DCMS College of Experts
News
Professor Pete Etchells recruited to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport College of Experts
Tuesday, 8 July, 2025Bath Spa University is delighted to announce that Pete Etchells, Professor of Psychology and Science Communication, has been recruited to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) College of Experts. Pete joins 58 external experts from across academia and industry, forming a diverse and experienced community of experts. The DCMS College of Experts members are regularly called upon to provide external expertise and apply innovative scientific methods to support government policy.
Pete's expertise will contribute to helping DCMS tackle complex challenges across their policy areas with confidence and insight. He said he looks forward to collaborating with fellow members and DCMS colleagues to support evidence-based policymaking and drive forward impactful solutions.
Explaining further, Pete said:
“It's genuinely an honour to have been recruited to the College of Experts. I'm looking forward to working with some of the top experts from across academia and industry to provide meaningful insight that supports robust government policy.”
Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Tom Crick said:
“We are delighted to welcome our new members of DCMS College of Experts. Since 2021, the College of Experts has made a significant impact on our department, ensuring that our policy design, development and implementation is grounded in the most rigorous and robust research and evidence available. [Our experts’] engagement will help us continue to tackle the complex and interdisciplinary challenges across our policy areas with confidence and insight.”
The College of Experts brings together a wide range of scientific and technical knowledge across the DCMS portfolio. It supports existing expert relationships within teams and provides a flexible way for colleagues to access additional expertise when needed. This helps the department build long-term, consistent working relationships with experts while also meeting the growing demand for rapid, evidence-based advice to inform policy.
The role of the College of Experts is to:
- Increase the department’s access to scientific networks
- Develop and maintain relationships with experts
- Broaden DCMS’s evidence base
- Support the provision of scientific advice
This is achieved through activities such as roundtables, quality assurance exercises and individual or group consultations.
Find out more about the DCMS College of Experts on the GOV.UK website.