The Scottish Parliament Academia Network (SPAN) aims to formalise, coordinate and encourage knowledge exchange between the parliament and academia via a network of knowledge exchange/brokering professionals throughout Scottish (and increasingly wider reaching) Higher Education institutions.
SPAN was established in 2014 by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe), the Scottish Futures Forum (SFF), Beltane Public Engagement Network (Beltane), and the Scottish Universities Insight Institute (SUII).
Since April 2022 the network has been managed by SPICe.
SPAN is open to knowledge exchange (KE) practitioners and staff from relevant institutions who hold:
There is no cost to join SPAN.
Members receive a monthly SPAN Newsletter. The newsletter keeps members up to date with current opportunities for academics to engage with the parliament. It includes open calls for Fellowships, UKRI Internships, open committee consultations, plus resources we think may be of interest to you and your organisations.
We also share examples of collaborative research between the parliament and academia.
Members are also automatically added to our ‘Ask Academia’ email distribution list. This list enables SPICe to notify list members of any ad hoc opportunities for academics to engage with the parliament. We primarily use this for calls that are time critical and require a quick turnaround.
If you're interested in becoming a member, please email academia@parliament.scot telling us about your role.