Economic and Social Research Council

Who are ESRC?

The UK’s leading agency for research fund and training in economic and social sciences. Independent legal body, established under Royal Charter.

One of UK’s seven research councils; all work closely together as Research Councils UK (RCUK).

Budget £204m (2009/10) mainly from Department of Business, Innovation & Skills. About 65% is spent on research and about 30% on training.

Over 2,500 grant holders at any time; more than 80 research centres, research groups, research programmes, priority networks; resource/ infrastructure.

Support over 2,000 postgraduate students.

Over 700 new PhD studentships each year.

The ESRC Mission To promote and support, by any means, high-quality basic, strategic and applied research and related postgraduate training in the social sciences;

To advance knowledge and provide trained social scientists who meet the needs of users and beneficiaries, thereby contributing to the economic competitiveness of the United Kingdom, the effectiveness of public services and policy, and the quality of life;

To provide advice on, and disseminate, knowledge; and promote public understanding of the social sciences.

The ESRC Values

Quality Funding research and training of the highest quality by world standards

Impact Ensuring that our research has an impact on UK society including business, public sector and voluntary organisations

Independence Ensuring independence from political, commercial or sectional interests

ESRC Strategic Plan 2009-2014Challenges for Social Science Global Economic Performance, Policy and Management

Environment, Energy and Resilience

Security, Conflict and Justice

Social Diversity and Population Dynamics

Health and Wellbeing

New Technology, Innovation and Skills

Understanding Individual Behaviour

Each challenge underpinned by infrastructure, methods, skills, and by international collaboration.

ESRC International StrategyWhy engage internationally?

Many social and economic problems transcend national borders e.g. climate change, global economic crisis, security, population change

Requires global research effort - UK has world-leading expertise (#1 or #2 in most social science disciplines)

Aim for UK as partner of choice for potential collaborators (Government Science and Innovation Framework 2004-2014)

Increasing importance of new science nations (China, India, Russia, Brazil)

New technologies facilitate international collaboration

ESRC International Strategy

Remove barriers to transnational research collaborations

Provide tools, training and access to enable UK social scientists to tackle global issues

Encourage UK social scientists to engage with international funding opportunities, and ensure such opportunities are open, fair and excellence based

Engage with international agencies where this benefits ESRC and UK social science

Benchmark the quality of UK social science internationally

Currently revising and refreshing our international strategy

Rising Powers, Global Challenges and Social Change New initiative designed to deepen understanding of the regional and global impacts of the Rising Powers and the economic, political and social implications for the UK.

Three central themes:

Causes, sustainability and competitiveness

Global and regional governance and the balance of power

Well-being and equity

Total budget £4m, commissioned in 2 phases

2009 commissioned 9 International and Interdisciplinary Networks (12 months long) with embedded Visiting Fellowships 3 involve collaborators in South Africa

Depending on outcome of UK Spending Review: 2010 call for Research Projects and Post-doctoral Fellowships – to further the existing networks, but not limited to projects involved in the initial networking

Aim of the Network to explore the likely futures for education, well being and human

security as new economic conditions emerge in Brazil, Russia and South Africa.

focus on the reciprocal, and as yet not fully understood, relationships, between economic growth, education and well being which may well be understood differently in different economic and cultural contexts.

organise seminars at each of these three sites to which relevant academics and policy makers will be invited.

Visiting Fellows at each site will convene these seminars and take advice from colleagues in their own academic and professional networks as to who should be invited.

Project Team

Prof Harry Daniels Prof Hugh Lauder University of Bath, UK

Dr Joanne Hardman University of Cape Town, South Africa

Professor Angela Lessa Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo

Prof Vitaly Rubtsov Prof Arkady Margolis Dr Anna Shvedovskaya

Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Russia

Education

The Economy Well being and security

Rising Powers, Global Challenges and Social Change: Key Questions What changes are envisaged in educational provision and its objects in

both the rising powers and elsewhere in order to ensure economic sustainability of rapid growth?

• What will be the likely educational consequences and responses to the social challenges of the urban-rural divide, social and economic inequality and access to education including Higher Education?

• How will the lives of children be transformed and be made more or less secure as these changes are invoked?

• What will be the challenges for Africa as a result of new development roles being taken by the Rising Powers with regard to education?

• How are the relationships between economic growth, education and well being in general and more specifically security understood in each state?

Rising Powers, Global Challenges and Social Change: Next StepsTo include China and India

To take a ‘High Skills’ perspective on economic growth

To develop an interview based methodology using a cultural historical perspective on tensions and dilemmas