Leeds City Council and University of Leeds Research Collaboration Framework published
The University of Leeds and Leeds City Council have launched a new Research Collaboration Framework to address the city's evidence challenges, enhancing research-policy partnerships.
The University of Leeds and Leeds City Council have unveiled a new Research Collaboration Framework to address the city's evidence challenges. This framework builds on the 2020 review, Unlocking the Potential of Civic Collaboration, conducted by Leeds Social Sciences Institute. The review aimed to enhance the impact of research and policy partnerships, responding to social, environmental, and economic challenges in Leeds.
A key finding of the review was a recommendation to enhance and accelerate collaboration, including identifying the Council’s knowledge needs and priorities.
In response, the University of Leeds has been working with the Council to develop the Leeds City Council Areas of Research Interest (LCC ARI). These areas highlight where further knowledge and evidence are needed to inform policy and activity, inviting researchers to collaborate.
A recent paper by Dr Nicola Carroll and Professor Adam Crawford from the School of Law, published in April 2024, explores the benefits of "communities of practice" (CoPs) in civic knowledge exchange in Leeds. The authors argue that systematic cultivation of CoPs between universities and local authorities can foster extensive networks of research-policy collaborations.
The framework and the LCC ARI guide the allocation of a sizeable portion of the University of Leeds’s Research England Policy Support Fund, with over £1 million invested in projects since 2022. These local and regional projects are shaping Leeds City Council’s policies and fostering further collaborations.
For more detailed information on this important announcement, please visit the Policy Leeds webpage.
A toolkit for researchers who would like to expand their policy engagement knowledge and practice can be found on the Policy Leeds Resources page.
Read the Policy Leeds blog.
