Our Institute for Community Studies is delighted to be working with UCL, along with nine university partners, on a £5.9m-programme to develop and grow the Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN).
UPEN is a UK-wide network of organisations, championing and strengthening evidence-informed policymaking. It connects university researchers with policymakers and builds collaborative opportunities for policy engagement.
Collaborative policymaking
Research England has provided £5m support to develop and scale this programme over four years, with additional funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and UKRI. This investment will support work including:
- improving UK universities’ ability to engage with policy organisations and policymakers
- supporting place-based policymaking by strengthening engagement between universities, regional, and local policy organisations
- embedding citizen engagement and community-driven approaches to policymaking
- creating more sustainable and resilient engagement models
Connected communities
Delivering the community and citizen engagement UPEN work strand, the Institute for Community Studies is extending our collaboration with UCL, building on the Capabilities in Academic Policy Engagement (CAPE) programme. The CAPE report, which published today, develops understanding of the benefits of co-producing policy with academia, local government, and communities.
Helen Goulden, CEO at the Institute for Community Studies at The Young Foundation, says:
“Our role in this vital area of work is to connect communities with the worlds of academia and policymaking, challenging siloed thinking, and ensuring voices and experiences from places and spaces around the UK are heard, informing policy that can be lasting, meaningful, and game-changing.”
‘Effective engagement’
Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Executive Chair of Research England, said: “The need for reliable evidence which can inform public debate and policy has never been greater.”
Professor Geraint Rees, UCL’s Vice-Provost Research, Innovation & Global Engagement, said: “University research offers a wealth of insight to inform complex policy questions, and recent years have seen increased policy demand for academic expertise. Effective engagement requires universities to work collectively in order to respond to policy needs.”
The investment sees UCL and the Institute for Community Studies at The Young Foundation working alongside the universities of Birmingham, Cambridge, Durham, Huddersfield, Leeds, Nottingham Trent, Southampton, Teesside, the Wales Centre for Public Policy at Cardiff University, Insights North East, the Institute for Government, and Yorkshire Universities.
More information about the programme is at UPEN
Community leadership Institute for Community Studies Local government and public services Posted on: 15 July 2025