Embedded Social Science and the British Government COVID-19 Response

The complex and evolving nature of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic poses significant challenges to national international emergency preparedness response. Governments must navigate streams emerging data in real time, synthesising knowledge from diverse sources inform policy. UK government drew on experiences earlier pandemics bridge perceived gaps between social science research policy through secondment early-career academics as embedded scientists. In this article, we present comparative ethnographic describing scientists’ contributions COVID-19 We find that liminal position, loose identities, high degree autonomy scientists allowed these individuals multiple networks strengthen legitimise role within debates.