Talking policy with Dr Rupert Suckling
Dr Rupert Suckling is the Public Health Director for Doncaster Council in the UK and a Board member for the UK Association of Directors of Public Health, as well as an External Advisory Board Member for the Bump2Baby and Me Project. He was recently interviewed by our project partner Beta Technology and a series of ‘Talking policy’ videos are now available.
Rupert believes there are several reasons why it is important for policymakers like him to get involved in health research.
“From a professional perspective it is very rewarding, but it also means that you are more up to date on the latest thinking. I get involved because local people don’t get enough attention. Part of my job is to bring research to Doncaster and have it focus on the problems experienced locally. To do that effectively, I need an understanding of how research projects happen, how they come to life and get funded, and how the outputs get translated into actions or policy. That’s why I participate in two European funded research projects, as an External Advisory Board member.”
Listen to Rupert talking about why it is important for him and his community to be involved in research.
Why should policymakers get involved in research?
Being involved in research gives policymakers an opportunity to:
Find out more about policy in these interview clips with Dr Rupert Suckling.
Other clips in the ‘Talking policy’ series
What is policymaking and why is it important?
What information and resources do policymakers use when determining a policy?
Who needs to input to policy and how are policies agreed and then implemented?
What do policymakers need from research and development projects?
How do we maximise communications and trust between researchers and policymakers?