Jay Dominy, Public Affairs Manager at UCL and CLOSER, introduces CLOSER’s new monthly Policy Surgeries and encourages researchers interested in informing policy to sign-up.
CLOSER is the UK’s partnership of social and biomedical longitudinal population studies and works to increase their visibility, use and impact.
We are at a critical point for the research-policy landscape. With the Labour Government putting its policy ambitions into practice through a series of landmark strategies and commissions, it is now even more important for researchers to understand the complexities of the policy landscape and how to use their research to inform and shape public policy.
It’s crucial to ensure that the work of a researcher does not stop once the conclusion of their paper is written. As UKRI’s strategy makes clear, publicly funded research must inform the development of policies that improve population health, prevent future illness, and tackle health inequalities. The challenge is that while researchers understand how valuable their evidence is, there are several complex factors to consider when trying to convey that to politicians.
That’s why CLOSER has launched a new pilot programme of monthly Policy Surgeries, aimed at researchers who want to use their work to inform policymaking but would benefit from tailored guidance and practical advice on how to go about it.
CLOSER’s Policy Surgeries
Our free Policy Surgeries work through an office hours style system, where researchers can book time in our calendars and talk through their research and policy engagement aspirations. We can offer practical, bespoke advice to help participants identify opportunities, develop effective engagement plans, and refine their narratives.
We welcome sign-ups regardless of existing knowledge; whether you would like a second opinion on advanced policy engagement activity, or simply some advice on where to get started, the surgeries are guided by you.
They are aimed at supplementing CLOSER’s go-to resource for researchers, the Policy Hub, where you can browse our policy engagement guides and opportunities to mobilise your research in your own time.
Why now?
In governments and parliaments across the UK, there is an increasing demand for timely, relevant evidence, especially the kind of rich and up-to-date research that can be drawn from the UK Data Service community. At the same time, the academic world is seeing a greater emphasis on demonstrating policy impact. This is evident in the evolution of the Research Excellence Framework, and in funding application requirements.
The appetite therefore exists for connecting the research and political worlds – CLOSER hopes to provide a service making this more achievable.
Let us know what you think!
Our Policy Surgeries are currently a pilot programme, and we already have some exciting ideas for additions and improvements. But we want to be guided by feedback and would greatly appreciate input on what would be most valuable to the research community.
If you have any suggestions of how the project could be more useful, please get in touch at j.dominy@ucl.ac.uk.
Sign up for a Policy Surgery. The next slots are on Thursday 4th September 2025.
About the author
Jay Dominy is a Public Affairs Manager at CLOSER, which is the partnership of the UK’s leading social and biomedical longitudinal studies, based at the UCL Social Research Institute.
He has experience engaging directly with policymakers across the UK, and in helping researchers to do the same.
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