Are you passionate about advancing product safety and driving innovation? At the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), we are excited to introduce our Areas of Research Interest (ARIs): an open call to academic and industry researchers to engage with the questions that will shape the future of UK product safety and regulation.
As the UK’s product regulator, we protect people and places from product-related harm by working across government, with local authorities, public sector organisations, businesses, and business and consumer bodies to fulfil our responsibilities. The Department of Business and Trade (DBT), which OPSS is part of, have published ARIs featuring OPSS. OPSS has also produced specific ARIs which supports DBTs agenda for stronger economic growth. They focus on the key questions we should answer to ensure products are safe, reliable and foster confidence among consumers and businesses.
Our work is grounded in robust evidence, science and strategic intelligence, to streamline regulation, reduce complexity and support a thriving market, enabling trade and innovation.
We aim to improve the evidence base through our Strategic Research Programme, Registers of Specialists and our flagship Research Fellowship Scheme. By publishing our ARIs, we spotlight the research questions that matter most to our policymakers and regulators, and we invite you to help us find the answers.
This is a launchpad for collaboration and discovery. It’s designed to spark opportunities for future partnerships across academia, industry and government, drawing on expertise to inform effective policy to safeguard consumers and champion businesses across the UK.
Why does research matter for OPSS?
- Evidence-based policy boosts public trust in the work of OPSS and underpins effective regulation.
- Collaboration with academic and industry researchers ensures decisions made by OPSS reflect the latest science and innovation.
- Transparency is enhanced through the publication of commissioned and internally produced research, strengthening the reputation of OPSS as a global leader in product regulation.
The importance of aligning government research needs with the wider research community was highlighted in the 2015 Nurse Review, leading to the creation of government ARIs. These foster collaboration, address real-world challenges, ignite innovative partnerships, and deliver better value for public investment through lasting impact. Current ARIs are searchable in the ARI database.
OPSS Area’s of Research Interest
OPSS has identified key research questions essential for evidence-based policy and consumer safety, organised under five strategic priority themes.
- Sector Insights: OPSS oversees key questions and legislation covering several consumer and construction products. This theme contributes to understanding the sectors these products sit in (e.g., cosmetics and electronics), including how political, economic, social, scientific, technological, and environmental dynamics impact them, affecting regulation and innovation.
- Product Analysis: Involves developing comprehensive evidence about specific products, such as product risks, usage patterns, emerging products, and injury data, to inform control measures and policy responses.
- Business Compliance: Features questions about business compliance with regulation, including how OPSS can engage businesses and explore strategies and regulatory interventions to encourage safe practices across markets.
- Supply Chain Safety: OPSS seeks to identify where risk arises in supply chains, across various actors and products, especially given the increase in online marketplaces and imports. Understanding and addressing risks across supply chains, especially with the rise of online marketplaces and imports, Understanding and addressing this risk enables more targeted and effective interventions.
- Consumer Behaviour: Analysing how consumers respond to safety information and make purchasing decisions, with a focus on understanding who consumers are, how we can protect vulnerable groups, and how we can best reach and educate consumers.
If your research addresses any of these themes or your skills could support, we want to hear from you!
Why get involved? By contributing your expertise, you can:
- Make a tangible real-world impact
- Inform evidence-based policymaking
- Help protect public safety
- Enhance the UK’s regulatory reputation
- Boost your career and develop valuable new skills
- Potentially showcase impact for the 2029 Research Excellence Framework.
By strengthening collaboration between universities, industry and government we can break down barriers to opportunity and work together to drive the economic growth that is central to the Government’s Plan for Change. (Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP)
What’s next?
OPSS is planning to host a launch event to provide insights into our research priorities, foster collaboration, and strengthen our research networks. If you are involved in relevant research and are interested in attending, please contact: OPSS.Research@businessandtrade.gov.uk
You can also offer specialist advice to OPSS by applying to join our ‘Register of Specialists’.
Delve into our Areas of Research Interest, connect with policymakers and work together to ensure the UK’s product safety system is informed by the strongest possible evidence.
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