Policy Leeds March signpost
This month’s roundup covers the launch of local partnerships for policy, energy, and child health, Leeds research in parliament, and upcoming policy events.
Yorkshire and Humber Policy Innovation Partnership (Y-PIP) launch
The Yorkshire based Y-PIP project which bridges academics, policymakers and communities has secured £5 million in funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The partnership will create a “research ecosystem” that helps to reduce inequalities and address climate change in Yorkshire and the Humber.
Building on the success of the Yorkshire and Humber Policy Engagement Research Network (Y-PERN), Y-PIP will establish:
- A new Yorkshire and Humber Office of Data Analytics — sharing digestible data to inform responses to key challenges in the region
- An ‘Inclusive Business Network’ including employers and business and community groups to drive inclusive business growth in the area
- A major climate change initiative to tackle carbon emissions, reduce inequality and improve regional wellbeing
- A ‘Creative Economy’ pilot in Bradford — to support and encourage underrepresented, local groups to access the creative industries
These initiatives will be delivered with support from a community based steering panel. The voices of 12 local people with diverse experiences of disadvantage, marginalisation or isolation will shape and influence Y-PIP activities.
For more on Y-PIP read the University of Leeds news article on the Y-PIP launch and the Yorkshire Universities Y-PIP press release. To learn more about the Local Policy Innovation Partnership programme, see the UKRI LPIP press release.
The launch of Fair Energy Futures
A new group brings together interdisciplinary energy research to ensure that those experiencing energy inequality are represented in the transition to net zero.
Through partnerships with policymakers, industry professionals and the public, Fair Energy Futures will develop policy recommendations that address the social and environmental injustices associated with energy production and demand.
The group will officially launch with an event on 27 March at the University of Leeds. Registration is open and free for all. Sign-up for the Fair Energy Futures launch.
Collaborating on children’s health research
A new partnership to tackle the serious health and wellbeing problems affecting children and young people across Leeds, Yorkshire and the UK was officially launched on 9 February.
The CHORAL (Child Health Outcomes Research at Leeds) partnership is a collaboration between the University of Leeds; Leeds Children’s Hospital (part of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust), Leeds Hospitals Charity, and partners across the health, social and public sectors.
It takes a multidisciplinary approach with research focusing on three key areas of children’s health: childhood cancer, children’s mental health and life-threatening illnesses.
Find out more about the CHORAL launch.
Child of the North autism report and webinar
The N8 Child of the North partnership and Centre for Young Lives recently published their report “An evidence-based plan for addressing the autism assessment and support crisis” (pdf).
Findings and insights from the report were shared in an accompanying webinar. Catch-up with the Centre for Applied Education’s autism report webinar.
The work is the first in a 12-report series, each focusing on a different challenge currently faced by children and young people. The next two reports will be shared in March, the first targets child poverty and the second, child health. Find updates about the Child of the North Child First Government report series.
Upcoming events
Connecting data for connected public services
Tues 12 March, 9:30am-3pm, NEXUS, University of Leeds
This Alan Turing Institute AI UK Fringe event will explore the intersection of data, local organisations and public services. Hosted by Leeds Institute for Data Analytics, the event will examine how Universities can help improve public service delivery and population health with routine data collection and insights.
Limited tickets are still available for this event. Secure your place now and register for ‘Connecting data for connected public services’.
UPEN Showcase Regional Academic Engagement in England (Y-PERN)
Wed 13 March, 1pm-2pm, Online
Join Y-PERN Policy Fellow’s from across Yorkshire as they share the successes, challenges and lessons learnt with running a regional policy engagement network. Attendees will also learn about the obstacles devolution may present over an enhanced period. Register for the UPEN Showcase event.
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Link Seminar
Wed 20 March, 1pm-2pm, Online
Interested in government forms or fairness design?
This Department for Work and Pensions Link seminar will focus on embedding inclusivity and accessibility into government forms — rethinking their design and improving user experiences. Dr Arjun Khara (School of Design) will lead this insightful session. Join the DWP Link seminar.
GFEI Food waste law and policy webinar
Wed 20 March, 12pm-12:40pm, Online
Dr Carrie Bradshaw (School of Law) leads this Global Food and Environment Institute webinar (GFEI).
The session will evaluate whether existing food waste law and policy is fit for purpose. After her presentation Dr Bradshaw will host a short Q&A. Register for the GFEI food waste law and policy webinar.
Understanding and preventing ‘cuckooing’ workshop
Fri 3 May, 1pm-4pm, Clarendon Building, University of Leeds
This 3-hour interactive workshop delves into the exploitative practice of ‘cuckooing’. Focused on West Yorkshire, it examines victim identification, experiences, signs, and prevention. The session will be delivered by academic experts and representatives from the public and third sectors.
With few tickets available, register now for the cuckooing workshop.
Academic-Policy Engagement and the Future of Devolution — UPEN Fringe event
Tue 9 July, 9:30am-4pm, Leeds Beckett University
The Academic Policy Engagement and the Future of Devolution event will explore best practices in academic policy engagement across the devolved UK. Topics include lessons from devolution, sustainability, and the role of universities in shaping devolution. Organised by the Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN) Devolved and Regional sub-committee and hosted by Leeds Beckett University, this event is part of a Fringe series following UPEN’s main conference on 21 May at the University of York. Reserve your spot at the Fringe Conference.
Leeds research in Parliament
Researchers from across the University continue to support the work of UK and Welsh Parliaments by providing insights and expertise. Here is an overview of recent contributions.
Oral evidence on UK food and agriculture trade policy shared in the House of Commons
Professor Fiona Smith (School of Law and Global Food and Environment Institute — GFEI) gave parliamentary evidence to the House of Commons Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee as part of its inquiry into UK trade policy.
The inquiry investigates post-Brexit free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand and the opportunities and challenges they present for UK food and agriculture. Read more about the UK trade policy: food and agriculture inquiry or watch the EFRA session recording.
After sharing oral evidence in the House of Commons, Professor Fiona hosted a supplementary GFEI webinar that reflects on the EFRA parliamentary inquiry. Watch GFEI webinar: The Future of UK Agrifood Trade Policy.
House of Commons Justice Committee’s inquiry informed by Leeds research
Professor Pina-Sánchez’s report ‘Public Knowledge of Sentencing Practice and Trends’ has partly formed the basis of the House of Common Justice Committee inquiry into ‘Public opinion and understanding of sentencing’.
The report, published in 2022 and co-authored with colleagues from the Sentencing Academy, found that large numbers of people held untrue beliefs about sentencing that then affected their opinion on sentencing. The stark findings of the report made it one of the key motivators of the Justice Committee inquiry.
Professor Pina-Sánchez and Sentencing Academy colleagues subsequently submitted written evidence to the inquiry that was referenced multiple times in the inquiry’s final report, which was launched in November last year.
Read the Sentencing Academy’s research report (pdf). Learn more in this recent article about Professor Pina-Sánchez’s involvement in the Justice Committee’s inquiry.
Prohibiting Conversion Therapy
A House of Commons Library research brief on ‘Prohibiting Conversion Therapy’ references the work of Professor Ilias Trispiotis (School of Law). His work with Craig Purshouse (University of Liverpool School of Law and Social Justice) titled “‘Conversion Therapy’ As Degrading Treatment” was cited on page 34. Read ‘Prohibiting Conversion Therapy’.
Online Advertising Technology and Competition
Professor Pinar Akman (School of Law) informs national and international policymakers with her empirical research on online platform users.
Her work is referenced in the UK Parliamentary briefing (POSTNote) titled ‘Online Advertising Technology and Competition’ that examines technology, challenges and methods for addressing associated issues. It relates to the ‘Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill’ that is currently under Parliamentary scrutiny. Read the ‘Online Advertising Technology and Competition’ research briefing.
Oral testimony on Tata Steel decarbonisation efforts in Port Talbot shared in Welsh Parliament
Dr Clare Richardson-Barlow (School of Languages, Cultures and Societies) gave evidence to the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee in Welsh Parliament. Dr Richardson-Barlow argued that closure of Tata Steel blast furnaces in Port Talbot was a ‘commendable step’ towards decarbonisation but highlighted the tension between environmental sustainability and job preservation. Read more about Dr Richardson-Barlow’s evidence on the Port Talbot blast furnaces closures. Watch the Senedd Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee meeting.
New publications and articles
Reducing risks to expanding the agricultural-sanitation circular economy
A new research article examines the challenges and solutions for using sanitation waste as a source of low-carbon nutrients and water for agriculture, including for regulation and policy. Read the open access article: “Mitigating contaminant-driven risks for the safe expansion of the agricultural-sanitation circular economy in an urbanizing world”.
The article expands on issues identified in the Policy Leeds research brief “Expanding the agricultural — sanitation circular economy: opportunities and benefits”, published in 2021. This original work was motivated by a United Nations 2021 Food Systems Summit dialogue convened by Professor Steven Banwart and colleagues at the Global Food and Environment Institute, GFEI.
Articles and blogs
- Our journey to net zero: Understanding household and community participation in the UK’s transition to a greener future. This Young Foundation report, with contributions from Professor Lucie Middlemiss (School of Earth and Environment) and colleagues from the University of York and Trinity College Dublin, finds there is a risk of current net zero policies leaving vulnerable communities behind. Read more about the journey to net zero report and Professor Middlemiss’ contribution.
- Posts from the Leeds University Business School look at West Yorkshire’s main export obstacles and how policymakers can address the obstacles to exporting. These two articles cover findings from the ‘Promoting inclusive growth via developing exporting’ project.
- Talking cultural policymaking with Pam Johnson, Leeds City Council. Pam Johnson, Head of Culture Programmes at Leeds City Council, talks to the Centre for Cultural Value about the importance of investing in culture with data informed, transparent and collaborative policymaking. This follows on from the Centre for Cultural Value (CCV) — Building policy impact project.
- Joining the dots for better cultural policy. As Anna Kime (Centre for Cultural Value) begins working with West Yorkshire Combined Authority, she explores how integrated data and evaluation can aid decision making and ensure the UK’s cultural and creative sectors continue to be world-leading. Published in the Arts Magazine.
- Petition platforms must reach beyond the usual suspects. Drawing on a recent study, Professor Cristina Leston-Bandeira and Blagovesta Tacheva (School of Politics and International Studies) explain why participatory tools for democracy such as petitions must be integrated with communication and education frameworks to ensure they reach underrepresented groups. LSE blog.
- Side effects of wide scale forestation could reduce carbon removal. New research finds that planting trees to offset carbon emissions may not work as well as expected. Daniel Grosvenor and Christopher Smith (School of Earth and Environment) are co-authors of the research, which is published in the journal Science.
- E-bikes are freewheeling through rain and over hills, with huge promise for sustainable transport in rural tourist areas. Ian Phillips (Institute for Transport Studies), reveals that e-bikes are thriving in rural tourist areas and are replacing car trips more often than alternative methods. Conversation article.
Find more information on policy collaborations from across University of Leeds on the Policy Leeds website. If you would like to keep in touch with our work between signposts, please connect with us on LinkedIn, find us on X (formerly Twitter), or you can email us at policyleeds@leeds.ac.uk.
