Dave Blackbell (Bell)

***JOB OPPORTUNITY*** Interested in becoming one of SPRE’s 2 Co-Directors? Want to find out more about how we work? Sign-up to one of our Q&A sessions: 👉 1-2pm Wednesday 30th August 👉 1-2pm Monday 11th September Full info and sign-up: bit.ly/SPRE-Co-Direct…

Could you be our new Co-Director? We're looking for someone to co-lead SPRE with @Dave_B_B to reshape the organisation & support more #equitable #ethical & #effective research-policy relationships in #Scotland Apply: bit.ly/SPRE-Co-Direct… Meet Dave: bit.ly/SPRE-Meet-Dave

🌟#Job Opportunity🌟 🔎 2nd Co-Director to co-lead SPRE's journey into more relational research-policy engagement, that centres #equity and #learning Help shape the JD and recruitment approach until 10th Aug, then apply 10th Aug - 31st Oct More info: bit.ly/SPRE-Co-Direct…

My take on what the initial decisions on REF mean for impact. Summary: these are mainly tweaks that address issues for which most institutions already found work-arounds. You can read the full announcement here repository.jisc.ac.uk/9148/1/researc…

Participatory Research Levels Level 0 - No engagement in research with the communities that are most affected by an issue being explored Level 1 - Harmful & unethical consultation - good intentions / bad practice Level 2 - Minimal & occasional consultation, with no harm

Please join us on Thursday 25th May, 1-2pm, to: 👉Share & celebrate SPRE's recent changes 👉Discuss the needs of the Scottish research-policy landscape. 🌟We'll also be launching recruitment for our second Co-Director position 🌟 Register here: bit.ly/SPRE-Relaunch

The Home Secretary says Govt will clamp down on child sexual exploitation, & new measures are proposed to ensure ‘political correctness’ will not impede a ‘crack down’ on exploitation. Whilst a focus on tackling sexual abuse is *obviously* a good thing, I have some thoughts…1/

Neutral knowledge does not exist. Knowledge production or what and how we understand “reality” and “truth” is an extremely political process. What is “reality” or “truth”? How do we know this “reality”? Is there only one reality or are there many of them? —Sylvia Tamale

Interested in how to shape policy with evidence? I can HIGHLY recommend this course. I took it in 2021 & loved the theory + practical tools on: -> How policy change happens -> How power shapes knowledge -> How to build effective strategies bit.ly/policy-evidence

@danielleturney1 @dez_holmes @ipanalysis @SPRExchange The technical-relational distinction is something we’ve been exploring to help make WPR more accessible. Here’s a conference paper where we share and reflect on a piece of work we applied it to bit.ly/reflexivecapac…

@danielleturney1 @dez_holmes @ipanalysis @SPRExchange We’ve been exploring WPR as a means of surfacing the (always present, though often hidden) politics of evidence production and use. Trying to apply it in research-policy practice setting in a collaborative way. Found it challenging and very rewarding to engage with!

Really great to see so many people at our lunchtime event on Rethinking 'Busyness' in Research-Policy Engagement.

Want to join our journal club? The first event will be led by @allisonjmetz, who will present her recent research: Is implementation research out of step with implementation practice? We hope you will join is on Tuesday 15 November. Please sign up here! eventbrite.co.uk/e/transforming…

Interested in how we can rethink policy impact? Join us for a week of lunchtime events and conversations that explore new ways of thinking about research-policy relations! Registration details below 👇

The need for research to have policy impact is widely accepted across higher education. But do current frameworks (REF, UKRI) foster the right behaviours? In this new report co-authored with @profkatsmith and @CleoDavies2, we set out new principles for guiding policy impact 1/11

Looking for some lunchtime entertainment? Have you seen our webinars on the role of evidence intermediary organisations? Recordings and blogs are available now here transforming-evidence.org/news/evidence-…

On #InternationalSafeAbortionDay, and every day, it's high time more of us men start speaking out in support of women's right to choose what happens to their own bodies. Abortion = essential healthcare, and we all gain from living in a society where this is respected. @MenEngage

Could you be our new chair or trustee? You’d be working with Nick & Dave to establish a new values-led strategic direction focused on promoting new voices and perspectives in research-policy engagement. Applications open till 14 Nov bit.ly/SPREboard

A great opportunity with @RURUStAndrews associates @SPRExchange Please consider applying, especially if you're from an under-represented community in this space. If you're more established, you might like to encourage others to apply!