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Dear Colleague
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Welcome to the latest edition of Metropolis Matters. This issue shares updates on an upcoming summit on AI and cloud infrastructure, reports on a knowledge exchange roundtable supported by Metropolis on community sport, and celebrates that Professor Sara Ryan has been awarded a prestigious NIHR Senior Investigator honour, recognising her nationally influential research and activism to improve the lives and care of people with learning disabilities. You’ll also find details of forthcoming events, training opportunities, and support routes to strengthen the policy impact of your research, as well as a spotlight on the forthcoming Metropolis Magazine.
We are pleased to share that a white paper by Dr Hannah Fawcett and Dr Matt Brooks has recently been accepted for publication. Drawing on evidence from 483 former jurors to examine wellbeing support and court reforms in England and Wales, the paper highlights a disconnect between juror needs and the current support infrastructure. HMCTS (His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service) is now looking to implement new standards following its review of Crown Court provisions for jurors, commissioned by the Ministry of Justice.
Dr Mohammad “Maz” Mazher Idriss recently delivered compelling oral evidence to the House of Lords Special Inquiry into the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 on 23 April 2026. Dr Idriss’ gave a thoughtful exploration of honour-based abuse, male victims, and the troubling links to so-called “bounty hunters” and serious organised crime. Looking ahead, Dr Idriss is set to bring his work to an international audience with a presentation to the European Commission in 2027. Focusing on domestic-abuse-related and honour-based suicides, this next chapter in Dr Idriss's work promises to help shape important legal reforms across Europe - continuing the momentum of his work on an even bigger stage.
Since its launch earlier this year, the North West Policy Partnership (NWPP) has gone from strength to strength. With valuable support from colleagues at UPEN and across North West universities, work is now underway to develop an overarching strategy and delivery plan for the Partnership. As part of this process, Showrunner Communications are engaging policymakers and practitioners from across the region to capture insights on regional priorities and preferred ways of accessing research evidence. This will be followed by consultation with partner universities to map research strengths against these priorities. The resulting plan will set out how the NWPP can develop as a key regional asset and an effective platform for showcasing university expertise to policymakers. We are planning an exciting launch with partners and stakeholders later in 2026, so watch this space.
Our two blogs in this edition explore the theme of the forthcoming Metropolis Magazine: Reform. You can read Professor Chris Fox’s reflections on the importance of a relational approach when engaging with policymakers to achieve reform, while Dr Anton Roberts’ blog focuses on prison reform and the limits of change without increased capacity.
The forthcoming issue of Metropolis Magazine will feature articles exploring the theme of reform, alongside a wide range of policy news and analysis. To receive a copy, please contact Nick O’Dowd at n.odowd@mmu.ac.uk.
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MetroPolis will host a one‑day summit to examine how cloud technology can underpin ethical, trustworthy and sustainable artificial intelligence across government and academia.
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We recently supported a hugely successful event that brought together researchers and practioners to explore how community sport can be reimagined to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people.
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We are delighted that Professor Sara Ryan has been awarded a prestigious NIHR Senior Investigator honour, recognising her nationally influential research and activism to improve the lives and care of people with learning disabilities.
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Date/time: Tuesday 12th May 2026 10:30 - 12:30
Info: This in person workshop will give Manchester Met researchers the chance to pitch their ideas to an Editor. We have a few places available so if you are interested please contact Nick O’Dowd n.odowd@mmu.ac.uk
Date/time: Thursday 21st May 2026 13:00 - 15:30
Info: This workshop will explore new tools, methodologies, and methods being used to to inform policy decision making that researchers may use.
Date/time: Tuesday 2nd June 2026
Info: A summit exploring the role of cloud infrastructure in enabling ethical and responsible AI within government and academia.
Date/time: 29th-30th June 2026
Info: This year's UPEN conference will explore not only why trust is necessary, but also how it is built, maintained, and repaired, and think about the techniques and actions we might take in support of this.
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We offer a number of routes for enhancing the policy impact of your research. You can apply for support through the links below. To find out which is the most suitable for your work, or for more tailored support, please reach out to the MetroPolis team.
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The Chancellor’s Fellowship: Our prestigious MetroPolis Chancellor's Fellowship scheme offers high-quality researchers from Manchester Met placements with policy organisations including government departments, charities and think tanks.
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The Chancellor's Visiting Fellowship: This opportunity enables expert policymakers to collaborate with teams of researchers at Manchester Met to facilitate policy impact.
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Rapid Funding Scheme: A quick turnaround funding scheme for a range of activities to enhance the policy impact of research including events, travel, networking and (non academic) publications.
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1-1 Policy Coaching: A one-to-one service for support with your pathways to policy impact delivered by Showrunner Communications, who are experts in public policy.
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This month we feature two blogs. The first, written by Professor Chris Fox, is adapted from the editorial of the forthcoming MetroPolis magazine, capturing the core themes of the issue around research, reform, and engagement. Read the blog here.
Dr Anton Roberts shares his reflections on what overcrowding, staff shortages, and major changes in sentencing policy mean for day‑to‑day practice, and the limits of reform without capacity. |
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We are delighted that this year’s MetroPolis Magazine will be published in May. This issue brings together leading academic and policy voices to explore some of the most pressing challenges facing public services and social policy. Featuring contributions from Professors and practitioners from across the UK and beyond, the issue examines public service reform, behavioural change, the role of AI in the public sector, asylum policy, linguistic justice, intergenerational communities, and more.
Alongside in‑depth feature articles, readers will find Chancellor’s Fellows’ reflections, blog spotlights on fair pay, gender equality and productivity, event highlights, and a concise year‑in‑brief of key policy briefings. Richly illustrated and firmly policy‑focused, Issue 6 offers timely insight, critical analysis and practical perspectives for those shaping change.
For anyone interested in receiving a copy, please email Nicholas O’Dowd (n.odowd@mmu.ac.uk).
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