University Student Chosen to Help Brief Parliamentarians

Lois Donnelly web

Lois Donnelly is one of two PhD students nationally who have been chosen by the British Psychological Society to work with the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, producing briefing notes for parliamentarians.

“This is an amazing once-in-a-lifetime kind of opportunity,” said the 24-year-old.  “The experience and things that I’ll learn will be invaluable to me and my professional development.  I’ve always wanted to ensure that I don’t just conduct psychological research for the sake of science, but for the wellbeing and development of society.  I think it’s really important to use what we know to make people’s everyday lives better, and one of the ways of going about that is to try and influence policy via Parliament.” 

The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) is Parliament's in-house source of independent, balanced and accessible analysis of public-policy on issues around science and technology.

Lois, of Droitwich, was chosen following a rigorous selection and interview process and will be taking a break from her PhD Psychology studies, in which she is studying within the University’s Centre for Violence Prevention.  Her research is looking at the wellbeing of victims of domestic abuse as they go through Family Court proceedings. 

Lois will be based at the House of Lords Library where she will be learning about their work, the kind of topics that are important to Peers from the House, and the workings of Parliament and policy.  She said she hopes to draw on her expertise and experience in social psychology, particularly gendered violence, to contribute to the creation of policy in this area. 

The three-month Fellowship is funded by the British Psychological Society.  It aims to give PhD students experience of applying research in a practical and policy-based way.  It also aims to help them learn how to present that research in a comprehensive impartial briefing that will be easy for MPs and Peers to read and understand.

Lois said: “Understanding how to effectively deliver research information to non-specialist audiences, and what is important to policy-makers, will be key to understanding how my own research might have an impact in future. It will also be incredibly valuable to see what work in that sector is like, and give me insight into possible options for my future career.”

Professor Erica Bowen, College Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange, who is Lois' director of studies, said: “I am extremely proud of Lois’ achievement in being only one of two POST fellows.  It is an exciting opportunity for Lois to gain useful insight into policy, which will be invaluable for her research on domestic violence in the family court system.  This will undoubtedly be a unique opportunity which will have a longer term impact on her career.”