EvEx Associate Policy Fellowship 2027: UK Research Organisations Can Apply for Up to £62,500 to Host Policy Fellowships

Applications are now open for the EvEx Associate Policy Fellowship 2027, an initiative providing UK research organisations with funding of up to £62,500 to establish and deliver Policy Fellowship programmes for public and civil servants.

The programme is designed to strengthen connections between the UK research community and the public sector by creating opportunities for public and civil servants to spend dedicated time engaging with academics and researchers on real-world policy challenges.

Eligible research organisations across the United Kingdom can apply to EvEx to develop and run their own funded Policy Fellowship programme. Successful organisations will host Policy Fellows between January and May 2027, providing opportunities for problem-solving, professional development, network building, knowledge exchange and access to academic expertise.

Approximately 10 EvEx Associate Policy Fellowship Hosting Awards are expected to be offered across the UK during the 2026–2027 programme cycle, with applications closing at midday on 8 October 2026.

About the EvEx Associate Policy Fellowship Programme

The EvEx Associate Policy Fellowship programme has been created to increase the number, capacity and diversity of Policy Fellowship opportunities available across the United Kingdom.

Through the programme, research organisations can receive financial and practical support to establish and deliver fellowships that connect researchers with UK public and civil servants.

Research organisations selected as hosts will be responsible for developing programmes that allow participating public and civil servants to spend meaningful time engaging with researchers and exploring specific policy questions and challenges.

Policy Fellows can be selected from any public bodies and across all levels of seniority.

The programme is intended to provide participating public and civil servants with opportunities to:

• Explore specific policy challenges and questions with relevant researchers.
• Access specialist academic and research expertise.
• Develop new approaches to problem-solving.
• Build relationships between researchers and policymakers.
• Expand professional networks.
• Participate in professional development and knowledge-exchange activities.
• Explore policy issues through interdisciplinary academic perspectives.

The Associate Policy Fellowship Hosting Awards are specifically intended to create additional capacity and diversity by supporting research organisations outside the existing EvEx consortium to establish their own Policy Fellowship programmes.

This funding call is complementary to EvEx’s separate call for individual and small-team Policy Fellows, which is administered and hosted directly by the EvEx consortium.

Funding Available Through the EvEx Associate Policy Fellowship

Eligible organisations may apply for a maximum budget of £62,500 to deliver their proposed Associate Policy Fellowship programme.

EvEx suggests that organisations use the funding to offer approximately three to 10 Associate Policy Fellowships.

However, the programme also allows some flexibility in how organisations design their fellowship activities.

EvEx is open to proposals that use alternative approaches to engaging Associate Policy Fellows, provided that participating public or civil servants spend a minimum of five days during the five-month programme period exploring policy questions with research input from one or more participating research organisations.

This flexibility gives organisations the opportunity to develop a fellowship model suited to their institutional strengths, available expertise and the policy challenges they want to address.

When Will the EvEx Associate Policy Fellowships Take Place?

Successful host organisations will deliver their Associate Policy Fellowship programmes between January and May 2027.

Policy Fellows must spend a minimum of five days engaging with researchers at the host organisation or organisations during this five-month period.

For the standard fellowship model, Fellows or Fellowship teams will spend a minimum of five days in person at a university or universities, with those days distributed across January to May 2027.

The programme does not necessarily require Fellows to complete all five days consecutively. Instead, host organisations will need to design a programme that best meets the needs of their Fellows and the policy questions being explored.

What Can an Associate Policy Fellowship Include?

Each successful host organisation will be responsible for designing a programme that responds appropriately to its Fellows’ policy needs.

Activities may include:

1. Meetings Between Policy Fellows and Researchers

Policy Fellows can meet directly with researchers to discuss particular policy questions, challenges or areas where specialist knowledge would be valuable.

These engagements may take the form of individual meetings between a Fellow and a researcher or broader interdisciplinary discussions involving researchers from several fields.

Roundtable discussions may also be used to bring different academic perspectives to a policy problem.

2. Participation in Relevant Seminars and Events

Policy Fellows may participate in seminars, workshops, lectures or other relevant events taking place at the host university or research organisation.

This can provide Fellows with additional exposure to emerging research, specialist expertise and wider academic conversations related to their policy responsibilities.

3. Professional and Institutional Network Building

Host organisations can use the Fellowship programme to establish stronger connections between participating public and civil servants and the research community.

These relationships can help facilitate longer-term knowledge exchange and potentially create future opportunities for collaboration between policymakers and researchers.

Who Can Apply for the EvEx Associate Policy Fellowship Hosting Awards?

The EvEx Associate Policy Fellowship Hosting Awards are open to research organisations in the United Kingdom that are eligible for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding.

Eligible organisations may include:

• Universities.
• Colleges.
• Research centres.
• Research institutes.
• Public sector research establishments.
• Other eligible independent research organisations.

Importantly, organisations do not need previous experience running Policy Fellowships.

EvEx specifically encourages applications from organisations that have never previously offered Policy Fellowships, as well as organisations that already have experience delivering similar programmes.

Groups of research organisations are also permitted to apply together and jointly operate an Associate Policy Fellowship programme.

Do Organisations Need to Have Policy Fellows Identified Before Applying?

No.

Applicants do not need to know who their prospective Policy Fellows will be when submitting their proposal.

Successful organisations can subsequently operate an open application process through which eligible Policy Fellows can apply.

The EvEx team can provide support and help amplify these recruitment opportunities.

This means organisations interested in establishing a programme should not be discouraged from applying simply because they have not already identified specific public or civil servants to participate.

Can Organisations Propose a Specific Fellowship Theme?

Yes.

Applicants may design their proposed Fellowships around a particular theme or policy topic.

However, EvEx advises organisations to consider avoiding themes that are excessively narrow, as broader themes may provide greater flexibility when recruiting Fellows and matching them with appropriate researchers.

Organisations uncertain about whether their proposed theme is suitable are encouraged to contact the EvEx team before submitting their application.

Who Can Participate as an EvEx Associate Policy Fellow?

For this programme, Policy Fellows are UK public and civil servants.

Host organisations can recruit individuals from different public bodies and at different levels of seniority.

Fellowships may be offered to:

• Individual public or civil servants.
• Small teams from the public or civil service.
• Participants from different public bodies.
• Participants across different levels of professional seniority.

Each Fellow or Fellowship team should engage with researchers for at least five days during the January–May 2027 programme period.

Benefits for Successful Host Organisations

The programme provides more than financial support.

Organisations receiving an EvEx Associate Policy Fellowship Hosting Award will participate in a dedicated Coaching and Learning Programme designed to support them in developing and delivering effective Policy Fellowship programmes.

Successful hosts will receive assistance covering important stages of fellowship delivery.

Support From the EvEx Team

The EvEx team will provide advice and guidance on designing and delivering a Policy Fellowship programme.

Support can cover areas including:

• Selecting and recruiting Fellows.
• Matching Policy Fellows with appropriate researchers.
• Designing fellowship activities.
• Managing Fellows’ time within participating institutions.
• Developing effective approaches to knowledge exchange.

Application and Documentation Templates

Successful host organisations will receive access to template application forms and other documentation.

These resources can be used directly or adapted to suit an organisation’s individual recruitment and programme requirements.

Coaching and Learning Support

Host teams will have access to ongoing assistance from a Coaching and Learning Consultant.

This will include:

• Training.
• Facilitated workshops.
• Specially developed shared resources.
• Practical guidance for Fellowship delivery.

Knowledge Exchange Between Host Organisations

Successful organisations will also have opportunities to interact with other participating hosts.

This provides an additional platform for sharing experiences, exchanging ideas and discussing best practices for running effective Policy Fellowship programmes.

Longer-Term Organisational Benefits

Running an Associate Policy Fellowship programme can also help participating institutions develop stronger relationships with policymakers and public sector professionals.

Potential organisational benefits highlighted by EvEx include:

• Building networks of public and civil servants.
• Establishing connections between public sector professionals and researchers.
• Strengthening institutional policy engagement.
• Developing the skills of staff responsible for managing Policy Fellowships.
• Accessing training, workshops and shared learning resources.
• Creating opportunities to demonstrate case studies and impacts resulting from policy-to-research engagement.

Policy Fellows recruited through participating organisations will also be invited to join the wider EvEx Policy Fellows network, through which they can receive invitations to relevant networking activities and events.

EvEx Associate Policy Fellowship 2027 Timeline

Applicants should take note of the following key dates:

• 1 September 2026: Applications open.
• 9 September 2026: Online information session for prospective applicants.
• 8 October 2026: Application deadline.
• By 30 October 2026: Applicants expected to be notified of outcomes.
• Late January 2027: Fellowships begin.
• March 2027: Interim report submitted.
• By 31 May 2027: Fellowships completed.
• 30 June 2027: Final report submitted.

The source also lists “By 11 January 2026 – EvEx Policy Fellows recruited.” This appears chronologically inconsistent with the surrounding 2027 programme dates, so prospective applicants should refer to the official guidance or confirm the intended year directly with EvEx rather than assuming a correction.

Application Deadline

The deadline to apply for the EvEx Associate Policy Fellowship Hosting Awards is midday on 8 October 2026.

Applications opened on 1 September 2026.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to prepare their proposals early and carefully review the official guidance before completing the online application.

Online Information Session for Applicants

EvEx will host an online information session for prospective applicants on:

9 September 2026 at 1:30 p.m.

The webinar will provide an opportunity to learn more about the Policy Fellowships and ask questions about either the Fellowship model or the application process.

Prospective applicants can register for the session through the official EvEx website.

How to Apply for the EvEx Associate Policy Fellowship

Organisations interested in applying should first review the complete programme guidance and application form provided by EvEx.

Applicants can then prepare their proposal and submit the final application using the online application form available through the EvEx Associate Policy Fellowship webpage.

The application guidance and a downloadable application form are available to help organisations prepare their responses before completing the online submission.

Applicants are also encouraged to discuss their proposed project with the EvEx team before submitting an application. This provides an opportunity to check whether the proposed organisation and programme meet the scheme’s eligibility requirements and intended scope.

Applicants wishing to arrange a discussion can contact Christina Rozeik and the EvEx team at evex@csap.cam.ac.uk.

Applications may also be submitted in Welsh. Welsh-language guidance is available, and applicants who want the application form in Welsh can request it directly from the EvEx team.

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Reporting Requirements for Successful Organisations

Successful organisations will be required to report on their Fellowship activities and expenditure at two key stages.

Interim Report – March 2027

Around the midpoint of the programme, participating organisations will complete an interim reporting form.

The interim report is expected to cover:

• Information about the EvEx Policy Fellows recruited.
• Progress achieved to date.
• Programme activities undertaken.
• Budget expenditure.

Final Report – June 2027

Following completion of the Fellowship programme, host organisations will submit a final report.

The report will request fuller information concerning:

• Delivery of the programme.
• Overall expenditure.
• Activities undertaken.
• Outcomes and impacts that have emerged from the programme.

The source states that the final report is due 30 June 2027.

How Many Hosting Awards Are Available?

For the 2026–2027 programme, EvEx expects to offer approximately 10 Associate Policy Fellowship Hosting Awards across the United Kingdom.

Because the number of awards is limited, eligible organisations interested in participating should carefully develop proposals that demonstrate how their Fellowship programme can create meaningful engagement between researchers and public or civil servants.

About Evidence Exchange (EvEx)

Evidence Exchange, or EvEx, is supporting stronger connections between research and policymaking through initiatives such as the Associate Policy Fellowship programme.

The programme is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and delivered by the Centre for Science and Policy (CSaP) at the University of Cambridge, together with partners across the United Kingdom.

Through the Associate Policy Fellowship Hosting Awards, EvEx aims to expand Policy Fellowship opportunities beyond its existing consortium and help additional research organisations develop the capacity, expertise and networks required to engage effectively with policymakers.

Conclusion

The EvEx Associate Policy Fellowship 2027 represents a substantial opportunity for UK research organisations seeking to strengthen connections between academic research and public policymaking.

With funding of up to £62,500, successful organisations can establish programmes that bring UK public and civil servants into closer engagement with researchers, creating space to explore real policy challenges, access specialist expertise, develop professional networks and strengthen knowledge exchange.

The opportunity is particularly accessible because applicants do not need previous experience running Policy Fellowships, and organisations can receive extensive practical support through EvEx’s Coaching and Learning Programme. Universities and other eligible research organisations may also collaborate and submit joint proposals.

Approximately 10 hosting awards are expected to be available during the 2026–2027 cycle.

Eligible UK research organisations interested in applying should review the official programme guidance, consider attending the 9 September 2026 information session, and prepare their proposal ahead of the final application deadline.

Application Deadline: Midday, 8 October 2026.

Visit the OFY website for more Grant and Fellowship opportunities.