Regional Policy Engagement

Yorkshire and Humber Policy Engagement Research Network (Y-PERN)

York is a partner on this Research England Development funded project led by the University of Leeds. The Policy Engine is supporting the implementation of Y-PERN, which has been awarded £3.9m. Y-PERN is a novel network-based approach to inclusive and place-based academic policy engagement and research. By enhancing the effectiveness of inclusive regional development policy and strategy, Y-PERN will play a critical role in fulfilling the commitment made in the Memorandum of Understanding between Yorkshire Universities (YU) and Yorkshire and Humber Councils (YHC) to work together to identify actions and solutions to some of the major opportunities and challenges facing the region. York leads the research and activities taking place across the York and North Yorkshire region.

Within our region of York and North Yorkshire, Y-PERN has been working on fostering and developing relationships between the University of York and York St. John with local government. This aims to help build sustainable relationships and support a dialogue of strategic aims and meaningful involvement in policy development. As well as this key focus, Y-PERN has been working on a range of research areas, such as:

• inclusive entrepreneurship
• food (in)security 

Yorkshire Policy Innovation Partnership (Y-PIP)

Y-PIP is closely aligned to Y-PERN and is one of only four Policy Innovation Partnerships in the UK to be awarded UKRI investment and is the only one based in England. It is designed to empower communities across the region, particularly low income, marginalised and/or spatially isolated communities. TYPE is supporting this project and in particular the ‘Sustainable living in a greener economy’ theme which will be led by colleagues at York in the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI-Y). SEI-Y will be focusing on major climate change initiatives examining key regional challenges of cutting carbon emissions while reducing inequality and improving wellbeing.

NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC)

This is a £4.7m National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded programme that seeks to boost research capabilities within local government. The programme, which runs until June 2027, will see TYPE working with colleagues in the Healthy Livelihoods team in the Public Health & Society research group in the Department of Health Sciences to establish a joint University of York and Bradford Council HDRC Policy Hub. The goal is to develop the capacity of Bradford Council to use, choose and do research and apply evidence-based policy principles to practice, to improve the health and wellbeing of people and reduce inequalities in Bradford district.