TYPE on the Road: Reflections from Recent Policy Engagement Events

News

Posted on Wednesday 8 July 2026

This month, Head of The York Policy Engine, Anthonia James, and Policy Engagement Manager, Katie Heffron, have been sharing our work and learning from peers across the research and policy engagement community.

Anthonia and Katie attended the Association of Research Managers and Administrators (ARMA) Conference, held in Harrogate from 16–18 June. The annual conference brought together research management and administration professionals from across the UK and around the world to exchange good practice, explore emerging priorities, and take part in a wide range of workshops and discussions.

As part of a research impact session, the Policy Engine shared how we are creating opportunities for policy engagement across the University of York. The conference also provided a valuable opportunity to connect with colleagues from across the Research, Innovation and Knowledge Exchange (RIKE) Directorate and participate in workshops showcasing the work of York colleagues and our wider research community.

We also attended the Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN) Conference 2026, In Evidence We Trust, hosted by University College London (UCL) on 29–30 June. The conference explored how universities, policymakers and partners can continue to strengthen trust at the research–policy interface while responding to an increasingly complex external landscape.

UPEN is a valuable network of universities committed to improving the use of academic evidence in policymaking. If you're not already familiar with their work, it's well worth exploring the opportunities they offer to develop your policy engagement practice. Recent opportunities include:

These events provided a valuable opportunity to showcase York's work, strengthen existing networks, and bring back fresh ideas to support our growing policy engagement community.