Professor Matthew Flinders
Professor of Politics, University of Sheffield; former Chair of the Universities Policy Engagement Network
Working across the intersection between research and policy is difficult, due to the existence of a number of potential barriers and blockages. In this seminar, Professor Flinders will explore the role of "strategic scaffolding" in overcoming these barriers by providing clear docking points and translational capacities. In particular, he will discuss how policy-related research infrastructure has evolved rapidly in the UK in recent years, as part of a broader shift towards expanding the nature of the research community and redefining the notion of research excellence.
Matthew Flinders is Professor of Politics at the University of Sheffield and was Chair of the Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN) from 2019-2022. He sat on the Economic and Social Research Council Board from 2016-2019, and played a key role in the design and delivery of several major boundary-spanning investments. He has led two national reviews for UKRI on the topic of Research Leadership, and has worked with a number of evidence and policy networks around the world.
He is the author or editor of fourteen books and over 200 peer-reviewed research articles and book chapters. He has also written and presented a number of documentaries for BBC Radio 4 and is a regular contributor to the Times Higher. He has just been appointed Chair of the Commissioning Panel for the Alzheimer's Society new Doctoral Training Partnerships.
