kristiann allen

 Kristiann Allen is a senior policy practitioner-turned-researcher, with specialisation in both ‘science for policy’ and ‘policy for science’ processes. She is Associate Director, Policy and International Engagement, of Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures at the University of Auckland, and directs the secretariat of the International Network for Governmental Science Advice (INGSA). INGSA is hosted by Koi Tū at the University of Auckland.

From 2013-2018, Kristiann served as Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor of New Zealand, following several years advising in the Canadian federal science system, particularly in the area of research ethics, knowledge mobilisation and policy impact of research (Canadian Institutes for Health Research). In 2018 she returned to Canada to undertake a year’s secondment to the office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada.

Kristiann’s research interests include science policy processes and agenda setting in small research systems, and contexts of multi-level governance. She is particularly interested in the social dynamics of how science policy discourses are constructed and embedded because this affects how national systems align to global challenges. Thus, her work considers both policy-making paradigms and institutional contexts to better engage science/policy/society interfaces for sustainable transitions. Recently, she led INGSA’s guidance note on Science Policy Interfaces to support the SDGs, for the United Nations’ Committee of Experts on Public Administration. However, she firmly believes that it is the authors of Voices for Future Generations publications who stand to have the real impact in this space – bravo to all of them!