Policy Placement Scheme
NERC's Policy Placement Scheme allows researchers and other staff involved in environmental science research to work closely with policy-makers within government and other public and third sector organisations in the UK. The Scheme also allows placements of government and third sector policy-makers to work within NERC head office, research centres or collaborative research centres.
Please note this scheme is not open to research students. NERC has a separate policy secondment scheme for students.
Aims
- To promote knowledge exchange between academic organisations and public sector partner organisations and the staff employed in them.
- To provide partner organisations with research-informed evidence to develop and review policy.
- To provide researchers with a wider context for their work and to promote it where relevant to a user body.
- To expand networks for partner organisations into the research base.
- To provide career and skill development opportunities.
- To enable all parties, including NERC, to develop their understanding of research and policy-making processes and the interactions between them, and help break down barriers in the science-to-policy process.
- To encourage bespoke dissemination activities and materials.
To maximise flexibility and opportunities, the Policy Placement Scheme covers two types of placement:
- a 'Fellowship' placement whereby the applicant works for 3 to 12 months in a host organisation on a topic specified by the organisation.
- a 'Work shadow' placement whereby the applicant sets up their own work shadowing arrangement in a host organisation, for up to one month.