Working with policymakers

Alice Milner, a lecturer in physical geography at Royal Holloway, University of London, won a NERC fellowship to work with a UK government chief scientific adviser. She says that learning how policy is made has changed her research and she has some advice on winning a fellowship and influencing policy.

Alice Milner’s top tips

• Learn the language and terminology of government by reading policy papers on gov.uk.
• Keep up to date with what’s in the news about the government department or research area you’re interested in.
• If you want policymakers to read and use your research, write a clear and succinct one-page summary that includes the importance of your work to policy.
• Try to find the name of someone relevant and call them rather than relying on email.
• Engage policymakers early on when you’re developing your research idea to generate scientifically useful and policy-relevant outcomes.
• Before submitting a fellowship application, speak to people who have worked in policy and be aware of the main issues facing policymakers. Even postdocs can approach a government department with their research idea.
• Practice answering competency-based interview questions.