Where did you go and what did you do?
I completed my PIPS placement at the Open Innovation Team (OIT) who carry out policy work for different UK government policy departments. The primary focus of the team is to bring academic voices into the policymaking process and to provide policymakers with up-to-date research on an issue.
Whilst at the OIT I worked on several projects across a diverse range of policy areas. Initially, I was placed on a team who were looking into decarbonisation strategies for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). I was involved in interviewing academics and other stakeholders and was able to lead a few of these interviews towards the end. I also was involved in the report drafting stage and delivered the final presentation to DESNZ in their Whitehall offices.
Following this, I then worked on a project looking into the adoption of generative AI in schools which was commissioned by the Department for Education (DofE). I helped to organise a series of panel discussions by identifying academic experts who were invited to discuss several key questions areas on this topic.
As a cohort of placement students, we attended training sessions to get us up to speed on conducting interviews, drafting OIT reports/slide decks, and also to provide a more general understanding of the civil service structure.
What made you want to do that particular PIPS?
I was open to a number of PIPS options, though I was leaning towards a policy-based placement as this is an area where I had little experience. The diversity of topics that the OIT worked on was also attractive.
What skills have you gained from your PIPS?
Carrying out and conducting interviews was an area which I had little to no experience in before my PIPS placement. At the end of the first project, I was confident enough to lead several 1 hour + interviews which required prior research of the academic and the generation of a tailored set of questions.
The drafting process involved in producing OIT output for the client was very fast paced, dynamic, and different to what I had experienced before. Initially, this was a big learning curve, but I soon got to grips with the process.
Lastly, owing to working on a diversity of policy areas it was important to be able to orientate yourself with the general background research of that topic in a timely fashion.
What has been the impact (or likely future impact) of your PIPS?
I was able to contribute to several projects at the OIT, some of them still ongoing. Owing to the small team at the OIT, PhD placement students are necessary to facilitate the project work. In return the placement offers an experience whereby you are given a good deal of responsibility early on.
The impact the PIPS placement has had on me has been to continue my interest in working on research that has policy impact. It has also provided me with a greater understanding on the different ways that academics can achieve policy impact with their research.
How would you sum up your PIPS experience?
My PIPS experience was entirely positive. It provided me with a supportive and interesting environment to experience what it is like to work in policy.
What advice would you give to other PGRs about PIPS?
I would take time to think about what skills/experience you have and what areas you would like to gain experience in. It is very rare in your career path that you are going to be given the freedom for 3 months to try something completely different so don’t waste it.
Read more about the Open Innovation Team.