a consistent theme was the need for researchers to listen to politicians and their staff regarding the political questions that were preoccupying them—and then to present their work in a form that offered answers to such questions. Another theme was the advantage for researchers of pursuing an influencing strategy that combines both an inside-track (seeking private meetings and ongoing relationships with policymakers in power) and an outside-track approach (applying political pressure by engaging the public in campaigning).
— Read on blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2022/05/09/how-can-researchers-influence-policy-when-their-work-lies-outside-the-political-mainstream/