Evidence Exchange (EvEx) Wales Hub

Swansea University hosts the Evidence Exchange (EvEx) Wales Hub

Advancing excellence in evidence-informed policymaking through national collaboration, professional development, and research engagement.

Connecting public and civil servants with a community of world-class researchers to drive evidence informed policymaking across the UK.

Swansea University is a founding member, and the lead for Wales, of the UK-wide Evidence Exchange (EvEx) consortium. This major initiative is funded by a £3.75 million grant from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Led by the Centre for Science and Policy at the University of Cambridge, the consortium brings together universities and policy organisations from across the UK. Its aim is to strengthen the relationship between research and the public sector, and to help civil and public servants across the UK make better use of evidence in their work.

A key goal of EvEx is to extend capacity across the nations and regions of the UK.

This means supporting evidence informed policymaking not only nationally but also within local and devolved contexts. As part of this work, EvEx will collaborate with project partners to commission regionally focused activities and develop a long-lasting UK-wide community of practice, helping researchers and civil/public servants connect, wherever they are based.

Swansea University leads the Evidence Exchange Welsh Hub, providing a focal point for regional engagement in Wales. This hub will support civil and public servants across all levels of government by improving access to research expertise and offering professional development opportunities that reflect Welsh policy priorities.

Meet the Project Team

Professor Jonathan Bradbury

Associate Dean for Research, Innovation and Impact in Humanities and Social Sciences and Co-Project Lead for Evidence Exchange, Swansea University.

Professor Louisa Huxtable-Thomas - Professor of Entrepreneurship and Leadership, EvEx Associate

Originally an environmental biologist, Louisa has had a varied early career encompassing work in biodiversity, environmental consultancy and policy making at Welsh and Local Government level as well as business support and incubation. Louisa’s doctoral research brought all of this prior knowledge together and identified the ways in which businesses can successfully participate in participative policy making. After completing her PhD in 2009, Louisa’s research interests have increasingly moved towards business and management, rather than environmental policy, but always in parallel to practical projects that worked directly to assist the society and economy of Wales.

Stephanie Green - Enrich Cymru Research Development Co-ordinator for Wales, EvEx Associate

Steff is the Enrich Cymru Research Development Co-ordinator for Wales at Swansea University. She previously spent five years at Bangor University as a Research Assistant, including work with the Dementia Services Development Centre on ageing and dementia studies, and has also supported mental health research at the University of Otago. She specialises in research development in older adult populations and has established a network to promote research in care homes across Wales. Steff is completing a PhD on intergenerational practice in social care within the Welsh context. She holds a BSc in Psychology from the University of Bath and an MSc in the Foundations of Clinical Psychology from Bangor University.

Jo Hutchings - Senior Project Officer

A Senior Project Officer leading Swansea University’s place-based agenda through the Local Challenges Research Office (LCRO). Jo has a focus on research projects, partnership building, and civic mission activities across South and West Wales. Alongside Emily Adams, Jo is a key contact for those working with and within communities across the region. passionate about platforming community voices and widening access through research projects.

Jo is working on numerous collaborative projects including a partnership across the Tertiary sector in Mid and West Wales and a project supporting SMEs to engage with the opportunities offered by retrofit technologies.