Applications now open for OIT’s 2025 Policy Fellowship
Source: gov.uk (2025-01-30)

The Open Innovation Team (OIT) is inviting applications for its 2025 Policy Fellowship programme, an academic mentoring scheme for UK-based public officials.

Deadline now extended until 10 March 2025

The OIT is a cross-government unit that works with experts to generate analysis and ideas for policy, helping colleagues review evidence, engage experts, develop policy and evaluate impact.

Our Policy Fellowship is a bespoke, flexible, part-time mentoring programme that supports officials by providing help and expert insight to answer a specific policy question. Over the course of six months, civil servants and public officials (SEO-G6 or equivalent grades) will work under the supervision of an academic mentor in a relevant field to research and produce an output based on their policy area. Mentors are drawn from OIT partner institutions: Brunel University London, the University of Essex, Lancaster University, the University of Surrey and the University of York.

What you’ll gain:
- In-depth support and insight from leading academics
- New contacts across academia and the civil service
- Practical skills in data analysis and interpretation
- Enhanced subject knowledge in your chosen field
This is the third round of the Fellowship - in 2023/24, nine civil servants from five different departments were paired with academics from four universities. An example of one of their research outputs can be found here (https://brunel.figshare.com/articles/online_resource/The_Use_of_Artificial_Intelligence_in_Trade_Advisory_Services/28034627?file=51307319).

This year’s programme offers an expanded range of research topics, including (but not limited to) education, health & social care, AI and digital, environment and sustainability, government, and business, work and employment.

The Policy Fellowship was a really insightful experience - it gave us the chance to test our ideas with academics and structure our research effectively. Regular check-ins kept us on track, and we delivered an internal report that supported our department’s policy work.

It was great to collaborate beyond government and gain fresh perspectives from academics, who were really understanding and supportive. I’d recommend the fellowship to policy officials looking to fill evidence gaps—or even map them out!

Georgina Kaye, Policy Advisor Digital Strategy Division, Digital Data and Technology, Department for Education

How to apply:
- The application window opens on 30 January and closes 10 March.
- Full details about the Fellowship and the application process can be found in our Q&A pack, and you can email xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) if you have any questions.
Key documents:
- OIT Fellowship Q&A (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67a3443d08d82b458c553c7e/OIT_Fellowships_Q+A.pdf) (PDF, 592 KB, 8 pages): in this document you can learn more about the OIT and the Fellowship, along with eligibility criteria and all the information you’ll need to apply.
- Open Innovation Fellowship Application Form (https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=yXfS-grGoU2187O4s0qC-Q5-URukCG9FpNbPbD6G8IVURTlaNUwxUFk2SVRBUFcwTlZHNEFYWElKRCQlQCN0PWcu)