8 June 2026
From May – June 2026, 24 Southampton PhD students were selected for the Parliamentary Impact Programme, a collaboration between Public Policy|Southampton, and Southampton Business School’s Dr Jane Parry, who is the UK Parliament Thematic Research Lead for Economics, Business and Trade.
Background
In January, Southampton Business School’s Dr Jane Parry and Public Policy | Southampton’s Tiffany Withers came together to design a programme that would give PhD students from all Faculties at Southampton the skills, information and confidence they needed to use their research for policy impact, specifically in the context of the UK Parliament. The programme was an introduction to a world that is often perceived as remote or inaccessible, delivered by two professionals who are dedicated to improving access to policy, specifically through Parliamentary channels.
Dr Jane Parry is Associate Professor of Work & Employment at the University of Southampton, and co-director of the Work Futures Research Centre. Drawing upon her role as UK Parliament Thematic Lead for Business, Economics & Trade, which is part of a major investment by UKRI to ensure that the UK’s cutting-edge research base informs the policy process, Jane has been supporting various Select Committees over the past two years in Parliament to connect them with better quality academic evidence. To amplify the work of a recent Lords special inquiry, Jane wrote a House of Commons Insight briefing on Hybrid working and UK Government policy, alongside an article for The Conversation on lessons for employment practice. Her research on home working was heavily featured in the House of Lords report in 2025, to which the Government responded in March this year.
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Tiffany Withers’ role within Public Policy| Southampton provides support for academics supplying evidence to policymakers, in addition to organising Parliamentary events, programmes, and knowledge exchange opportunities, including Evidence Week. Public Policy|Southampton is part of Research and Innovation Services, serving as the interlocutor between academic research at the University of Southampton and policymakers. Accessibility is a big motivator for Tiffany, who is passionate about demystifying Parliament and making it accessible for all researchers – no matter their background, or the stage of their career.
The programme was born out of the shared notion that academic research should help shape the policies that affect people's lives, and that PhD students shouldn't have to wait until later in their careers to make that happen. Their collaboration brought together two distinct but complementary areas of expertise: Jane’s understanding of how Parliament scrutinises evidence, drawn from her own research on Select Committees, and Tiffany’s experience as the University's liaison between academics and Parliamentarians.
The Parliamentary Impact Programme
The aim of the Parliamentary Impact Programme is to make policy more accessible for researchers across Faculties. The cohort spanned all Faculties at Southampton: Arts and Humanities – Rhys Lawrence, Atafa Tajik, Beth Davis-Hofbauer, Simon Thompson; Electronics and Computer Science – Yuliia Antiufieieva, Aris Karilis, Melyssa Ortiz, Matt Javanshir; Medicine – Morgan Mason, Amelia Bird, Katie Read, John Holloway; Environmental and Life Sciences – Susannah Scott, Izzy White, Jennifer Tarabay; Social Sciences – Shatrunjay Bose, Deborah Timoni, Callie Langley, Hanna Reichelt, Colette Nsofor, Elinor Williams, Jash Shah, Fatima Velieva, Engineering and Physical Sciences – Ryan Fernandez Medina Hariri.
The cohort were welcomed to Boldrewood on Friday 1 May for the first session of the programme, which focused on tailoring communication for policy audiences. Through developing elevator pitches based on their individual research, participants were trained by Jane and Tiffany to make their work accessible, concise, and relevant to Parliamentarians.
This session set the tone for the programme, equipping students with the skills to translate complex academic research into clear, impactful soundbites for policymakers. From governance mechanisms for generative AI in the UK creative industries, to marine biogeochemistry, and innovations in cancer care, the cohort successfully adapted their research into compelling narratives that will resonate with a policy audience.
The second day of the programme was in Westminster – starting off with a tour of Parliament sponsored by Satvir Kaur, MP for Southampton Test. Following this, Darren Paffey MP (Southampton Itchen) and Caroline Nokes MP (Romsey & Southampton North, Deputy Speaker of House of Commons) joined a panel for the students, offering their insight, advice and experiences to students, specifically about the research-evidence interface, and how to communicate to Parliamentarians in a way that generates impact.
Also on the panel were Parliamentary experts Alexandra Ming - Committee Specialist from House of Commons Committees, Jenny Chapman from POST, UK Parliament, and Brigid Francis-Devine - Labour Market Specialist from the House of Commons Library.
The panel gave the PhD students the opportunity to hear about the work of POST, and how they can utilise their PhD work for policy impact, no matter the stage of their research. There was also the chance for students to think about their future careers while the panellists, including MPs, shared how they ended up working in Parliament, each from different backgrounds and career paths. Morgan Mason, PhD student commented:
It was very useful to meet with the women who work in different areas of Parliament and learn about how each area (Select Committees, POST, and the Library) uses evidence from research. This felt empowering, to know that research is used in these areas and then also how we could perhaps take those routes in our lives if that is a career we're interested in post-PhD.
Following the workshop, participants watched a debate in the House of Commons chamber responding to the previous week’s King’s Speech, giving them the chance to watch Caroline Nokes in action as Speaker of the House, and seeing in real-time how things work in Westminster.
Thank you so much […] for organising the tour, the brilliant and informative sessions with policymakers and researchers, and watching the debate on the King’s speech regarding backing businesses for economic growth. What an opportunity it was to have the time to ask questions and hear from MPs and Parliamentary staff working in POST, the Parliament library, and committees about all issues related to policy, research, evidence, and impact. It was also so good to get to know fellow PhD students from different disciplines. What a day …
-Jennifer Tarabay, PhD Student
The third and final workshop, hosted at Boldrewood on Monday 1 June, gave Jane and Tiffany the opportunity to unpack the lessons learnt in Parliament and support each researcher in planning their next steps for policy impact. The cohort of PhD students had the opportunity to delve into what engagement might look like, and the different methods of doing so, whether engaging with different Select Committees, creating policy briefs to send to Parliamentarians, or tailoring language to suit policy audiences. Jane reflected:
From the energy in the room it was immediately clear that policymakers have much to gain from the talent base of Southampton’s PhD students. At every step of the programme they have asked incisive questions, challenged themselves, and shared their plans for innovative strategies to get their research to a wider audience. It has been an absolute privilege to work with them and Public Policy Southampton, who I know from my work in Parliament, are extremely well regarded nationally. We were very grateful to the MPs and Parliamentarians for taking the time to bring the programme to life, and, after the visit, Tiffany and I saw a real step-change in the students’ confidence about what was possible for them around research impact and change. This has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done for years!
By bringing together emerging researchers and parliamentary experts, the Parliamentary Impact Programme is helping to bridge the gap between academia and policymaking. As participants leave with greater confidence, practical skills and direct insight into Westminster, the initiative marks an important step in ensuring that the University of Southampton’s research informs real-world decisions, strengthening the role of evidence in shaping the UK’s future. The plan is now to establish a Community of Practice with the cohort, to provide mutual support and ongoing learning around translating research findings into Parliamentary impact.
Have a listen to newest podcast episode from PPS's 'The Policy Pod', featuring Dr Jane Parry and Tiffany Withers, who discuss engaging with the UK Parliament:
Listen here
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