OPEN opportunities

Awards of up to £20,000 supported researchers with a passion for improving public policy, enabling them to collaborate with policymakers, deepen their understanding of how research can inform policymaking, and improve access to the best available evidence and expertise from across the University. 

Find out more about the Public Policy Challenge Fund

In collaboration with the UK Civil Service Policy Profession, OPEN offers awards of up to £5,000 to support partnerships between researchers at Oxford and policymakers.

Find out more about the Seed Fund

OPEN supports its members in hosting brief visits to Oxford by policymakers to facilitate sharing of evidence and supporting its use in decision-making. The Policy Engagement Team supports these in a variety of ways, from advising on approach to co-facilitation, as well as funding (up to £2,000). 

Examples include:

• A visit by the Cross-Whitehall Languages Group enabling researchers from seven departments and faculties in the Humanities and Social Sciences Divisions to explore a range of challenges relating to UK languages policy
• A visit by policy professionals from UK government and Parliament, to explore with members of the Trade and Public Policy Network and other guests where UK trade policy was working more and less well, and identify ways forward.

If you’re a policy professional and interested in co-hosting a workshop or event with the University of Oxford, please contact the Policy Engagement Team at [email protected] to explore how the team may be able to help.

OPEN Fellowships enabled Oxford researchers with a passion for improving public policy to understand better the relevance of their research to local, regional, national and international policy professionals; to work with policymakers to identify and explore mutual interests; and to develop and leverage networks and other resources to generate benefits to research, policy and the wider world.

There are no plans to continue the OPEN Fellowship scheme in 2025/6. 

From 2018 to 2025, OPEN Fellowships enabled Oxford researchers with a passion for improving public policy to:

• understand better the relevance of their research to local, regional, national and international policymakers;
• work with policymakers to identify and explore mutual interests;
• and develop and leverage networks and other resources to generate benefits to research, policy and the wider world.

Previous OPEN Fellows have worked on policy challenges ranging from climate change to conservation; from regional development to international maritime security, and from smart energy to smarter healthcare. Their partners have come from local authorities; central government departments in and outside the UK; and intergovernmental organizations. Watch this video to hear from a past award winner.