Your research could shape the policies that matter — but only if the right people understand it.


Scientists generate the evidence that should underpin good policy decisions. Yet most researchers have never been taught how to make their voice heard beyond the lab or lecture hall. The result? Critical findings get lost in jargon, buried in journals, or simply ignored by the people with the power to act on them.

This course changes that.

Communicating Science to Policymakers is a five-module online course designed specifically for scientists who want their research to have real-world impact. Through a blend of on-demand video lessons, hands-on writing exercises, and live Zoom sessions with tutor feedback, you'll develop the practical skills to translate your research into messages that busy, non-specialist decision-makers will actually read, understand, and use.

By the end of the course, you will:

  • Know how to identify and reach the audiences that matter for your research
  • Be able to explain your work clearly and compellingly to non-specialist audiences
  • Understand how science feeds into policymaking — and where the opportunities lie
  • Know how to write an effective policy brief
  • Have a clear plan for engaging with policymakers in your own field


Across five weekly modules you'll move from the fundamentals of science communication through to writing and workshopping your own policy brief — with two live Zoom sessions where you'll get direct feedback from your tutor and learn from your peers. The final module maps out the real-world landscape of policy engagement, so you finish the course knowing exactly how to put your new skills into practice.

Ready to make your research count beyond academia? Contact us now and start building the communication skills that can put your science at the heart of evidence-based policy.

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Introduction to Science Communication

    • Understanding Your Audience

    • Why the same message doesn't work for everyone

    • Tailoring your communication for different contexts

    • Exercise: Identify and profile your key audiences
  • 2

    Making Your Research Accessible

    • From abstract to explanation: the key elements

    • Structuring a clear, concise explanation of your work

    • Exercise: Draft a short accessible explanation of your research

    • Live Zoom webinar: Small group feedback and discussion on your explanations
  • 3

    Science and Policy — The Big Picture

    • The role of scientists in policymaking

    • How evidence shapes (and sometimes doesn't shape) policy decisions

    • Navigating the science policy and advocacy landscape
  • 4

    Writing Effective Briefings for Policymakers

    • Anatomy of a policy brief: structure and components

    • Translating complex science for busy decision-makers

    • Policy brief in practice: a worked example

    • Exercise: Draft a policy brief based on your own research

    • Live Zoom: Tutor feedback, peer review, and group discussion on your policy briefs
  • 5

    Getting Involved — Opportunities for Policy Engagement

    • Ways to engage: from surveys and seminars to committee inquiries

    • Written evidence: policy briefings and reports

    • Pairing schemes and expert registers: how they work and how to join

    • Being proactive: finding and creating your own opportunities

    • Exercise: Identify one real policy engagement opportunity relevant to your field

    • Live Zoom: Case study discussion — from research to written evidence

    • Course resources