CORNISH MP Jayne Kirkham has been paired with a University of Exeter academic to explore how research can inform policy making in the UK.

Dr Jo Garrett, research fellow at the University of Exeter’s European Centre for Environment and Human Health (ECEHH), was one of the 30 UK researchers and scientists selected to explore the world of politics as part of the annual Royal Society Pairing Scheme.

The scheme is aimed at building relationships between scientists and politicians to ensure that policymakers make decisions based on the best scientific evidence. As part of the scheme, Dr Garrett was paired with Ms Kirkham, MP for Truro and Falmouth.

Dr Garrett attended a parliamentary session at Westminster in March at the invitation of Ms Kirkham who in turn visited Exeter’s Penryn campus in May.

Dr Garrett said: “It was insightful to have Jayne visit us at Exeter. It was really valuable to discuss how evidence can be used in policymaking, the challenges involved, and how we as scientists can best communicate our findings to policymakers.”

Ms Kirkham added: “It was really valuable to take part in the Royal Society Pairing Scheme, to learn about the research and evidence at the University of Exeter, and to discuss how I can take this evidence back to the House of Commons to help inform and influence policy.”

While on the visit to Penryn Campus, Ms Kirkham was joined by fellow Cornish MPs Perran Moon, Noah Law and industry minister Sarah Jones for a tour of Camborne School of Mines’ research and innovation facilities.

She meet some of the academic staff and students who are helping to lead Cornwall’s sustainable mining revolution and saw first-hand the work which is contributing to the growth of the geo-resources industry and the broader economy.