. Using stakeholder analysis frameworks and interactive exercises, participants will learn to identify and categorize their relevant audiences across government agencies and other pertinent policy actors.
Learning outcomes
- A greater ability to identify, evaluate, and prioritise those in the policymaking community who may have an interest in policy-relevant research
- A better understanding of the value of systematic stakeholder analysis
- The guidance and resources available to support stakeholder analysis
Intended audience
Researchers, DPhil Students, and Professional Services Staff.
Facilitators
Jose Rojas Alvarado, Learning & Development Manager, OPEN
Naomi Gibson, Public and Policy Engagement Facilitator (Medical Sciences Division)
To explore more events related to policy and research that are taking place across the University, visit the Research and Public Policy Collection on OxTalks.