Getting research into policy

Engaging with politicians and policy makers is an important way of raising awareness and eliciting positive views of your scientific field at the highest level of decision-making in your country.

The Wellcome Trust’s vision is to achieve extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. To this end, we work to stimulate the uptake and use of research evidence in informing policy development and healthcare practice. Through our funding, we support researchers, both in the UK and in low- and middle-income countries, to engage policymakers and intermediary organisations (such as NGOs, universities and think-tanks) with their research, and work to develop understanding and links between both in the research and policy-making communities.

What is policy?

Find out what policy is, how it is made and how scientific research can be relevant to decisions that ultimately affect the health of entire populations.

Principles Learn about the fundamentals of evidence-based policy.

Funding and training opportunities Find support for engaging with policy makers.

Engaging with policy: case studies

Find out more about how Trust-funded researchers have worked to maximise the policy impact of their work.

• Life-Saving Numbers: Clinically relevant, practical findings from studies in Kenya are leading directly to health policy changes and saving children’s lives
• Read how Heidi de Wet was able to take her science to Parliament
• Research shapes policy for dengue and malaria
• Civil society is encouraged to engage with health research more directly
  

Find out more about our policy and advocacy work and how to get involved.