ESRC Regional Visits 2017 Professor Jane Elliott, CEO - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
ESRC Regional Visits 2017 Professor Jane Elliott, CEO @JaneElliott66 External Context and Challenges Globalisation General Election 8 June 2017 New government and ministers (though some continuity) Potential spending review/
Professor Jane Elliott, CEO @JaneElliott66
– New government and ministers (though some
– Potential spending review/ allocation process
– Impact on social science and wider research
– Opportunities for research and contribution of the
▶ ESRC in context – portfolio and external challenges ▶ UK Research and Innovation ▶ Celebrating the successes of social science ▶ Current and planned priorities ▶ Global Challenges Research Fund ▶ What next?
– current funding opportunities – policy development – engaging with the ESRC
▶ Cross-disciplinary work to answer
▶ Greater awareness of international
▶ Collaborative working (in the UK and
▶ Full exploitation of existing resources ▶ Investing in the next generation ▶ Focused priorities will follow in the
▶ Developed as a pipeline ▶ Core social science themes and major interdisciplinary challenges ▶ Ongoing, current and developing priorities
▶ We are committed to encouraging collaboration
▶ Working with other Research Councils to commission
▶ Leveraging c£23m additional co-funding ▶ Major initiatives to support non-academic engagement:
– What Works – POST – Impact Acceleration Accounts
We combine research and learning activity looking at how government should improve and helping it to do so. We do this publically and privately. Our programmes of work are:
principles
regions and cities
high-level advice and seminars for Ministers and their advisers For more information please see www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk or contact Katie.Thorpe@instituteforgovernment.
An independent, award-winning, non-partisan charity and think tank. Our mission is to promote a more effective government. We were established in 2008 and came to 2, Carlton Gardens in 2009. We have around 35 permanent staff, working on research, learning and development, communications and events and
Staff have backgrounds in the Civil Service, consulting, think tanks, academia and the private sector.
▶ International collaboration remains a key priority,
▶ Embed international in all we do
▶ Work with European partners
▶ Collaborations with key partner countries
▶ Leading role in the Newton Fund and GCRF
▶ Revised Strategy for ECRs launched in August 2016 ▶ Aims to provide a more integrated support system ▶ A number of different activities at different stages of
– Doctoral – Immediately post doctorate – Transition to independent researcher ▪ Initial investigator scheme (£100K - £300K)
Cambridge Social Science DTP Grand Union DTP London Interdisciplinary Social Science DTP London School of Economics DTP Midlands Graduate School DTP Northern Ireland and North East DTP North West Social Science DTP Scottish Graduate School of Social Science DTP South Coast DTP South East Network for Social Sciences DTP South West DTP UCL, Bloomsbury and East London DTP Wales DTP White Rose Social Sciences DTP
£50M £100M £150M £200M £250M 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 Income Financial Years Other BEIS funding (AME, non-cash, etc) BEIS admin GCRF Co-funding and income BEIS capital funding BEIS Programme Funding
0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
AHRC BBSRC EPSRC ESRC MRC NERC STFC
Ratio of QR to RC funding
Most social science funding in the UK is not awarded through ESRC
Based on RCs' 16/17 resource,GCRF and capital allocations as specified by BEIS (4 March 2016), estimates of FTEs by Council based on REF 2014 data ,and QR funding by HEFCE, HEFCW and SFC in 16/17 - all figures are approximate and indicative only due to difficulty in mapping FC to RC data.
AHRC (0%) BBSRC (15%) EPSRC (6%) ESRC (13%) MRC (5%) NERC (11%) STFC (23%)
£0 £50,000 £100,000 £150,000 £200,000 4,000 8,000 12,000 16,000 20,000 Funding per academic researcher Number of academic researchers (FTE)
RCUK funding does not scale with community size
Based on RCs' 16/17 resource,GCRF and capital allocations as specified by BEIS (4 March 2016), estimates of community FTEs by Council based on REF 2014 data, and QR funding by HEFCE, HEFCW and SFC in 16/17 – bars show estimated range of funding per FTE, and all figures are approximate and indicative only.
(X%) = proportion of funding that is capital
MRC ESRC BBSRC NERC STFC EPSRC AHRC Innovate UK Research England
Promote commercialisation
Foster and develop the talent pipeline Create and sustain the best infrastructure Increase engagement between research and all sectors Invest in the highest quality research and innovation Deliver a collaborative environment for all to leverage additional funding Support a healthy and high integrity culture Enable an efficient research and innovation landscape
▶ Higher Education Research Act – passed 27 April
▶ Will be established in April 2018 ▶ Transition work underway across 7 Research
▶ UKRI Board appointments underway ▶ Key appointments:
Sir John Kingman, interim Chair of UKRI Sir Mark Walport, CEO designate of UKRI Rebecca Endean, Strategy Director designate of UKRI Anne Dixon, Programme Director, UKRI Transition Programme
▶ ESRC and the social sciences already well positioned
▶ Current interdisciplinary working:
– 10% of ESRC budget being committed to cross-Council
– Diverse interdisciplinary portfolio – across all other
– Major new investments under GCRF providing extra
▶ Global Challenges Research Fund
– £45m ESRC funding (Phase 1) – 4 calls led by ESRC alone, 2
– Collective Fund Phase 1 – a third of all awards social science led
▶ Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund
– Phase 1 funding – focused on skills – Challenge for Phase 2
▶ £1.5 billion fund to be delivered by the Research
▶ Aims to:
– address global challenges through cutting-edge disciplinary and
interdisciplinary research
– strengthen capability for research and innovation, within both UK and
developing countries
– provide an agile response to emergencies and opportunities
▶ Forms part of the UK's Official Development
▶ Further information on RCUK website
Leave no one behind Sustainable economies and societies ▶secure and resilient food systems supported by sustainable marine resources and agriculture ▶sustainable health and well being ▶inclusive and equitable quality education ▶clean air, water and sanitation ▶affordable, reliable, sustainable energy ▶sustainable livelihoods supported by strong foundations for inclusive economic growth and innovation ▶resilience and action on short-term environmental shocks and long-term environmental change ▶sustainable cities and communities ▶sustainable production and consumption of materials and other resources Support peace and justice ▶understand and respond effectively to forced displacement and multiple refugee crises ▶reduce conflict and promote peace, justice and humanitarian action ▶reduce poverty and inequality, including gender inequalities.
▶ 7 Secondary Data Analysis Initiative (SDAI) projects
▶ 23 uplifts to ESRC Impact Acceleration Accounts to
▶ 22 strategic networks to build towards future research
▶ 30 post-doctoral fellowships to support early career
▶ 2 centres, on refugees and on conflict-affected and
▶ 11 pump-priming grants on AMR (with MRC, BBSRC, Defra,
▶ 21 foundation awards on resilience (with NERC & AHRC) ▶ 15 research projects on forced displacement (with AHRC) ▶ 13 innovation awards on conflict & international development
▶ 27 foundation awards on infection & on non-communicable
▶ 27 foundation awards on agriculture & food systems (BBSRC)
documented cases since the 1960s.
against the risk of sinkhole collapse in South Africa, working in collaboration with engineer and practitioner partners including Jones & Wagener Engineering and environmental consultants and implementing their recommendations with stakeholders and policymakers.
Africa and potential to help the poorest people, often found living on land not suitable for development.
ES/P500719/1 Durham University – PI: Ashraf Osman
mental health support .
six partner organisations in south eastern Nepal and across other slavery programmes of project partner the Freedom Foundation.
Mental Health and Counselling (CMC) and local organisations in the South Eastern T erai region in Nepal helped create a training programme for community facilitators and a pilot study protocol which can be feasibly implemented in T erai.
ES/P500872/1 University of York Martin Webber
Sustainable economies and societies - 20 Livelihoods, growth and innovation - 13 Environmental resilience - 5 Production and consumption - 1 Cities and communities – 1 Support peace and justice - 40 Forced displacement and refugees - 19 Conflict, peace and justice - 14 Reduce poverty and inequality - 7 Leave no one behind - 35 Health and wellbeing - 25 Education - 7 Food, agri and marine resources - 2 Energy - 1
NB Analysis excludes GROW call
Over 60,000 rural Kenyans have benefited from ‘smart’ hand pumps using mobile phone technology and remote monitoring, combined with a community-based payment model and local maintenance, to ensure secure water supplies.
Over300 smart hand pumps are operating in Kenya across three counties, providing data that dramatically improve water supply reliability for over 60,000 rural people. Only three per cent of smart hand pumps are estimated to be
non-monitored pumps across Africa. The smart hand pumps enable a 72-hour guaranteed repair service or refunds are made, but most are repaired within 48 hours – compared to over a month previously. The smart hand pumps have significantly reduced the time spent collecting water, especially for women and girls in the dry season. Rwanda is testing a similar approach with a view to developing institutional and financial models similar to those in Kenya. With the backing of UNICEF, Bangladesh is planning installations in 2016, with Ethiopia and Zimbabwe also expressing an interest. Jointly funded by ESRC and the Department for International Development, University of Oxford researchers led by Dr Rob Hope developed a mobile-enabled transmitter that can be fitted to a hand pump. The transmitter sends pump usage data to a central server, providing an immediate alert in case of pump breakdown. BBC News report on 24 Feb 17
Rapid real-time advice and guidelines during the Ebola crisis increased the effectiveness of medical and humanitarian responses, saving lives and reducing the spread of the disease. The Ebola Response Anthropology Platform (ERAP), accessed by more than 16,000 users, delivered online and face-to-face advice to policymakers and practitioners on identifying and diagnosing cases, managing death and funerals, caring for the sick, improving communications and community engagement. ERAP shaped UK and international strategy; its members formed a social science sub-group of the UK Government Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), advising the Government's Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientist, and presenting evidence to three UK Parliamentary Inquiries on
Organisation committees and produced more than 40 briefings for the Department for International Development, the Ministry
ERAP directly shaped response activities in Sierra Leone, including implementation of locally appropriate Community Care Centres, safe burials, social mobilisation approaches and vaccine trials, and pre-departure training for 362 clinical personnel on engaging effectively with socio-cultural practices. Professor Melissa Leach and her team were shortlisted for Outstanding International Impact in the ESRC Celebrating Impact Prize 2016.
▶ Scoping the next phase of ESRC-led GCRF calls ▶ Guided by input from the ESRC International
▶ Four key priority areas:
– Mental health – Education and skills – Decent work – New economic challenges
▶ Expecting calls to open between Nov 2017 & Jan 2018
▶ Cohort of large-scale hubs delivering integrated and
▶ Flagship investments bringing together UK and DAC-
▶ Expected to redefine how we approach development
▶ Overseas ROs expected to play very significant role in
▶ RCUK GCRF Team
▶ Industrial Strategy and RCUK response ▶ ISCF - interdisciplinary fund to support UK industries
▶ Part of £4.7bn over 4 years ▶ 6 initial challenges:
– healthcare and medicine – robotics and artificial intelligence – batteries for clean and flexible energy storage – self-driving vehicles – manufacturing and materials of the future – satellites and space technology
▶ ESRC and social science response and engagement
▶ Investment in Research Talent - £300m from NPIF
– £90m for 1000 PhDs aligned with the Industrial Strategy – £160m for new fellowships aligned with the Industrial
– £50m for fellowship programmes to attract global talent
▶ Investment through ESRC
– 77 studentships, allocated across DTPs which will: ▪ address key skills gap areas identified in the Industrial
▪ develop research capacity to address research challenges in
– Bidding for funds for new fellowships – cross-Council
▶ What are the opportunities for social science under
▶ What are the challenges for social science under
▶ How might social scientists best engage with the
Dr Kath Murray, University of Edinburgh Changing stop and search legislation in Scotland Professor Melissa Leach, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex Ebola response with local engagement Professor Theresa Gannon (team application), University of Kent Pioneering treatment for firesetters Briony Turner, King’s College London Inspiring new explorers with tales from the field Dr Rachel Aldred, University of Westminster Changing the policy mindset on cycling
▶ UK in a Changing Europe – informing the debate ▶ Brexit Priority Grants – understanding the outcome
▶ Longer term priority – continuing to understand,
▶ Representing concerns within the social science
▶ Response to consultations and inquiries
▶ Responsiveness, interdisciplinarity and impact ▶ 203 authorised grants including:
– 65 ESRC led projects/ networks – 23 IAA uplifts – 30 postdoctoral fellowships – 80 grants led by other Councils with recognised ESRC interest
▶ Over 30% RCUK Collective Fund awards led by social
▶ Interdisciplinarity and impact:
– Supporting the mental well being of bonded labourers in Nepal – Developing a risk mitigation strategy for sinkhole collapse in
▶ Where are we now (2016/17 data):
– Number of funding decisions – 1284 – Success rate – 24%
▶ But…
– Variability in demand means wide fluctuations in success rates – Median grant size continuing to increase (up 50% since 2012) – Current uncertainties - European funding sources, move to UKRI
▶ Managing demand - current policies
– Self regulation – working directly with ROs – Some scheme quotas
– Continue with self-regulation – Close monitoring of trends – working with ROs – Continue scheme quotas where appropriate to the
– Review of international best practice to develop
– Move to UKRI – potential to align policies
▶ Long term trend of falling response rates – down to
▶ Some recovery – but progress now reversing: ▶ T
Total No Response Respons e FY 2014/15 Count 2367 2793 5160 % within FY 45.9% 54.1% 100.0% 2015/16 Count 2715 3206 5921 % within FY 45.9% 54.1% 100.0% 2016/17 Count 2256 2471 4727 % within FY 47.7% 52.3% 100.0%
▶ Open Research Area (ORA) for the social sciences - 2017 call
▶ National Coordinator for the European Social Survey (Closing date
▶ Antimicrobial resistance in a global context (Closing date 11 July
▶ ESRC-ICSSR Newton call for collaborative research on urban
▶ ESRC/Alan Turing Institute Joint Fellowship Scheme (Closing date,
▶ EqUIP call for collaborative research on sustainability, equity,
▶ Standard Grants – Grant Assessment Panels (March, July,
▶ Impact Acceleration Accounts (25 ROs) ▶ Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
▶ Calls under Phase 2 of GCRF – ESRC funded and RCUK
▶ Calls under new GCRF priority areas – expected late 2017
▶ Leadership
– Considering ESRC’s role in supporting research leadership
▶ Centres and infrastructure investments
– Review considering sustainability of major ESRC
▶ Demand management
– Continue to monitor trends in demand and mechanisms for
▶ Peer review
– Reviewing the current approach to peer review by assessing
▶ We need a strong social science community prepared for
– Ambitious ideas and proposals – core social science and at the
– Training – on methods (NCRM), media (ESRC media training),
– Make use of the resources we have – wealth of data available
– Responsive to new opportunities – whether around GCRF, ISCF
– Engaging with consultations and enquiries – make your voices
– Peer Review College – Grant Assessment Panels – Committees – Council
– ESRC Celebrating Impact Prize – 2018 competition – ESRC Festival of Social Science – 4-11 November 2017