Seven new research fellows are joining the National Assembly as part of a programme of shared knowledge between higher education institutions and the Welsh parliament.
For the first time fellows from the University of South Wales and Cardiff Metropolitan Universities will join academics from Swansea and Bangor universities.
These fellows have been selected for the Assembly’s prestigious Academic Fellowship Scheme through a competitive application process. This builds on a successful pilot scheme with six academic fellows that operated in 2017 and 2018.
These fellows produced material on a wide range of policy areas that fed directly into the work of the Assembly and it’s committees, including dementia policy, Bovine TB and the implications of Brexit for Environmental Law.
The new programme is designed to increase the Assembly’s knowledge and understanding in key policy areas with academics sharing their expertise and carrying out new research to enable Assembly Members to develop policy and practice for the benefit of the people of Wales.
Fellowship placements are part-time for up to six months at a time with academics working alongside the National Assembly’s expert Research Service which support Assembly Members and committees at the Senedd.
Elin Jones AM, Llywydd of the National Assembly for Wales, said:
“I welcome the seven new fellowships with universities from across Wales that will give us access to academic expertise on a wide range of important policy areas.
“This follows on from our successful pilot fellowship scheme and is part of our ongoing programme of encouraging engagement with academics.
“The hope is that by drawing on this external expertise we will be able to enhance the knowledge of Members and Assembly Commission staff.
“This is an important development that will further the Commission’s strategic goals of providing outstanding parliamentary support and engaging with all the people of Wales.”
Chief Executive and Clerk to the National Assembly, Manon Antoniazzi, said:
“The National Assembly Commission prides itself on delivering a world class standard of service to Assembly Members including rigorous and detailed research.
“Harnessing the knowledge of respected academics is critical to understanding complex issues in Wales and developing ways to approach them.
“For their part the research they produce will inform Assembly debates, improving the scrutiny of public policy and resulting in better outcomes for the people of Wales.”
The 2019 research fellows are:
Dr Lucy Griffiths - Swansea Medical School: Children/Young People - how active are they?
Dr Helen Taylor - Cardiff Metropolitan University: Whether inclusion of rough sleepers in priority need groups within the Housing (Wales) Act will sufficiently tackle individuals sleeping outside
Dr Sarah Nason - Bangor University: Administrative Justice: What Role for the Assembly?
Dr Roiyah Saltus - University of South Wales: What interventions to address loneliness could work for older migrant and minority ethnic people in Wales?
Dr. Filippos Proedrou - University of South Wales: Addressing the climate policy gap in Wales: exploring new evidence, best practices and novel policies in support of the implementation of strict carbon budgets
Dr Alec Dauncey - Bangor University: Woodland management and woodland creation scenarios and their impacts upon carbon management, soils and water
Dr David Dallimore - Bangor University: Access to childcare/early years provision