Local Policy Lab launches new opportunities to shape responses to policy challenges in Oxfordshire

3 March 2025

The Local Policy Lab is a collaborative research and policy alliance between local government and universities in Oxfordshire that focuses on addressing the socio-economic underpinnings of health and better informing evidence-based policymaking in the region.

The Lab has announced new calls for two key opportunities to engage with the initiative's activities:

Project advisors 

Group photo of the Local Policy Lab Fellows during the showcase event

The 2024 Local Policy Lab fellowship showcase.

The Lab runs a postgraduate student fellowship programme every year, with teams of students undertaking short research projects over Trinity Term with the Oxfordshire County and District Councils, responding to local policy needs. This year, the Lab are seeking more established researchers to mentor each of the student projects, helping to guide the students and policy officers to design and shape the project and advising on methodological issues and providing topic specific expertise.

The Lab is currently seeking expertise from researchers in the following areas:

  • Adverse childhood experiences and drivers for Educational, Health and Care Plans
  • Family hubs and support services for families and young people
  • Local areas coordinators impact evaluation using storytelling
  • Improving workforce diversity in Oxford, analysis of pay gap, EDI in the workplace and employment market data
  • Mapping community nature funding in Oxfordshire, barriers to equitable resource distribution

Call open now: if you are interested in exploring this opportunity please contact localpolicylab@admin.ox.ac.uk by 28 March.

Chief Scientific Advisors

In an exciting addition to the initiative, the Local Policy Lab will soon be recruiting three Chief Scientific Advisors (CSAs) to take up these prestigious and influential roles, addressing local needs and making a difference in the Oxfordshire region. The CSAs will lead the development of the research agenda on priority policy areas relating to the socio-economic underpinnings of health inequalities. This will be a three year programme.

A funding call will be opening by mid-March with deadline towards the end of April. In the meantime please reach out to localpolicylab@admin.ox.ac.uk for more information.

Engage with us

If you have other ideas relating to local policy engagement and what you’d like to see from the Lab, you are encourage to contact localpolicylab@admin.ox.ac.uk