On 18 March 2024, the University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University, and Oxfordshire County Council launched a new initiative – the Local Policy Lab – and kicked off a conversation about the creation of an Oxfordshire policy research alliance.
Over 100 attendees across both universities, community partners, and county and district councils, came together to discuss how to further support impact-driven research to inform solutions to public policy challenges facing the city and county.
The day commenced with introductions from Dr Martin Reeves, Chief Executive, Oxfordshire County Council; Professor Alistair Fitt, Vice-Chancellor, Oxford Brookes University; and Professor Alex Betts (in place for Vice Chancellor Irene Tracey), University of Oxford. Throughout the day, attendees explored how to bridge the gap between research and policy and identified possible opportunities for addressing both climate and health inequalities at the local level through the Local Policy Lab.
The Local Policy Lab is kicking off it’s inaugural Fellowship Programme for University of Oxford graduate students in Trinity Term. Fellows will be paired with an academic lead and a local policy partner to conduct research in the climate and health policy space.
Get involved
If you are already engaging locally in research and/or policy or are interested in getting involved, please email partnerships@socsci.ox.ac.uk to find out more. If you are interested in receiving Local Policy Lab communications, please sign up for the Local Policy Lab listserv.
