Economic and Social Research Council

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Economic and Social Research Council

• The Future of Science in Society in the ESRCs
• New Strategic Framework
• Presentation by Adrian Alsop 29.11.04

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- Our purpose -

• Knowledge Impact
• Advancing knowledge in all areas of human and
  social activity
• Promoting its use for people in the United
  Kingdom and the wider world

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- Our principles -

• Quality Relevance
  Independence
• Quality Funding research and training of the
  highest quality by world standards
• Relevance Focusing on areas of major national
  importance and key policy areas
• Independence Ensuring independence from
  political, commercial or sectional interests

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Strengths Weaknesses of the earlier Thematic
Priorities

• Strengths
• provided a strategic framework for Council and
  Boards to steer priorities
• provided a shop window for the work for ESRC
• introduced the views of users, via consultation,
  into ESRCs priority setting. This is continuing
  in the new framework.

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Strengths Weaknesses of the earlier Thematic
Priorities

• But
• limited coverage of UK Social Science outside
  specific topic areas - skills, methods,
  resources, user engagement and knowledge transfer
• too broad and to easily translate priorities into
  practice
• insufficient platform for full engagement between
  Council, its Boards, and its Stakeholders

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New Strategic Framework Main Principles

• determine strategy and priorities in all areas of
  ESRCs work
• establish central role in strategic process for
  Boards, Committees and College
• provide a transparent process of priority setting
  and implementation
• enable a speedy response to new opportunities and
  challenges
• promote and ensure engagement with all ESRCs
  stakeholders in strategic process

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The New Strategic Framework

• Four Strategic Areas
• Capacity
• Research
• Engagement
• Performance

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1. Capacity

• Our Aim
• To build sufficient capacity i.e. expert
  researchers, data and methodology for the UK to
  undertake top class social science
• Key Priorities
• Research career stages, especially first
  grants/fellowships
• Health of disciplines-raising capacity in
  selected areas
• Enhancing research skills and leadership skills
• New data sources
• This includes Studentships, Fellowships,
  Datasets, Methodology

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2. Research (i)

• Our Aim
• Support excellent social science research that
  pushes forward the frontiers of science and
  addresses areas of major national importance
• Key Priorities
• Explicit consideration of international,
  international comparative and issues of
  particular scientific interest in different areas
  of UK
• More emphasis on seizing opportunities in
  responsive mode, not necessarily Strategic
  Research Board
• More emphasis on working in partnership with
  other funders, within and beyond RCUK - building
  on recent collaborations on preventative health
  and on Scottish demography

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2. Research (ii)

• Our Aim
• Support excellent social science research that
  pushes forward the frontiers of science and
  addresses areas of major national importance
• Key Priorities what Boards are considering-
• Succeeding in the global economy
• Population change
• Environmental change
• Understanding and shaping individual decisions
• Education-life chances and behaviours
• Religion and society
• Understanding the exceptional
• This includes Full spectrum of research funding
  modes from seizing opportunities in responsive
  mode to creating opportunities through focussed
  research agendas

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3. Engagement

• Our Aim
• Achieve the highest level of engagement and
  knowledge transfer of ESRC research
• Key Priorities what Boards are considering-
• Syntheses of research as evidence for action
• Improving on-line access
• Contributions to development of professional
  research skills
• Making it easier to carry out international
  collaborative research
• This includes Information Centre, Knowledge
  Transfer, international strategy

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4. Performance

• Our Aim
• Achieve scientific and organisational excellence
  to maximise ESRCs effectiveness
• Key Priorities what the Chief Executive is
  considering-
• Better impact metrics

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Development and Implementation
LEARNED SOCIETIES COLLEGE
INSTITUTIONS
USERS
INDIVIDUAL SCIENTISTS
OTHER FUNDERS
RCUK PARTNERS
Boards, Committees input -October Council initial
view, as above Boards and Committees Develop
Strategic Plans by February
IN VIEW OF PLANS AND AVAILABLE RESOURCES, COUNCIL
AGREES STRATEGIC PRIORITIES IN APRIL
IMPLEMENTATION
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Addressing our priorities and strategy through
the work of our Boards and four Committees
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Economic and Social Research Council

• The Future of Science in Society in the ESRCs
• New Strategic Framework
• Presentation by Adrian Alsop 29.11.04