ESRC and the PUBLIC SECTOR: ESRC and the PUBLIC SECTOR: Knowledge - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

ESRC and the PUBLIC SECTOR: ESRC and the PUBLIC SECTOR: Knowledge Exchange Knowledge Exchange Opportunities Opportunities

David Guy April 2008

Knowledge Transfer: The UK Context Knowledge Transfer: The UK Context

Drive for international competitiveness Lambert Review of Business-University Collaboration Biggest challenge, boosting demand for research from business Innovation Report – “Competing in the Global Economy” Vision: “be a key global economy” Science and innovation investment framework 2004-2014 Imperatives for research councils:

• Increase rate of knowledge transfer
• Increase interaction with business
• Increase collaborative research

Science and Technology Committee (H of C) Review of Knowledge Transfer Warry Report – Economic impact Sainsbury “Race to the Top”

ESRC Knowledge Transfer and Impact ESRC Knowledge Transfer and Impact Strategy Strategy

Purpose

• Achieve and demonstrate a step change in the economic impact of the Science Budget
• Knowledge transfer to take centre stage for the research councils
• To take forward with the other research councils, with the social science community

and with its user communities

• Specific emphasis on engagement with the business sector

ESRC Knowledge Transfer and Impact ESRC Knowledge Transfer and Impact Strategy Strategy

Aims

The ESRC will create and support increased impact through

• research
• people transfer
• infrastructure, data, information resources and methodologies
• playing a leadership role by raising awareness within the wider social science community
• communicating the impact of the social sciences, specifically developing measures and

analytical tools to identify the impact of its investments

Output 2: Exploitation of knowledge Output 2: Exploitation of knowledge

Research councils’ knowledge transfer activities reported:

• interaction with business and public services
• collaborative research
• commercialisation of research
• cooperative training
• people exchanges

Each of the above activities is measured by: ─ scale ─ quality

Challenges Challenges

• Is the burden of expectation too high?
• Payback for large investment
• Are dynamics of knowledge exchange fully understood?
• Time
• Attribution
• Are business models sufficiently robust?
• Are these sufficient people capacities and competencies?
• Barriers? Incentives?

Knowledge Knowledge Exchange Exchange Mechanisms Mechanisms & Opportunities Opportunities

Seminars and Workshops Knowledge & People Exchange Mechanisms

• Some ESRC-run; others part of national schemes run by government or other

bodies

• Range of opportunities across academic lifecycle

Package of Opportunities/Scheme to increase rate of knowledge transfer and build a

critical mass of expertise/knowledge

Knowledge Transfer Training and Development Opportunities

Seminar Seminar and and Workshops Workshops

Public Policy Seminars

• Behaviour Change and Water Efficiency, UK Water Industry Research
• Change and Continuity in Scotland’s Fishing Communities, Scottish Government
• Active Citizenship and Community Relations, Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action

User Engagement Events

• Introductory GRIP Workshop
• Attitudes of SMEs managers towards supply chain pressures to

demonstrate social and environmental responsibility, University of Southampton Science Park Ltd

• The Future of Health Care and Health Technologies, The Tomorrow Project

Knowledge Knowledge & People People Exchange Exchange Opportunities Opportunities

Progression route: A life course approach Social Science W orkplace Experience Program m e CASE Departm ental Collaborative Studentships Parliam entary & Governm ent Postgraduate Placem ents Know ledge Transfer Partnerships Governm ent Placem ent Fellow ships Business Placem ent Fellow ships I m pact Grants/ Follow -

• n-Fund

Business Engagem ent Opportunities

Knowledge Knowledge Exchange Exchange Opportunities Opportunities

Joint ESRC and Departmental Collaborative Studentships

Encourages greater interaction between academic research and Government and Devolved

Administrations

Postgraduate students based in UK academic institutions (ESRC recognised) carry out high quality

policy relevant research in conjunction with the host organisation - The PhD topic is defined by the host organisation

The studentship is jointly funded by the ESRC and host organisation The studentships are jointly supervised by the academic department and host organisation

Parliamentary and Government Postgraduate Placements

ESRC funded students in their 2nd/3rd year spend three months in a Government Department or

Parliamentary Office, where they work as part of a team involved with particular public policy issues

The placement project is defined by the host department/organisation and informs policy makers on

the economics and social implications

The placement projects may not be of direct relevance to the students PhD The student receive a 3 month fully funded extension to their PhD award

Knowledge Knowledge Exchange Exchange Opportunities Opportunities

Government Placement Fellowships

Social Science Researchers work within 'partner' organisations on projects put forward by that

partner i.e. Government Department; Devolved Administrations; and other similar organisations - also provides opportunities for an employee of a partner organisation to work on a project in a setting where they have access to academic resources

Provide Government Departments with research-informed evidence to develop and review policy Enable all parties, including ESRC, to develop their understanding of research and policymaking

processes and the interactions between them

Fellowships last from between three and 12 months - the cost of the Fellowship is shared equally

between the ESRC and the partner

Some examples:

• HELPING Defra DEVELOP EVIDENCE-BASED POLICYMAKING
• HELPING THE PRIME MINISTER’S TEAM TO DEVELOP HEALTH REFORMS
• INVESTIGATING CONFIDENCE IN OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

Knowledge Knowledge Transfer Transfer Training Training and and Development Development Opportunities Opportunities

Getting Research into Policy/Practice Workshop

Two day interactive workshop For ESRC funded researchers undertaking research of potential relevance to policy and practice Encourages researchers to create a knowledge transfer strategy Facilitated by external consultants and include input from policy-makers and practitioners

Further information Further information

ESRC Knowledge Transfer Guide: www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInforCentre/Support/knowledge_transfer ESRC Knowledge Transfer Opportunities: http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/KnowledgeExch/index.aspx

Thank you Thank you

For further information: Publications Guidelines Case studies David Guy David.guy@esrc.ac.uk