Based at the University of Leeds, the Yorkshire Policy Engagement Research Network (Y-PERN) puts academic experts around the table with local authorities.

Y-PERN is funded by Research England and its activities include:

• Working with councils to explore and pilot structures to support Areas of Research Interest for the region.
• Supporting policy innovation partnerships to empower community voices in local policy-making with a focus on inclusive and sustainable growth.
• Supporting the development of a portfolio of academic policy engagement training resources.

Y-PERN originates from a plan to involve all West Yorkshire universities in a new “place-based economic recovery network” – or PERN for short.

A successful bid for £3.9 million from the Research England Development (RED) Fund has enabled the leadership to take Y-PERN to the next level.

In February 2024, Yorkshire was named as the location for one of four Local Policy Innovation Partnerships, backed by a total of nearly £20m from UKRI to address regional inequalities.

YPIP (Yorkshire and Humber Policy Innovation Partnership) will support inclusive and sustainable jobs, businesses, culture and inclusive entrepreneurship with a focus on low-income, marginalised and isolated communities.  

YPIP’s activities are being constructed around a core theme of ‘communities in their places’, which reflects the project’s commitment to ensuring that all regional voices are heard.  

At its heart will be the YPIP community panel – comprised of 12 members with diverse experiences of disadvantage, marginalisation or isolation. They will sit alongside key policymakers and researchers as equal partners and decision makers.

YPIP began with a first phase of community consultation, and thanks to collaborative efforts with the Leeds Social Sciences Institute in the UKRI funding bid, was the only English partnership to win funding from UKRI for a second phase.