The Ladder Group is proud to partner with IPPR, Demos and SMF to design and deliver the Policy Futures Programme.
Introducing the programme
The people and organisations who shape policy in Britain should be representative of the country we live in today. The Policy Futures Programme aims to contribute to this by opening up a new, accessible pathway to careers in policy research.
What you’ll do
As a participant in the Policy Futures Programme, you join one of our participating think tanks, Demos, The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), or The Social Market Foundation (SMF).
- Research: Reviewing academic and expert reports, supporting the design of surveys, helping interview focus groups, and collecting data from a wide range of sources for on-going research projects.
- Data analysis: Reviewing qualitative and quantitative data to identify trends relating to one of the issues your think tank focuses on.
- Developing policy ideas: Working with your peers to come up with policy solutions to regional and national issues based on the research and data available to you.
- Communications & report-writing: Presenting data and policy ideas in clear ways for stakeholders, government and the general public, and preparing to talk about your conclusions within your think tank and to an external audience.
- Supporting the delivery of events: Helping organise and prepare for roundtables, presentations, and networking events promoting the work of your host think tank.
Over one year, you will receive training to develop key skills in research methods, policy development, communication and stakeholder engagement: tools that will allow you to kick-start a career in the policy research space.
You will also have the opportunity to participate in an external placement with another think tank, to see how policy is written and designed in an organisation with a different focus.
Over the course of the programme, you will also gain exposure to other organisations involved in designing, advocating for, and implementing policy – this could be a charity, a local or regional authority, or even in national government.
By the end of the programme, you will have made a clear impact on an area that your host think tank focuses on, and developed skills that will allow you to start a career contributing to meaningful policy change – either in a think tank or elsewhere in the public, private, or third sectors.
Who we look for
No prior experience is required for the Policy Futures Programme, and we particularly encourage candidates who are looking for structured support, training and an introduction to the policy research sector to apply. We encourage you to apply if you think you have the following skills:
- Research: The ability to gather, analyse, interpret and review information to reach justified conclusions. You do not need to have carried out formal research projects. Your skills could be demonstrated through qualitative (non-numerical) or quantitative (numerical) research, or a combination of both. For example, this could be as part of your university degree, work experience, or personal projects.
- Communication: You should be able to confidently express yourself in written and verbal form, as well as adapt your communication style depending on your audience. You should be willing to engage with a wide range of people from different backgrounds and cultures, and who hold different political beliefs.
- Diligence: You will have a keen eye for detail, be very well organised and have strong prioritisation skills.
- Curiosity: You must be eager to learn more about the policy and research sectors, keen to engage with current policy debates, and willing to take constructive feedback on board.
- A desire to make an impact: We are looking for individuals who are passionate about seeking solutions to some of the biggest issues facing UK society today.
What we offer you
- A £30,000 salary, plus a range of benefits from your host organisation.
- A structured training programme enabling you to develop key skills for a future career involving research, policy, and stakeholder engagement.
A key focus of this opportunity is to help those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds start careers in the think tank and wider policy/political sectors - spaces where these backgrounds are significantly underrepresented. We encourage candidates with no prior experience to apply – especially those who are interested in making a difference but feel that they would not normally qualify for a junior research role at a Think Tank.
Application requirements
To apply to the programme, you must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Have come from a low-income or lower socio-economic background;
- Are/were the first in your family to attend university;
- Were eligible for free school meals at any point in your school years;
We also particularly welcome applications from candidates from racial or ethnic minority backgrounds.
You must also have the unrestricted right to work in the UK for the duration of the programme (from August 2026 to September 2027). Unfortunately, our host organisations can generally not support employment visa sponsorship for applicants without the permanent right to work in the UK.
Education
No specific educational background or degree is needed to thrive on the programme, and we are excited to welcome applications from candidates who meet any one of the following criteria:
- You are about to graduate, or are a recent graduate who has completed a university degree. This would preferably be in a humanities, social science or STEM subject where you have developed your writing skills.
- You have completed an apprenticeship in any field.
- You did not attend university or complete an apprenticeship, but you feel you can demonstrate some of the skills above – even if this was during informal or non-traditional work, volunteering, or in other contexts.
We’re excited to hear from applicants who have taken non-traditional academic or professional routes, or have experienced financial or social barriers to accessing traditional career paths in politics & policy.
This programme is intended to provide an entry route into policy research for those without formal experience in the policy & politics sector. If you have worked for similar organisations before or have more than 3 months of formal, paid work experience in this sector, you are not eligible for this programme and we encourage you to apply for existing Trainee Researcher roles as they arise within our partner organisations.
How to apply
Please complete the online application form linked below. Please upload a CV and short answer to the following questions (in no more than 200 words each):
- Why are you interested in the Policy Futures Programme?
- What is one part of your education, work experience, or extracurricular activity that prepares you to be successful in this programme?
- What is a current issue facing the UK that you would like to see a think tank focus on?
Please avoid using AI in any of your written responses. While you are welcome to use AI tools to structure your thoughts and help your research, AI-generated written responses make it much harder for us to assess your interest and will likely lead to your application not being progressed. If you haven’t written anything similar before, please don’t be put off – we’re not looking for any particular writing style or level of formal writing in your application, just your unique tone of voice!
Applications close on 26 June at 12:30pm. We conduct interviews on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply as soon as you feel ready.
