Applications now open for PIU’s 2026 Policy Fellowship

The Policy Insights Unit is inviting applications for its 2026 Policy Fellowship programme, an academic mentoring scheme for UK-based public officials.

The Policy Insights Unit (PIU) is a cross-government unit that develops analysis and ideas for policy. Operating like an in-house consultancy, we agree bespoke projects to suit the needs of each customer, combining expert engagement with research synthesis and policy development. 

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 our partner institutions: Brunel University London, Lancaster University, the University of Surrey and the University of York.

This is the fourth round of the Fellowship - in 2025, 20 civil servants from 12 different departments were paired with academics from our partner universities. An example of one of their research outputs can be found here.

This year’s programme offers an expanded range of research topics, including (but not limited to) health and wellbeing; sustainability and net zero; AI and emerging technologies; governance; global systems and relationships; education and social justice; creative and cultural futures; and economic development.