Applications for the 2026 placements in both policy and evaluation are now open, and will close at 12pm on Tuesday 1 July.
The placements are full time for the 3-month period.
Drop in sessions: If you would like to find out more about the placement, we will be running two Q&A drop-in sessions, which anyone is welcome to join:
- 10 June, 11:00 – 12:00
- 23 June, 11:00 – 12:00
The Open Innovation Team (OIT) is a cross-government unit that works on a wide range of policies, including health, justice, education, sustainability, energy, international development, and artificial intelligence. This year, the team has launched a new evaluation service which will evaluate the impact of policies across a range of areas.
Full details can be found on their web pages: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/open-innovation-team-phd-placement-scheme-2026#PhDPlacement
For years now, PhD students have played an important role in helping us deliver policy projects, working alongside experienced officials, academics and other experts to deliver the highest quality analysis and advice to colleagues across government.
Alongside our policy placements, we are offering placements in the OIT’s Evaluation Services Unit (ESU). The ESU uses a range of methods – quantitative, quasi-experimental as well as qualitative and theory-based – to evaluate government policy and assess its impacts. No prior experience of evaluation methodologies is required, though some knowledge of quantitative and/or relevant qualitative research methods is desirable for this placement.
Our PhD placements run throughout the year, spread across four cohorts. Placements normally last three months, with around 30 placement opportunities each year. Find out what our previous PhD placement students thought of their time with the Open Innovation Team here.