FCO Fellowship - Timothy Daniel Haines
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bristol
Department Name: School of Humanities
Abstract
This call is limited to the FCO and designed to meet the distinct needs of the Diplomatic Service, which differ from many parts of the Home Civil Service. The FCO requires security vetting, the highest levels of discretion and confidentiality and agile, subject-specific advice. The FCO has an almost limitless demand for expert specialist knowledge of foreign countries, international institutions and global policy challenges.
This call will provide the opportunity for each intake of Fellows to be seconded into the FCO to work alongside, advise and influence policymakers. Fellows will bring fresh thinking, depth and breadth of expert knowledge and apply their learning to policy challenges. This is not a call to support research projects about the FCO. It will build new capacity in the FCO and across the UK research base.
Fellows will report to a line manager either from the RA Cadre or the generalist body of the FCO. Additional support and mentoring will be provided by both senior Generalists (Directors; Ambassadors; Heads of Department; Deputy Heads) and by senior Research Analysts. Work-planning, as for permanent Research Analysts, will be a mixture of demand and self-tasking based on evolving FCO needs. An indicative list of tasks include: writing papers and shorter notes, oral briefings for senior officials and ministers, meeting external and cross-Whitehall partners, research visits overseas as well as organising and running masterclasses.
The individual Fellows will acquire:
a) A deep, broad and practical understanding of foreign policy-making and Government work which will underpin their own research, research supervision and teaching over their careers;
b) Networks of trusted connections across Government and internationally on which they can draw throughout their career;
c) Opportunities for career development.
This call will provide the opportunity for each intake of Fellows to be seconded into the FCO to work alongside, advise and influence policymakers. Fellows will bring fresh thinking, depth and breadth of expert knowledge and apply their learning to policy challenges. This is not a call to support research projects about the FCO. It will build new capacity in the FCO and across the UK research base.
Fellows will report to a line manager either from the RA Cadre or the generalist body of the FCO. Additional support and mentoring will be provided by both senior Generalists (Directors; Ambassadors; Heads of Department; Deputy Heads) and by senior Research Analysts. Work-planning, as for permanent Research Analysts, will be a mixture of demand and self-tasking based on evolving FCO needs. An indicative list of tasks include: writing papers and shorter notes, oral briefings for senior officials and ministers, meeting external and cross-Whitehall partners, research visits overseas as well as organising and running masterclasses.
The individual Fellows will acquire:
a) A deep, broad and practical understanding of foreign policy-making and Government work which will underpin their own research, research supervision and teaching over their careers;
b) Networks of trusted connections across Government and internationally on which they can draw throughout their career;
c) Opportunities for career development.
Planned Impact
The main benefit anticipated from this call for the FCO will be more robust and better-informed foreign policy. The Fellowship scheme aims over time to create a group of highly-trained, specialised and policy-aware academics that can act as a resource on which policymakers can continue to draw long after the formal Fellowship is completed. It also aims, through the downloading of their insight into the policymaking environment, to help build wider understanding among scholars and students of how best to seek influence and impact on policy departments.
Organisations
Related Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Award Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AH/T011963/1 | 08/02/2021 | 01/07/2023 | £213,860 | ||
| AH/T011963/2 | Transfer | AH/T011963/1 | 02/07/2023 | 07/02/2025 | £43,218 |
| Description | I am currently in the process of agreeing with former FCDO colleagues what detail and supporting evidence can be released to UKRI/to the public domain. |
| Exploitation Route | I am currently in the process of agreeing with former FCDO colleagues what detail and supporting evidence can be released to UKRI/to the public domain. |
| Sectors | Government Democracy and Justice Security and Diplomacy |
| Description | The main benefit anticipated from this call for the FCO will be more robust and better-informed foreign policy. The Fellowship scheme aims over time to create a group of highly-trained, specialised and policy-aware academics that can act as a resource on which policymakers can continue to draw long after the formal Fellowship is completed. It also aims, through the downloading of their insight into the policymaking environment, to help build wider understanding among scholars and students of how best to seek influence and impact on policy departments. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
| Sector | Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice,Security and Diplomacy |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | Chaired panel at Track 2 dialogue on India-Pakistan relations |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | Delivering training and masterclasses in FCDO |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Better-informed policymakers. Evidence cannot be made public but can be shared confidentially with UKRI, e.g. through a REF impact case study. |
| Description | InSAAN analytical workshops for academics and policymakers |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | The workshops focused on conversation and mutual enhancement of expertise, meaning that government and academic participants both gained. |
| URL | http://www.insaan.org.uk |
| Description | Indus Waters Treaty masterclass |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Participants left the masterclass better informed. The FCDO does not however routinely provide evidence of impact to academics. |
| Description | Informing and influencing UK foreign policy |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health |
| Impact | I am not able to discuss in any detail. If requested I will liaise between FCDO and AHRC to provide whatever details can be disclosed. |
| Description | Making my academic research available to stakeholder |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health |
| Impact | Better-informed policymakers in general, and contributed to conversations within the office about topics I have expertise on. |
| Description | South Asia Advisory Boards, 2023-2024 |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | South Asia Practitioner briefing on climate change in South Asia |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Participants left the training better informed and I received positive informal feedback. The FCDO does not however routinely provide evidence of impact to academics. |
| Description | Blog Post for Centre for Srategic and Contemporary Research, Pakistan |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Is Pakistan's water sector still trapped by colonial legacies? Blog post written for a Pakistani think-tank, based on my research on water history. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://cscr.pk/explore/themes/energy-environment/is-pakistans-water-sector-still-trapped-by-colonia... |
| Description | INSAAN website |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | As part of the INDIA & SOUTH ASIA ANALYSTS NETWORK, which I have co-founded and co-lead with Prof. Kate Sullivan de Estrada, initially using funding from my FCO Fellowship project, I created a website for the network which acts as a directory of South Asia academic experts in the UK. The website serves as a directory for officials, journalists and other analysts to identify and contact relevant experts. INSAAN is the first policy-focused network for South Asia academics in the UK and there is no equivalent to the website in the UK (or anywhere else in the world, as far as we know). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://www.insaan.org.uk |
| Description | India and South Asia Analysts Network (INSAAN) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Using funds from my FCO Fellowship as seed funding, I have co-created and co-lead INSAAN with Prof. Kate Sullivan de Estrada (Uni. of Oxford). The India and South Asia Analysts Network brings together humanities and social science scholars who seek to orient their research to inform and influence policy. This is the first policy-focused network for South Asia academics in the UK (or, as far as we know, anywhere in the world). Our members are deep experts on countries and themes in the region. They span the spectrum of career stages and have diverse interests, but are all ready to communicate with, listen to and learn from policy-makers, NGOs, think-tanks, journalists and others. Our central purpose is to expand and diversify the 'trusted circle' of South Asia experts whom the UK Government, think-tank sector and media knows and relies upon. The network co-leads, Dr Dan Haines (University College London) and Dr Kate Sullivan de Estrada (University of Oxford) have recent experience as analysts with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Several other members have worked in or with government departments, international organisations and leading policy institutes. We hold closed-doors events that bring academics and policymakers together to learn from each other's perspectives on policy challenges in India and South Asia. Our website serves as a directory for officials, journalists and other analysts to identify and contact relevant experts. Kate and I will seek alternative sources of funding to maintain the website and hold further events. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023,2024,2025 |
| URL | https://www.insaan.org.uk/ |
| Description | Ongoing onversations in FCDO |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Ongoing conversations about the research with colleagues in UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whom I worked with as part of a secondment fellowship (separate to the Broken Ground project). The FCDO provided a letter of evidence which can be used confidentially within the university and with UKRI (including REF) on condition it is not publicly available. As of the current submission, I continue to have formal and informal engagements with the FCDO which include discussion of themes related to my research on Broken Ground. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021,2022,2023,2024 |
