Working with Leeds City Council

The University and Leeds City Council have a long history of working together to address pressing problems in the region.

There was a review of collaboration between the University of Leeds and Leeds City Council in 2020. This identified over 100 collaborations between the partners since 2015 and gave a series of recommendations to enhance and accelerate collaboration.

Following this review, several outputs have been developed to support the partnership between our two organisations. 

University of Leeds and Leeds City Council research collaboration framework

The framework sets out how the University and Leeds City Council will work together to mobilise research evidence and expertise to power policy decisions to tackle pressing issues in the city.

It includes useful information on strategic priorities, contact points, data sharing, routes to engage, governance, and sharing of progress and opportunities.

The framework will help University of Leeds researchers, colleagues at the council and other partners to understand the scope and ambition for the collaborative work, how it fits with other collaborations and initiatives, and how they can get involved.

Find out more about the University of Leeds and Leeds City Council research collaboration framework.

Areas of Research Interest (ARI)

Leeds City Council’s Areas of Research Interest outline the Council’s knowledge needs. They provide a starting point for conversations with academics by identifying existing research knowledge that would be of interest to the Council. They also highlight where the Council may have an interest in future research collaborations.

ARI for 2024

The Areas of Research Interest were updated in 2024 but continue to be a live and evolving picture of the Council’s priorities.

An information session was held on 25 April 2024 to give further details and answer questions.

You can also learn about the development of the refreshed ARI in Dr Abi Rowson’s blog, where she reflects on her experience supporting this work whilst seconded to Leeds City Council. 

You can find further information on Leeds City Council’s current work and priorities by looking at its strategies and plans on the following webpages: 

• Leeds City Council city strategies and plans
• Inclusive Growth Leeds
• Leeds Social Progress Index
• Leeds Economic Dashboard
• Leeds Observatory

Get involved

There are various avenues for collaboration between University researchers and Leeds City Council.

Scrutiny boards

Scrutiny Boards review decision making at local level with a view to improving policy and services.

The Scrutiny Boards are interested to hear from researchers who can share evidence or expertise in the areas identified in the Scrutiny Board work programmes.

The current work programmes for each Scrutiny Board can be found by viewing the agenda for the most recent meeting:  

• Adults, Health & Active Lifestyles
• Children & Families
• Environment, Housing & Communities
• Infrastructure, Investment & Inclusive Growth
• Strategy & Resources

Other engagement opportunities

Researchers can also support the council’s policy and decision making through:

• research collaborations,
• sharing research that addresses the Council’s knowledge needs, 
• input into expert groups or policy forum meetings,
• undertaking a placement.

The strategic collaboration is supported by colleagues across the University including in the Leeds Social Science Institute, Horizons Institute, Leeds University Business School, and Leeds Institute for Data Analytics.

If you’re interested in engaging with Leeds City Council, please email the Policy Leeds team at policyleeds@leeds.ac.uk and we will link you with the appropriate contacts and opportunities. 

Success stories

Discover examples of how colleagues are working with Leeds City Council to benefit communities locally.