The LPIP Strategic Co-ordination Hub (LPIP Hub) is seeking to leverage expert input into the LPIP programme through a Place Fellowship programme. Fellows will complement the current work programme by providing policy and practitioner-focused knowledge and expertise. The aim is to provide rapid development of policy briefings, practitioner tools and scalable solutions for place-related policies and action. Fellows will be appointed via an Expression of Interest (EoI) process open to academia, practitioners and policymakers (although individuals already directly funded by the main LPIP programme will not be eligible to apply, wider partner organisation employees would be).
What is the ask? – We are in the process of gathering key policy and place challenge questions from partners and stakeholders that LPIP Hub Fellows will be asked to respond to. It is envisaged that these questions will inform government and local partner action. There will be a rolling programme of priorities agreed by the LPIP Hub Board. LPIP Hub Fellows will be invited to respond as these questions arise throughout the LPIP programme.
What are the expected outputs and outcomes? – services, products, tools and policy briefings which influence government policies and approaches to place, and help local partnerships innovate.
The questions will align with the seven areas of policy identified by UKRI for the LPIP programme:
- Inclusive and Sustainable Local Economic Performance
- Environment: Living and Working Sustainably in a Greener Economy
- Innovation
- Skills
- Communities in their places
- Cultural recovery
- Felt experience
- We are also interested in activities that help build collective capability in place-based policy partnership working (for instance, in enhancing leadership, infrastructure and systems)
Work commissioned through this process will allow us to build a network of LPIP Hub Place Fellows looking at solutions to innovation in public place policy and run alongside the work packages already in place for the LPIP Hub. Prioritisation of the questions will be decided by the LPIP Hub Board.
How will we identify the questions?:
- Consultations will be held with the new UK Government and Departments and devolved/local organisations to establish key questions which governments would like to be addressed in the policy briefings.
- Consultation with LPIPs and other university place partners will look at key questions emerging from initial work locally and with local government.
- Consultation with wider policy/academic networks will look at issues in places including through networks such as the Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN), the National Civic Impact Accelerator (NCIA), Capabilities in Academic Policy Engagement (CAPE), Professional Research Investment and Strategy Manager (PRISM).
How will it work? – Commissions will be carried out based on day rates, and an outline of activities agreed with the Hub and the University of Birmingham as the Lead. Management of commissions will be carried out by a member of the Hub Partnership Delivery Team.
If you are interested in becoming an LPIP Fellow, please complete the form below by 11 September 2024 detailing how your experience can feed into any or all of these topics: LPIP Fellow Expression of Interest Form
EoIs will be reviewed by the Leadership Team of the Hub and the Hub Board. We will notify successful applicants once that process has been completed. Evaluation of EOIs will be based on experience in impactful policy research, experience managing and being part of local partnerships, a relevant knowledge of the thematic foci of the Hub, and experience in writing for policy and practitioner audiences.
This blog was written by Elizabeth Goodyear, Programme Manager at City-REDI / WMREDI, University of Birmingham.
Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this post are those of the authors and not necessarily those of City-REDI, WMREDI or the University of Birmingham.