Insights North East Associates - Insights North East

Why become part of INE Associates?

The INE Associates is a growing programme designed to support, develop and champion knowledge exchange across the academic-policy ecosystem in the North East.

As an INE Associate, you and your career will benefit from stronger, longer-lasting relationships across the North East research-policy ecosystem. We will introduce you to like-minded university and policy colleagues who share your commitment to using research to inform and shape policy. We will support you in building your skills, resources and expertise to ensure that the research produced in our region can produce actionable sights for real-world policy impact.

INE offers our Associates:

For academic and university knowledge mobilisers

Build stronger, longer-lasting relationships with policymakers across the North East research-policy ecosystem.
Gain increased visibility for research among local and regional policy partners, improving pathways to real-world policy impact.
Connect with live policy challenges directly linked to local/regional needs.
Access development opportunities and networking events.
Benefit from interdisciplinary networks bringing together researchers, policymakers, practitioners and VCSE partners.
Engage with a cross-sector community dedicated to evidence-based policymaking.
Support to align research with regional public policy challenges.
Join a rapidly expanding regional network of research-policy actors.
Access to Teams channel where Associates can share collaborative working opportunities.
Benefit from opportunities to amplify research outputs via blogs, newsletters and social media.

For policy and VCSE professionals

Gain streamlined access to researchers and university staff across the North East who produce cutting-edge, policy-relevant evidence.
Tap into a growing pipeline of evidence reviews and policy challenges.
Use rich, multi-disciplinary evidence about what works to strengthen policy design.
Benefit from regional co-ordination and mapping of knowledge assets.
Join a cross-sector community of practice spanning universities, local government, NHS, VCSE and business.
Participate in networking and development opportunities for policy professionals.
Benefit from opportunities to share joint comms via blogs, newsletters and social media.
Benefit from co-created research projects integrating practitioner insight with academic evidence.
Contribute practitioner and frontline knowledge to inform INE actionable insights and broader academic research.
Be part of a programme designed to champion and professionalise informed practice.

Key activities

networking events – Informal networking events are held throughout the year for INE Associates to meet and share any research and projects they may be working on.
research showcases – We find and offer research showcase opportunities across the North East for Associates to present at.
introductions – We help connect Associates with academics, researchers, policy professionals to help move projects forward.
policy blogs – Associates will have the opportunity to write and contribute to INE’s blog featured on our website, newsletter and social media.
policy brokerage – INE will help Associates work through policy challenges and find the right approach.
advisory service – INE can support Associates to navigate public policy and build engagement.

Who can become an INE Associate?

We’re expanding the reach of INE Associates! This will further help us to develop a network of people who value greater connection between research and policy, and are willing to advocate for this aim.

The programme is now open to:

colleagues from Northumbria and Newcastle Universities with an interest in linking their work to local policy agendas. We’re looking for research, professional service and technical staff from a wide range of disciplines whose research could be relevant to the activities and needs of different policymakers in the North East.
colleagues working in local government and public and voluntary sector organisations across the North East. We’re looking for staff who are enthusiastic about policy development, review and practice — not just those with the word ‘policy’ in their job title. Our geographic reach is roughly mapped onto that of the North East Strategic Mayoral Authority (covering the seven local authority areas of County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland), but we’re also open to interest from those working outside the region.

How can I join INE Associates?

If you identify with one of the above descriptions and would like to join the INE Associates programme, please complete the short application available below.

Even if you’re in the early stages of your career, or aren’t sure whether your work is directly relevant to the activities and needs of different researchers and policymakers in the North East, we’d still love to hear from you and see how we can work to support you.

Contact Emily Rainsford for any queries

Application forms:

For academic and university knowledge mobilisers

For policy and VCSE professionals

EDI Statement

INE is committed to supporting equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from as a wide range of colleagues as possible:

For university-based colleagues: from all university Faculties, Departments, Schools and units, at all career levels (particularly early career), and on all contract types (academic, Professional Services, full/part-time, open-ended/fixed-term, etc).
For local authority colleagues: at all career levels, job families and contract types (full/part-time, open-ended/fixed-term, etc).