ESRC U pdate Professor Paul Boyle, Chief Executive, ESRC - PowerPoint Presentation

1. ESRC UpdateProfessor Paul Boyle, Chief Executive, ESRC

2. Introduction

3. ESRCThe major public sector funder of social science research and post graduate training in the UKNon-Departmental Public Body, established in 1965, largely funded through the Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS)Key Principles: QualityImpactIndependence

4. Economic and Societal ImpactESRC supports excellent research that has impactCreating, assessing and communicating impact is central to all our activitiesPathways to impactImpact toolkitResearch Excellence Framework (20% for impact)

5. Distribution of ESRC Funding 2011/12

6. FundingBudget for 2012/13 is £200m (BIS allocation of £179m)CSR 2010 2% cut in real terms to Programme budget23% cut in real terms to Administration budgetNeed to continue to make strong arguments for social science research in the next CSRImportance of continuing to invest in the future:Long-term infrastructureNext generation of research leadersResearch areas of major national importance

7. ESRC Funding Opportunities

8. International CollaborationEmbed international in all we doInternational Co-InvestigatorsWork with European partnersOpen Research Area (ESRC, NOW, DFG, ANR – now NSF)Strengthen collaborations with key partner countries – 3 RCUK teams (US, India and China)Influence Horizon 2020Ensure social scientists contribute to all societal challengesExtend our successful partnerships with DfID

9. 7 Research Councils and RCUK

10. Social Science is embedded in all six cross-Council programmesESRC leads – Global UncertaintiesRCUK Programmes

11. Partnerships and CollaborationCollaboration with private, public and third-sector bodies through co-funding of research and people exchangeAttract around £20m of additional co-funding each yearCo-production ensures research is better placed to inform policy and practicePrivate sector prioritised for increased engagement and co-fundingFocus initially on financial services, green business and retailESRC-led partnerships

12. Refreshing the Strategic Priorities

13. 2011 Delivery PlanEconomic Performance and Sustainable GrowthInfluencing Behaviour and Informing InterventionsVibrant and Fair SocietyContributions to all 6 RCUK challenges and TSBBuilding social science capabilityRefresh February 2013What have we achieved and which gaps need to be filled?How can we respond to urgent but unpredictable scientific opportunities?

14. Economic Performance and Sustainable GrowthIn 2011 Council committed to making new investments in:Entrepreneurship - Achieved as Enterprise Research Centre; BIS, BBA, ESRC £2.9 m, lead: University of WarwickRising Powers - Achieved as third phase of Rising Powers Programme £6m, 12 projectsMacro-economics - Achieved as Centre for Macroeconomics, £3.9 m lead: LSE (also international symposium)Risk - Achieved as Systemic Risk Centre, £3.8 m lead: LSE and Centre for Study of Risk and Ambiguity £3.4 m lead: Exeter Global distribution of - Achieved as ESRC/DFID growth programme, Economic Performance Venture, £9.9 m, 18 projects 5 of 5 targets met

15. Expenditure across ESRC’s portfolio13

16. 15Expenditure across ESRC’s portfolio

17. Putting it Together Strategic PriorityGapSmart PotentialCrossCouncilBusiness/TSBInternationalPartneringEconomic Performance and Sustainable GrowthBusiness Innovation***Housing * Future Cities***Green Economy***Local Economic Growth* *New Macro Economics  *Financial Markets **Influencing Behaviour and Informing InterventionsHealth Inequalities* *Crime   Epigenetics* *Educational Neuroscience* *Innovation in Healthcare***A Vibrant and Fair SocietyCivil Society, Social Innovation, Civic Participation  *Human Rights, Diversity* *Education – Developing Countries, Higher Education  *Social Media **Democratic Renewal   Building Social Science CapacityBig Data***Evidence, What Works***N.B. Europe!  24

18. Capacity Building

19. National CapabilityProviding support across all stages of the careerOpportunities for early and mid-careerDoctoral Training CentresFuture Research Leaders and Research Grants Opportunities for senior and established researchersProfessorial Fellowships and larger schemesOpportunities for all researchers through ESRC grants schemes, and training through NCRM and RDI

20. Doctoral Training Centres21 DTCs – our main capacity building vehicleFirst cohorts started in October 2011645 awards made in year 1, and 753 in year 2First and final year conferences for ESRC PhD studentsTailored initiatives to:Concentrate studentships in strategic areas (e.g. AQM and economics)Expand collaboration with public, private and civil society organisations through internships and collaborative activitiesUtilise and build upon existing or emerging international linksDevelop an Advanced Training Network

21. Advanced Training NetworkIntegrated network of advanced training for all postgraduate researchers, not only those funded by ESRCConsultation to identify gaps in provisionAdditional training commissioned later in the yearAll postgraduate researchers can register for any of these courses, at a maximum cost of £30 per day

22. DTC Lessons LearnedTraining and Skills Committee is currently carrying out a ‘lessons learned’ exerciseESRC expects studentships to be awarded on the basis of excellenceBalance between +3 and 1+3 studentshipsSuccess of securing co-fundingProgress on these matters will be considered when decisions around re-commissioning are being madeESRC encourages DTC Directors to work together to develop best practice

23. Infrastructure

24. UK Strategy for Data Resources for Social and Economic Research The ‘national data strategy’ was first published in 2007, updated in 2009, and being refreshed for 2013Owned by the UK Data ForumPriorities and recommendations include:Improved data linkageDevelop partnerships and collaborative workExplore customer databases and international partnershipsESRC Data infrastructure led by the new UK Data Service (UKDS)Access to census and other datasets and a new website

25. Capital FundingChancellor’s Autumn Statement included £600m for science, research and innovation, £484m for RCUKFunds to support the development of innovative technologies across eight areas, including ‘big data’Draws from RCUK Strategic Framework for Capital Investment (published Nov 2012)ESRC earmarked £64m to support packages of activity within the ‘big data’ theme

26. Administrative Data TaskforceJointly established by the ESRC, MRC, Wellcome Trust, chaired by Sir Alan Langlands5 recommendationsAdministrative Data Research Centres (ADRCs) should be established in each country of the UKLegislation should be enacted to facilitate research access to administrative data (generic legal gateway)Researcher accreditation process and trainingStrategy for engaging with the public Funds to support access to and linkage between data

27. Business DatasafeNational resource for analysing business dynamics, drawing upon a wide range of previously unavailable and disparate data sourcesFrom organisational surveys to customer databases (e.g. store cards, utilities data, banking transactions, mortgage details, etc.)Enable new analysis that informs broad understanding of economic growth, organisational efficiency, productivity, employment relations, organisational finance, investment, health and wellbeing at the workplace…..

28. Understanding PopulationsOpportunities to capitalise on existing data assetsESRC funds world leading longitudinal studies:British Household Panel Study & Understanding SocietyEnglish Longitudinal Study, Scottish LS & N. Ireland LSBirth cohorts (1958, 1970, Millennium Cohort) and Life StudyEnglish Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and other ageing studiesFurther collection of a wide variety of biomarkers and the genotyping of existing DNA samples

29. Social Media ResearchSocial media is distinctive in capturing user-generated data from populationsSocial media analytics represent an opportunity to invest in large scale social researchA Centre comprising a network of nodes across participating countries, with a coordinating hubWorkshop in May 2013 to discuss Centre structure and aims/objectivesCall likely to be announced in September 2013

30. New Schemes

31. Building QM Capacity£15.5 million funding programme with Nuffield Foundation and HEFCEPromoting a step-change in quantitative methods training for UK social science undergraduatesCentres of excellence that will provide cohorts of students capable of filling the quantitative skills gap among postgraduatesPossibility of new 4-year social science degrees

32. The Future of the UK and ScotlandObjective evidence on the effects of Scottish independencePhase 17 one-year Professorial Fellowships10 research projects based at major ESRC investmentsConference event, May 2013, to inform the debateResearch CoordinatorPhase 2Potential research initiative, examining medium term impacts

33. What Works National, co-ordinated initiative that seeks to strengthen the use of evidence for policy and practiceWorked with Cabinet Office to establish ‘What Works’ centresLocal economic growth (call opens March 25th)AgeingCrime and policingRe-offendingEarly intervention (Education Endowment Foundation)

34. Transformative ResearchESRC-funded research tends to be incrementalWant to encourage greater innovation – next big ‘transformative’ ideas in social scienceROs receiving over £100k of ESRC funding, 2011/1266 applications; panel shortlisted 32‘Pitch to Peers’ workshop (March)Supporting 20 awards, from June 2013Re-launching the transformative potential of existing schemes

35. Engaging with RetailESRC is continuing to increase its engagement with retail sectorRetail Navigators – Nottingham Business SchoolFacilitating better communication between social science researchers and retailersData Navigators – Demographic Decisions LtdData infrastructure of mutual interest to researchers and retailers (e.g. store card data)

36. Impact PrizeAnnual prize (£10,000) for achieving economic /societal impactBusinessPublic PolicySocietyInternationalEarly CareerImpact Champion of the Year2 applications have been shortlisted in each category

37. Large Grants and CentresCall due to be launched shortlyLikely to fund up to 8 awards – more than ever beforeTotal budget likely to be doubled to £10 millionWe want to see:Ambitious bidsImproved quality bidsMore cross-institutional bids, bringing the very best together

38. ‘Priority Networks’Mechanism for Centre/Large Grant applicationsSmall group of projectsUsually with existing relationships between researchersCoordinator selected from within the groupEvaluation show strengths include high levels of collaboration and coordinationRecent example: ‘Network for Integrated Behavioural Science’ (Nottingham, Warwick and UEA)Scale: not ‘scattergun’ large Programme approach

39. Other Funding OpportunitiesEU Joint Programme - Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND) Coordinator for the Retail Sector Initiative Strategic Advisors for Data Resources DFID-ESRC Growth Research Programme - call 2 Retail Knowledge Exchange Opportunities UK Drought and Water Scarcity (NERC website) Digging into Data round 3

40. Operational Issues

41. Demand ManagementOver last five years we have seen a 33% increase in the number of applicationsNo additional funding available leading to fall in success rates (research grants scheme 13%)Burden on researchers, reviewers, universities and the ESRCWe expect to see individuals and HEIs demonstrate that they are improving self-regulation

42. Demand ManagementTo help meet these expectations we have…Provision of performance data to individuals and institutionsDeveloped good practice guidelinesInvited-only resubmissions policy with associated guidanceReduced external peer review burden (greater use of outline applications; reduced referee thresholds)More tightly specified calls on managed mode schemes (e.g. Centres and Large Grants competition) RCUK harmonising demand management measures

43. Demand Management ProgressResults include:37% drop in application volumeIncrease in overall success rates from 17% to 24%Signs of improvements in the quality of applicationsReduction of around 20% in peer review requirements

44. Open AccessRCUK policy on Open Access from 1st AprilRCUK definition of Open AccessPeer reviewed papers that acknowledge RC fundingGold preferred, but green (6 / 12 months) also supportedCC-BY licenseAdditional funding (£10m + £17m year 1) to support this activityJourney, not an event (5 years)Part of an international revolution

45. Open Access

46. Triennial ReviewReview of the Research Councils, conducted by BIS, taking place over 6 months from January 2013Two stage review processStage 1 (Jan–March): Assess the need for Research CouncilsStage 2 (Apr–June): Examine RC structure and governanceConsultation of a wide range of stakeholders, onHow structure contributes to delivery of functionsRelationship between RCs and other stakeholdersRelationship between RCs and ‘customers’

47. May 2012, over 1286 ESRC-related media storiesTwitter followers increased 200% to over 6,000 from 2,000 in 2011ESRC videos viewed over 9,000 times in 2011, from 830 in 2010Britain In magazine (2011 won 2nd prize in International Content Marketing Awards)Communication Highlights

48. ESRC’s ContactsCommittees/Council Secretaries:Nigel Bird, Audit Committee nigel.bird@esrc.ac.ukVicki Crossley, Council vicki.crossley@esrc.ac.uk ac.ukVicki Crossley, Evaluation Committee vicki.crossley@esrc.ac.uk ac.ukPaul Meller, Methods and Infrastructure Committee paul.meller@esrc.ac.uk Michelle Dodson, Research Committee michelle.dodson@esrc.ac.ukDawn Woodgate, Training and Skills Committee dawn.woodgate@esrc.ac.uk