Networks of expertise and evidence for public policy Annual Report 2017 Introduction from the Executive Director 1 Since its launch in 2009,CSaP has developed As the 2017 Annual Report makes clear, Introduction from the Executive Director 1 into a world-leading pioneer of new ways to CSaP is now in a position to put its network Milestones in CSaP’s history 2 mobilise the expertise of a whole university to to work. We convene our Policy Fellows and Convening 6 address public policy challenges. At the core experts in order to deliver: of our work as a knowledge broker is the Research and policy engagement 8 CSaP Policy Fellowship, with nearly 300 Policy workshops, which bring together Working in partnership 10 Fellows and over 1400 experts. policy professionals with a diverse group of experts in a safe space to discuss some of Professional development 12 Policy Fellowships start with questions the most challenging policy questions. Policy Fellowships 14 posed by policy professionals; through a carefully programmed schedule of one-to- Professional development, which utilises Dr Robert Doubleday Spotlight on civil society and social cohesion 20 one conversations, the Fellow then engages the CSaP network to support early career- CSaP’s mission is to improve Spotlight on evidence, uncertainty and trust 24 with experts from a wide range of disciplines, researchers and policy professionals develop public policy through the more Spotlight on transport, data and the future of mobility 28 all of whom have some contribution to make. the skills and know-how they need to work more effectively together. effective use of evidence and Spotlight on climate change, risk and resilience 32 The hard work is done by the Fellow, who expertise. We do this by Governance 36 uses the meetings to challenge assumptions, Policy engagement for academic creating opportunities for refresh thinking, and test new ideas. Policy research, which uses CSaP’s tried and Finance 37 public policy professionals Fellows typically describe their exposure to tested programmes to design and deliver and academics to learn from A note of thanks 38 what the University has to offer as providing a bespoke activities to help individual research rare space to think deeply, and to be projects and centres engage actively with each other. energised and invigorated by new thinking. relevant policy makers. 2 Milestones in CSaP’s history 3 CSaP partners with the University’s Strategic Research Initiatives in Since its launch in 2009, CSaP carries out a big data, energy, global series of consultation food security, public CSaP has developed into a meetings with senior health, infectious Our first Visiting Fellow diseases, synthetic world-leading pioneer of new policy makers in Whitehall, to better joins CSaP to biology, neuroscience The Affiliate Network, ways to mobilise the understand their investigate how to and public policy to a new initiative to needs, and to help improve links between help them build links extend the Policy expertise of a whole bridge the divide academia and national with key policy figures Fellowships to other university to address public between academia security stakeholders in government and UK universities, is and government. in government. industry. introduced. policy challenges. 2010 2012 2014 2016 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 The University of Following a successful CSaP pilots a CSaP establishes its Our Policy Fellowship Cambridge announces pilot phase, CSaP programme to address Services to Research reaches nearly 300 the launch of a new launches the Policy some of the UK’s most initiative which helps Fellows who have Centre for Science and Fellowships Programme, challenging policy issues, researchers at the generated in excess of Policy – an initiative built which remains at the and the launch of the University build 2800 policy-related on the success of the core of our work as a Policy Leaders policy-relevant activities questions, and University’s Government knowledge broker Fellowship extends into their research connected with more Policy Programme to this day. CSaP’s Fellowships proposals. than 1400 experts in (CUGPOP), which was programme to the most over 7800 meetings. set up to promote senior policy understanding of professionals in scientific and government and technological advances, industry. and their implications for government planning and policy. 4 A note of thanks We work with our partners to deliver bespoke workshops, public lectures, and other events for network members We create opportunities for public policy professionals and academics to learn from each other We help researchers at Cambridge to develop policy-related activities as part of their research planning 6 Convening Number of participants by event type in 2017 7 2016 (1629 participants) Public Lectures and Seminars CSaP organises seminars, The 2017 Dr S T Lee lecture was given by 2017 (1861 participants) lectures and an annual CSaP works with its partners across the Geoff Mulgan, Chief Executive at Nesta. University to deliver public lectures and Dr Mulgan discussed how the world could conference at which leading seminars on some of the key policy make the most of new tools for intelligence, national and international challenges affecting society. and how we might avoid a widening gap figures deliver talks on topics between the technical achievements of that are of interest to our This year we have partnered with Christ’s artificial machine intelligence, and the social wider network. College; the Behaviour and Health Research intelligence of the systems on which our lives Unit; the Biomedical Research Centre; and depend. the Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication to deliver talks on climate CSaP Annual Conference 733 808 114 242 207 281 9 42 242 218 277 270 change; childhood obesity; the General Data Our annual conference, in June, brought Protection Regulation; and communicating together 150 members of our network to 10 8 14 1 12 2 Public Professional Policy International Event Events Events uncertainty. discuss some of the opportunities for policy Lectures and Development Workshops for Policy for Network makers at both local and national levels to Seminars Workshops Fellows Members CSaP Annual Lecture draw on academic expertise in support of In February, Professor Chris Whitty, Chief more effective public policy. Scientific Adviser in the Department of Health, Breakdown of event participants in 2017 delivered our annual lecture which looked Researchers, and the network of Policy ahead to profound changes in health and Fellows with whom they have interacted over 5% Business disease. In his lecture, he discussed how to the year, presented their work on a range of predict and respond to the policy challenges topics such as social cohesion, the future of that will follow over the next two decades. the internet, ecosystems services, and 20% Learned Societies, Charities, NGOs and others industrial strategy. Recordings of the various Dr S T Lee Lectures talks can be found on our website†. The Dr S T Lee public policy lectures 42% Universities - Cambridge consider aspects of scientific, medical or technological research and developments that are likely to have significant implications for public policy over the next decade. 24% Government 9% Universities - Other † http://www.csap.cam.ac.uk/News-features/2017-csap-annual-conference/ 8 Research and policy engagement Local Government Policy Fellow 9 CSaP supports researchers Services to Research As part of the service we provide, we Andrew Lightfoot by drawing on a thriving CSaP helps researchers at Cambridge to organise workshops and recruit Policy develop policy-related activities as part of Fellows to help researchers engage with the Strategic Director Public Service Reform, network of Policy Fellows, their research planning. In 2017, CSaP policy dimensions of their research Greater Manchester Combined Authority and established ways of worked with researchers to build policy throughout their projects. bringing together policy engagement into research projects on British “The relationships between Greater Manchester’s professionals and academics, ecosystems services policy in the context of Policy Workshops universities and local government have been greatly to increase the policy impact the UK leaving the European Union; Our interdisciplinary workshops bring improved as a result of my CSaP Policy Fellowship.” multilingualism and languages policy; and together policy professionals and academic of research. the impacts of machine learning on climate experts to address questions posed by our change modelling, among others. network, share new insights, and offer fresh With devolution agreements giving In the past, the relationship between The Fellowship also supported the approaches to tackling policy challenges. Greater Manchester Combined Greater Manchester’s universities development of GMCA’s health and ”Increasingly, as Authority more powers and and local government has been fairly social care policy and the health academics, we are In 2017, we held 14 Policy Workshops on responsibilities, I am open to any ad hoc. This meant that many devolution agenda. During my required to think topics ranging from industrial strategy, opportunity that can help make a opportunities for partnership and meetings, I was made aware of some out of our silos privacy, and civil society to food policy, success of this exciting new collaboration were lost. Inspired by important recent research that might and work together climate change and devolution.