An Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Nottingham has been appointed as the new Thematic Research lead for the Arts and Humanities in UK Parliament.
The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) have announced that Dr Helen McCabe has been selected as one of eight top researchers who will be forming Parliament's second-ever cohort of prestigious Thematic Research Leads.
Based on the concept of Chief Scientific Advisers, Thematic Research Leads bring their impartial expertise, extensive policy knowledge and strong network of research connections to a variety of teams in and out of Parliament. They work for three days each week in this position, while continuing their role in their own academic institution.
Dr McCabe, who will join Parliament in September 2024, said:
I'm delighted to be able to share and highlight the amazing work being done across the Arts and Humanities with Parliament, where it can make a positive difference. This is such an exciting opportunity to bring communities and stakeholders together at a crucial time for our disciplines and research."
The new Thematic Research Leads will work with a wide range of staff from across POST, the House of Commons Library and the Select Committee teams to act as a bridge between Parliament and the research community, significantly enhancing the use of high-quality research evidence in scrutiny and debate.
Due to the success of a pilot programme which took place between January 2023 and Summer 2024, POST is expanding the programme from Autumn 2024, bringing in Thematic Research Leads in a wider variety of policy areas such as Health and Transport.
