The University of Manchester’s policy engagement unit has welcomed ten exceptional entrants to this year’s Greater Manchester (GM) Policy Fellowship Scheme following the success of the inaugural programme in 2024.
Successful applicants to the Greater Manchester Fellowship Scheme 2025
Policy@Manchester has been connecting policy professionals to the wealth of research within the University for more than a decade, building relationships and networks regionally and nationally to provide informed evidence for robust public policy development.
The GM Policy Hub was set up over two years ago to increase connectivity and enhance wider policy discussions.
Following consultation with government departments, local councils and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Policy@Manchester launched a University of Manchester-led fellowship scheme to connect researchers and policymakers working on issues important to the region.
Each fellow has the opportunity to receive a bespoke set of briefing sessions with researchers from across the University around their working area of interest, combined with an open invitation to undertake tours and access the enviable resources and facilities available.
In return, fellows are encouraged to get proactively involved in activities such as hosting a seminar, workshop or roundtable, writing an article, encouraging knowledge exchange or organising a co-produced piece of research.
Successful beneficiaries of last year’s inaugural GM Policy Fellowship Scheme have reflected fondly on their experiences.
Writing on LinkedIn, James Brannan, Cyber Security Policy Advisor at the Cabinet Office, said: “Being a part of the inaugural Policy@Manchester GM Policy Fellowship Scheme has provided an incredibly rewarding experience to bridge the gap between academia and government policy, with access to The University of Manchester's academic experts helping bring a fresh perspective to how we approach the pressing issues in our field.”
Tricia Francis, Product Specialist at the Department for Business and Trade, wrote: “This initiative aims to connect researchers and policy staff/influencers to provide insights into the issues and policy questions we are working on.
“We had a wonderful get-together reflecting on our experiences as fellows and highlighting key takeaways from our research and engagement. We are now proud to become the inaugural alumni of this Fellowship Scheme and looking forward to further conversations with the University's Policy team and researchers, as well as connecting with future fellows.”
This year’s cohort of ten fellows is drawn from across the public sector, regionally and nationally.
Amongst those joining from central government departments are Amelia Behrens, Strategy and Policy Lead for Place, Local Growth and Communities at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport; Harry Leah, Senior Policy Advisor at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; and Joseph Pacey, Senior Space Policy Advisor at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
From the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Katrina Hann, Assistant Director of Research, and Shona Boyle, Lead Analyst - Police and Crime, are also part of the 2025 intake alongside Liz Atherton, Climate Action Now Programme Manager at Stockport Council.
Professor Cecilia Wong, Academic Co-Director of Policy@Manchester, is greatly impressed by the quality of the successful candidates and is looking forward to working closely with them over the next 12 months.
She said: “Last year’s fellows were fantastic.
“It was a brand new venture for the University, but it exceeded all our expectations.
“Reflecting that success, we have doubled the number of fellows this year - but the quality of applicant is every bit as high.
“I wish them well as they get fully immersed in the multitude of experiences and academic expertise that The University of Manchester is renowned for.”