Rob Smith and Sarah Hartley summarise a recently-published article in Public Understanding of Science, where they collaborated with the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council to explore how and when research councils should begin processes of public engagement.
When should funders talk about new technologies? Read More »
The IR_Aesthetics collective summarise the findings of their recent research on how EU migration policies affect refugees and asylum seekers along the so-called ‘Balkan Route’, raising the question: are policies based on evidence?
Formal and informal shelter provision on the ‘Balkan Route’ Read More »
In this blog, David Yarrow critically examines the value of wellbeing economics in current debates, placing it into conversation with current economic challenges brought to the fore through the UK’s response to Covid-19.
Wellbeing economics and post-COVID welfare policy Read More »
Earlier this year (against the difficult backdrop of the global COVID-19 pandemic), Policy Press published our book, The Impact Agenda: Controversies, Consequences and Challenges, co-authored with Nasar Meer, Ellen Stewart and Richard Watermeyer.
What would a more evidence-informed impact agenda look like? Read More »
The past couple of months have increased the need for accurate, and transparent, tools that allow policymakers to track and forecast the behaviour of the pandemic we are going through.
Public participation and algorithmic policy tools Read More »
There’s been a revolutionary turn in energy policy and research circles. Organisations such as the Energy Systems Catapult, the Energy Institute, and consultancy firms such as PwC have all suggested that the UK energy system is facing a sweeping energy revolution.
Energy transition or energy revolution? Read More »
Marc Geddes, Co-Director of SKAPE, explores how MPs and officials interpret the idea of ‘evidence’ as part of their committee scrutiny in the UK House of Commons. In this blog, Geddes notes the legalistic setting in which ‘evidence’ is gathered, how this echoes similar notions found in courtrooms, and reminds us of the political nature of ‘evidence’ in policy settings.
What does ‘evidence’ mean to MPs and officials in the UK House of Commons? Read More »
This blog post is a summary of the SKAPE Seminar on 24 June 2020 on the impact of Covid-19 on the study of the relationship between science, knowledge and policy.
Reflections on the impact of Covid-19 Read More »
From the beginning of this crisis, we have witnessed a growing importance of the questions of the role of science, knowledge and expertise in politics and society. As the SKAPE community, we have been exploring these themes from multiple perspectives for nearly a decade and during this challenging time, we would like to open up a discussion on potential impacts of COVID-19 on this field and offer a space for scholars working in different disciplines to engage in a debate. In this blog, we identify seven questions that emerge in this new reality and explain them in the UK context – though we are aware that our themes are not comprehensive nor that the UK is alone in this pandemic.
Seven questions for studying science, knowledge and policy in a Covid-19 world Read More »
Peter Matthews discusses key themes that act as barriers or enable researchers to effectively translate research findings into policymaking. The post considers these questions through an example of considerations about gender and sexuality in homelessness data.
