Parliament to hire eight academics to support research

The scheme, which is in partnership with UK Research and Innovation, will expand parliament’s network of thematic research leads into areas such as artificial intelligence and digital and transport.

Other areas covered by the newly announced roles include arts and humanities; business, economic and trade; climate and environment; crime and justice; health; and international affairs and national security.

The thematic leads will support horizon scanning and help parliamentarians access research where required, and will work in parliament from September 2024 until the summer of 2026.

The pilot, which ran from January 2023, saw three thematic research leads hired, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

The three thematic research leads hired in the pilot, which runs until the summer of 2024, were Tamsin Edwards, professor in climate change at King’s College London, Kristen Harkness, senior lecturer and director of the Institute for the Study of War and Strategy at the University of St Andrews, and Rick Whitaker, professor in politics at the University of Leicester.