New MPs, civil servants and scientists swap roles for Royal Society Pairing Scheme 2026

Next week (16 – 20 March), 31 UK scientists will swap places with politicians and civil servants, exploring the world of politics as part of the annual Royal Society Pairing Scheme.

The scheme, which has been running since 2001, is in partnership with the Government Office for Science's Government Science and Engineering Profession. It aims to build relationships between scientists and politicians, ensuring that policymakers can make decisions based on the best scientific evidence.

Scientists taking part this year are drawn from universities and research institutes across the UK, including the University of Edinburgh, University College London and the University of Sheffield.

They will be shadowing a range of Parliamentarians and civil servants, including Lord John Krebs FRS, the first chairman of the Food Standards Agency; Dame Chi Onwurah MP, Chair of the House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee; Yuan Yang MP, member of the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee; and Caroline Nokes MP, Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons.

Over the course of the week, scientists will get a behind-the-scenes insight into how policy is formed, shadowing a Parliamentarian or civil servant to learn about their work and how they can best share their expertise with policy makers.

On Monday, a Parliamentary reception will be held with speeches from the evening’s sponsor Steve Yemm MP and Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party Committee on Science, Innovation and Technology, Government Chief Scientific Adviser Dame Angela McLean FRS and Professor Tim Scanlon, who is an alumnus of the scheme.

The scheme will continue later in the year when Parliamentarians visit their scientist partners at their home institutions.

Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society, said:

“In a rapidly changing world and with science coming under threat we must strengthen links between scientists and policy makers. Scientific evidence is crucial for government to address the global challenges we are facing.

“Initiatives like the Royal Society Pairing Scheme provide the opportunity for UK scientists to share their expertise, create connections in Westminster and deepen their understanding of policy making. All these can help ensure research is translated into policy that improves lives.”