Nat Easton , Specialist Policy Officer (Faculty for Environmental and Life Sciences)
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Nat is a Specialist Policy Officer supporting the Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences. She completed both her MChem and PhD at the University of Southampton, specialising in Air Pollution characterisation and its impacts on health and the environment. During her years at the university, she has worked across Highfield and Boldrewood Campuses, as well as the National Oceanography Centre and now University Hospital Southampton. Her current time is split between her position as a Research Fellow and her role within Public Policy.
She is an advocate for multi- and interdisciplinary research and thoroughly enjoys hearing how researchers from different disciplines apply their expertise to a common challenge. Nat began her foray into science and policy during her PhD working with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Public Policy Southampton, investigating maritime emissions reduction technologies. Following this she led a Knowledge Exchange project working with the Hampshire Local Authorities investigating the spatial spread of air pollutants.
In her previous role Nat co-led on Knowledge Exchange for the £42.5 million UKRI Strategic Priorities Fund Clean Air Programme supporting researchers across the UK to maximise policy impact at the local and national level. In this role she organised multiple policy events and activities with Defra, DfT, UKHSA and the Institution of Environmental Sciences.
She is passionate about ensuring research leads to tangible policy impact as well as developing skills to realise the importance of being a policy-engaged researcher.
Most likely to say: "Let's get started"
Biggest fan of: Alternative music and a nice cup of tea.
| Evidence Supply | Evidence Demand | Capacity rising |
|---|---|---|
| In preparation for REF2029 Nat has been engaging with researchers across the faculty to explore routes to maximise policy impact. She is helping a range of individual projects across environmental and life sciences in producing tailored outputs like policy briefs and organising engagement events with policymakers and parliamentarians. In addition to this she is supporting two BBSRC networks (including the Gut-Immune-Brain Axis Network+ and NUCNet) as they commence with their stakeholder analysis and policy engagement strategies. |
Nat is supporting academics responding to key evidence needs through calls for evidence and consultations. As the Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences encompasses a very broad set of expertise this has already ranged from evidence to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, the Scottish Government, and on informing the new 10-Year NHS Workforce Plan. She supported multiple submissions to the Environmental Audit Committee’s “Environment in Focus” call for topics the committee’s next inquiry should focus on. With one academic submission on Air Quality chosen to contribute to a pitch to MPs. |
So far Nat has produced a summary guide, and series of alignment strategies to researchers on the “Fit for the Future” 10-Year NHS Plan that is available to share with academics. In addition to this she has delivered presentations to individual research groups and a specific PPS training session where people leave the workshop with their own tailored plan. She is currently exploring running a specific policy session with the social mobility network to help reach academics who traditionally engage less with the policy process. |