Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) Pilot 2026

Overview

‘Areas of Research Interest’ (ARIs) aim to nurture connections between academics working in universities and policymakers in the city region. ARIs help policymakers access expertise, evidence and new thinking. And they help higher education institutions by facilitating impactful research and with generating new partnerships.

‘Areas of Research Interest’ (ARIs) enable public sector organisations to identify topics or questions where academic expertise is required. Academics can then get in contact regarding their work. ARIs have a variety of potential uses. They aim to:

• Provide up-to-date evidence and thinking on key topics;
• Inform policy development and dilemmas;
• Help academics engage with policymakers and practitioners;
• Build evidence bases in a cost-effective way;
• Provide a vehicle for sharing research commissions;
• Nurture partnerships, engagement and networks.

ARIs have been operating in various branches of government since about 2017. More can be read about them nationally here.

Why your views matter

Greater Manchester Combined Authority has been working with Manchester City Council (MCC) and The University of Manchester to pilot a new approach to developing evidence bases. ARIs represent an opportunity to think strategically about how to address major policy problems and to foster connections between academics and the research, policy and delivery communities working in local government (local authorities and the combined authority).

For this pilot, academics and professionals at The University of Manchester have advised on the development of questions and facilitated sessions in which academic, policy and research experts shaped both the content of the ARIs and the process behind their development.

GMCA’s strategic objectives and priorities have been set out in the Greater Manchester Strategy (GMS) and MCC described their priorities in Our Manchester Strategy.  The ARIs pilot aims to draw on both these strategies, but to focus attention on two themes that emerge powerfully from both. These are ‘good growth’ and ‘prevention’.

What do these words mean? Notes providing background on each can be found on the following links: 'good growth' and 'prevention'.

Both themes generate a range of views (part of the reason we think they make for interesting ARIs). Neither suits quick and easy definition. That said, we might think of ‘good growth’ as being about the objectives of economic expansion - how to ensure all parts and communities within a geographical area benefit from it, as well as (more conventionally) how to maximise productivity and output.

‘Prevention’ might be described as an ambitious vision for public services. Prevention stands for public services that anticipate needs, as opposed to react to crises (for instance, by preventing ill-health costing people their jobs); and that are agile and person-centred, rather than bureaucratic and unresponsive.

The ARIs pilot seeks to identify the best evidence and new thinking on these themes. Furthermore, the pilot is also interested in how evidence can be obtained (for instance, by how to involve residents in reforming public services).

We are seeking evidence to inform policy on these themes over a 4-10 years time horizon. This is why we are asking you to participate.

The pilot will run up to 5^th December 2026.

Please use the following link to access the guidance document and directions on how academics should respond: greater-manchester-aris-2026-guidance-for-academics.docx