Chief Scientific Advisors

Are you an expert in your field and looking for a route to impact on a local level?  

Are you an experienced researcher looking for an opportunity to lead on development of a collaborative research agenda?  

Are you passionate about policy engagement and place-based research and keen to make a difference in Oxfordshire?   

The Local Policy Lab aims to recruit three Chief Scientific Advisers (CSAs) to provide strategic research leadership in priority policy areas centred around the socio-economic underpinnings of health, with the aim to reduce inequalities in Oxfordshire through evidence-based policymaking, providing crucial academic leadership within the Local Policy Lab. 

This opportunity will enable successful CSAs to influence at senior levels within local government and with other key stakeholders. CSAs will engage a network of researchers, policymakers, practitioners and communities who can collaboratively scope and deliver an ambitious co-produced three-year research agenda, and effect impact on the ground. 

What is the Local Policy Lab? 

The Local Policy Lab, a new strategic alliance between the University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University and Oxfordshire County Council, aims to promote meaningful partnerships between academia, community, and local government, create opportunities for applied research and support evidence-based policymaking in Oxfordshire. The Lab’s current areas of focus are addressing the socio-economic underpinnings of health inequality in Oxfordshire. The Local Policy Lab is supported by the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) funding.  

About the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account 

The ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) is a block grant provided by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) to the University of Oxford. It is managed by the Social Sciences Division’s Research, Impact & Engagement (RIE) Team. We are partnering with Oxford Brookes University on this IAA, drawing on our shared and complementary research and engagement capabilities, connections and commitment. 

University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University have global ambitions but with deep roots locally and nationally. The IAA aims to maximise impact from our ‘Global to Local’ social sciences research by addressing key societal challenges. Working with other disciplines and relevant stakeholders we will build richer collaborative partnerships and effective engagement pathways that will enable uptake of research to support delivery of impacts.  

After piloting a postgraduate student fellowship programme in the first year of the Local Policy Lab (24/25 academic year), the intention is to expand the Lab model through recruitment of Chief Scientific Advisors, to provide longer term strategic research leadership to the Lab.  

CSAs will remain in their current University employment but will commit time to this role, spending regular time at Oxfordshire County Council (and with districts and other partners as required). 

The CSAs will provide demand-led science/research advice to local elected officials, policy officers and senior council leaders that is relevant, excellent and delivered effectively. The CSAs will perform an independent challenge function and ensure that policymakers have the best available evidence and strategic long-term thinking to inform policies, interventions, service delivery and decisions. 

CSAs will develop thematic areas, bringing in others to collaborate on identifying areas of mutual research interest and taking a whole system multidisciplinary perspective to addressing place-based challenges. The three-year research agenda will provide an effective framework on which to develop discrete projects and initiatives at various scales – with CSAs shaping projects for the student fellowships programme and bidding into a dedicated CSA programme seed funding pot to support other researchers to engage. We also anticipate the CSAs will be ambitious is seeking partnerships and funding that can further the reach and influence of their research agenda.    

The modest funding provided by the ESRC IAA for this CSA call, will support the successful candidates to spend regular time with the Council and partners, can support workshops, events and networking and other activities associated with the role including research assistance.  

The Local Policy Lab team will be on hand to support CSAs, making connections, providing logistical and communications support. Additional seed funds are available for discrete projects, which will be awarded competitively at a later stage.    

The Local Policy Lab is currently recruiting for a Chief Scientific Advisers for the following thematic area: 

Enabling children and young people to thrive 

There are significant disparities in childhood experiences in Oxfordshire and 1 in 6 children living in poverty. The early years of children’s lives play a critical role in determining their chances of success and long-term health and wellbeing later in life. This has knock-on effects for their ability to play a positive and active role in society. High quality research can support policymakers to develop evidence-based solutions to ensure every child has equitable opportunities for health and development regardless of their background, socio-economic status or circumstance.  

It is equally important to support children and young people as they get older and ensuring their needs are met in terms of social development, educational attainment and skills development, preparedness for work, and mental and physical health.  

We are looking for an established researcher with significant expertise in any of these areas (or in other related topics), and a broad understanding across this policy space, including at local and national levels.  

• Provision of high-quality maternity services, from antenatal, prenatal to post-natal and beyond.  
• Reducing inequalities in the early development of physical and emotional health. 
• Improving cognitive, practical, linguistic and social skills; and school readiness. 
• Strengthening the infrastructure for and access to high quality childcare support and early education.  
• Addressing underlying factors leading to large disparities in educational access, inclusion, attendance and attainment; effecting future outcomes and social mobility 
• Strengthening public health infrastructure during the early years, including but not limited to, screenings, health and development reviews, health and social care linkages, etc.
• Improving support for parents and carers through community-based services, high quality and more affordable childcare and support developing parenting skills. 
• Appropriate and adequate support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their families and carers. 
• Specific support for at risk and excluded groups, including looked after children, minority groups, children with life-long conditions, children in poverty, those with inadequate and precarious housing or living in unsafe home environments, unaccompanied refugee and migrant children.  
• Recognising the significant barriers and risks for children and young people growing up in a digital society (online risks, inequitable digital access and literacy), as well as the opportunities (access to support and information online, and positive online social interactions).   

• Applications are welcomed from established researchers with a track record of excellent research and policy engagement experience from any department, school or faculty at the University of Oxford or Oxford Brookes University. Head(s) of Department (or equivalent) approval is required in all cases.  
• The applicant must be a current employee of the University of Oxford or Oxford Brookes University, holding an academic or research post that includes responsibility for developing their own research agenda. 
• Applicants on a fixed term research contract must have a current contract that extends at least as long as the proposed project end date (31 March 2028) or have discussed their individual situation with us in advance.  
• Undergraduate and Postgraduate students, honorary research associates and visiting fellows are not eligible to apply.  
• Emeritus staff can apply but should contact us first to discuss individual situation. 
• Joint applications are not eligible, this is an individual award. 
• Interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary researchers are welcome, as long as around 50% of the research fits into the ESRC remit (see A.6). Prior funding awards from the ESRC are not required.  
• Many departments have internal eligibility criteria, approval processes and other guidelines to which their applicants should adhere. Please consult your departmental administrator as early as possible. 
• Oxford only: College-based academics and those from GLAM must apply via a department/faculty. Awards can only be held in the University, not in Colleges. 
• NB: If you move to another university during the course of your project, your IAA funding will not transfer with you.  

This scheme funds the selected Chief Scientific Advisors to undertake a programme of activity working closely with Oxfordshire County Council and other stakeholders. We anticipate the CSAs will contribute at least 0.1-0.2FTE of their time across the period of the grant – we do not require set hours each week, a flexible approach is encouraged.  

Examples of the types of activity CSAs may include: 

• Academic time providing strategic research advice to policy partners 
• Activities to facilitate the development and management of takeholder relationships  
• High-level stakeholder meetings; academic-policy workshops; policy or evidence seminars, hackathons etc. 
• Desk research and fieldwork to support the delivery of the research agenda  
• Co-production workshops, consultations and community engagement 
• Events and communications activities to promote the work 

We expect the CSAs to form a small cohort together and to work collaboratively where appropriate and to fully commit to sharing the learning with the Local Policy Lab. Administrative and communications support will be provided to CSAs by the Local Policy Lab team and where relevant the County Council and partners.  

CSAs can design a programme of consultation and engagement activity that supports the co-production of a three-year research agenda for their selected theme, working closely with policy partners and other relevant stakeholders.  

1. At least one event should be planned for each year of the programme, focused on the selected theme, enabling a broader range of relevant researchers, policy professionals, elected officials, third sector, business and communities to engage. The Local Policy Lab team will support the event management.  
2. CSAs will be responsible for co-developing discrete research projects for each cohort of the Local Policy Lab Student Fellowship programme. Projects will be aligned with and feeding into the research agenda and will be undertaken part-time by small teams of postgraduate students over a 10-12-week period. CSAs will provide academic leadership and mentorship for those projects (approx. 4 per year). 
3. A separate seed fund has been set aside for the CSA programme. CSAs will be able to bid into this pot throughout the course of the year for additional funds to support small projects supporting specific areas of research interest, bringing in other relevant researchers to deliver those projects.  
4. CSAs can also propose graduate placement opportunities of up to 3 months full-time, that can support development and delivery of the research agenda or discrete projects. Students will be recruited from the ESRC Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership and from Oxford Brookes graduate internship scheme. Placed students will be funded via those routes but any associated project costs should be sought from this or other sources. 

Examples of activities that are not eligible include: 

• Academic led research that isn’t related to the policy theme and isn’t responding to a policy need in that thematic area. 
• Attendance at academic conferences unless to present the work related to the CSA programme 

Each CSA has a maximum budget of £50,000 over the period to 31 March 2028. They can choose how to use that funding depending on the needs for each thematic area.  

Some applicants may want to include some of their salary costs or teaching buy-out on the grant, with a small amount for activities.  Others may choose to use their existing research time to support their involvement in this activity, instead allocating this IAA funding to support activity costs.  

Activity budget can be spent on salary costs of project staff e.g. Research Assistants, travel and subsistence costs for the applicant or for someone they are meeting (following the relevant University expenses policy), event costs, venue hire, catering, translation or interpretation services, printing, other professional services and equipment (with prior approval).  

Funding for this scheme is not provided on a full economic cost (FEC) basis. Estate and indirect costs cannot be charged to the grant. Direct costs will be paid at 100%. Efficiency, cost-effectiveness and value for money should be clearly demonstrated in the application.  

If you are unsure about the eligibility of a specific expense, please contact localpolicylab@admin.ox.ac.uk for further guidance. 

Applications to this fund must relate to social science research that falls under the ESRC’s remit. Please see list below. Interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary applications are welcome as long as around 50% of the research fits into the ESRC remit. If in doubt, please contact localpolicylab@admin.ox.ac.uk to discuss. 

• Demography and social statistics, methods and computing 
• Development studies, human geography and environmental planning 
• Economics, management and business studies 
• Education, social anthropology, and linguistics 
• Law 
• Economic and social history 
• Politics and international relations 
• Psychology and sociology 
• Science and technology studies 
• Social policy and social work 

For more information on the disciplines covered by the ESRC remit visit: https://www.ukri.org/councils/esrc/remit-portfolio-and-priorities/.  

In order to meet the conditions of their grants, award holders will need to submit periodic reports. The schedule will be confirmed in the award letter. Reports will be the key mechanism to collect critical information for reporting to the ESRC and will assist the IAA and Local Policy Lab teams in monitoring progress. 

There will be a break point in the grant after 12 months. Once the Steering Group are satisfied requirements are being met and the work programme is going well then subsequent funding will be unlocked to extend the grant to 31 March 2028. The year 1 review comprises: 

• By the end of Y1 the research agenda and delivery plan should be submitted. 
• CSAs to submit a progress report and to present to the Steering Group.   
• 360° feedback will be sought from a range of stakeholders.  

We would like to invite successful applicants to share their experiences of being ESRC IAA and Local Policy Lab award holders.  

• We may ask awardees to participate in events, briefings or training sessions, sharing ideas with other colleagues or helping to provide written materials to raise the profile of local policy engagement and the Local Policy Lab’s work. We will contact applicants on an individual basis with requests for support when appropriate.  

• Information can be found on our website: https://www.socsci.ox.ac.uk/local-policy-lab 
• Email queries: Please contact the Local Policy Lab Programme Manager, Noora Kanfash, prior to submission to discuss your application and ensure eligibility: localpolicylab@admin.ox.ac.uk. Where appropriate, we may also put you in touch with Oxford Brookes’ counterparts or one of University of Oxford’s Research Impact Facilitators, for further guidance.