arts, humanities and social sciences -opportunities and challenges –paul boyle (esrc)

8/7/2019 Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences -Opportunities and Challenges Paul Boyle (ESRC)

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Arts, Humanities and SocialSciences - Opportunities andChallenges Paul Boyle


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Introductiono ESRC, AHRC and BA represent half of the active

researchers and disciplines in UK

o ESRC UK funder of long-term, strategic social scienceresearch

o ESRC funded research, data and people support all

sectors of UK economyo UK has outstanding social science research

base


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Fundingo ESRC budget 11/12 approx. 203m

o Research funding frozen

o ESRC - 12% cut in real terms to Programme budget

o ESRC - 23% cut in real terms to Administration budget

o Important to continue to invest in the future:

o Long-term infrastructure

o Next generation of research leaders

o Areas of major national importance


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Investing in the Futureo Three priority areas

o Global Economic Performance and Sustainable

Growth

o Influencing Behaviour and InformingInterventions

o Vibrant and Fair Society


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Social Science Researcho Priorities represent a range of critically important

social science questions to be addressed, e.g.:

o Sustainability of Economic Performance andGrowth

o Interdependent Powers (Rising Powers)

o Behavioural Change e.g. motivation/incentives,environmental behaviour

o Inequality


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Demand Managemento Aim to have fewer, high-quality applications so best

social science is funded in most effective way

o Introduced initial programme of measures to improveself-regulation and changes to peer review andsubmission policies

o

12 week consultation on additional measures shouldthey be necessary


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Restructuring Schemeso Focusing resources on longer, larger grants ambitious

social science.

o Phase out Small Grants schemeo Increase lower and upper thresholds for Standard Grants

scheme

o Considering new ways of supporting innovation

o Invest in Future Leaders

o Integrate Postdoctoral Fellowships and First Grants create a single Future Leaders scheme


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Restructuring Schemeso Streamlining: fewer but more flexible research

competitions

o Merge Large Grants and Centreso Phase out Mid-Career Fellowships

o Result a simpler but coherent set of opportunities

o Developing some new funding opportunities in priorityareas such as Rising Powers and InterdependentFutures


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Data Infrastructureo ESRC supports some of the worlds leading studies

o Strong data infrastructure is an essential core resource

o Underpin research and training, and provide evidenceto both academic and non-academic researchers

o Only ESRC supports these kinds of large, long-term

investmentso The longitudinal jewels appreciate in value

o Despite cuts to capital, we will protect a core data

infrastructure


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Economic and Societal Impacto ESRC does excellent research that has impact

o Creating, assessing and communicating impact is

central to all our activitieso ESRC attracts 28m of additional co-funding from

Government Depts, 3 rd sector and international bodies

o Business/private sector a priority for increasedengagement

o Public Engagement through Committees, Networks,

annual Festival of Social Science, RCUK concordat


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o Many of the biggest research challenges are cross-disciplinary

o RCUK cross-council challenges combine science,technology, art, humanities and social sciences

o Social science central to all ESRC lead on GlobalUncertainties programme

o Existing collaborations such as 20m New Dynamicsof Ageing and smaller scale fellowships

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Joint statement on early and mid-career support

Collaboration


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Arts, Humanities and SocialSciences - Opportunities andChallenges Paul Boyle

arts, humanities and social sciences -opportunities and challenges –paul boyle (esrc)

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