ESRC Key Priorities & Future Strategy

Adrian Alsop 2nd Feb 2011

Excellence with Impact

o ESRC enduring values – clear commitment to:

oQuality

o Impact

o Independence

Government Spending Review 2010

o Spending Review outcome for Science Budget

announced 20th October ‘maintaining resource

spending in cash terms’ – equates to an 8-9%

reduction in real terms

o ESRC allocation published with Delivery Plan

on 20th December. Figures represent an approx

3% cut in cash terms – a 12% cut in real terms

Government Spending Review 2010

o Capital also reduced but not by the amount

feared – we will be able to protect our unique

core data infrastructure

o Administrative costs being reduced over the

CSR period, about 20% in real terms

Delivery Plan 2011-15

o Strategic Priorities

o Delivering our priorities

o Excellent social science research

o National capability

o Research infrastructure

o Partnerships

o International collaboration

o Cross Council Themes

o Economic and Societal Impact

Strategic Priorities

o Seven key challenges, now focus on:

o Three strategic priorities

1. Economic Performance and Sustainable Growth

2. Influencing Behaviour and Informing Interventions

3. Vibrant and Fair Society

o These will apply across the ESRC’s business including

research, training, resources, knowledge exchange etc

Restructuring Schemes

o Focusing resources on longer, larger grants – ambitious

social science.

oHalt Small Grants, Mid-Career Fellowships schemes

o Increase lower and upper thresholds for Standard Grants

scheme

o Streamlining: fewer but more flexible research

competitions

oMerge Large Grants and Centres

oReplace First Grants PDFs with New Research Leaders

Doctoral Training

o DTCs – deliver postgraduate training through more

strategic allocation of studentships

oA cohort of students in each DTC

oMove from accreditation to allocation

oDiscontinue open studentship competitions

o Concentrating the majority of studentships in strategic

areas

o Announced outcome in January

Managing Demand

o Current system is unsustainable – manage around 3000

applications and success rates around 15%

o May require more self regulation in HEIs

o Considering a range of options:

oMeasures including tougher sifting, no resubmissions

o Institutional sanctions

o Institutional quotas

oCharging for submission of applications

o Overall strategy may include range of measures

Data Infrastructure

o Strong data infrastructure is an essential core resource

o We support some of the world’s leading studies

o Underpin research and training, and provide evidence to both

academic and non-academic researchers

o Only ESRC supports these kinds of large, long-term

investments

o The longitudinal ‘jewels’ appreciate in value

o Despite cuts to capital, we will protect a ‘core’ data

infrastructure

Partnership

o Deliver a comprehensive co-funding strategy

o ‘Ventures’ – now the standard model for collaborative

research funding

o Involve the public with ESRC research-practice what

social science advocates in terms of upstreaming

involvement and co-production of knowledge

Partnership

o Build on existing proven mechanisms and extend role of

ESRC as a knowledge broker

o Continue to see public sector and third sector as

important audiences with which to engage and

collaborate

o Business/private sector a priority for increased

engagement - aim to increase business co-funding to

5% of external income by 2015

International Collaboration

o Continue to encourage and promote international

collaboration across all our activities

o Focus on key international partners – 3 RCUK offices

o Rationalise existing targeted schemes

o Develop innovative new ways of enabling international

collaboration (e.g. Open Research Area)

o Actively encourage social scientists to engage with

international funding opportunities e.g. FP8

o Continue successful partnership with DfID

RCUK Collaboration

o Social science remains essential and central to all

seven cross-Council themes (we contribute to all)

o The value of social science is recognised by all the

Research Councils

o Inter-disciplinary research will continue to play an

important role

o ESRC will remain committed to ensuring social science

features in the whole RCUK research agenda

o We want to support our researchers in engaging and

collaborating with users throughout the life cycle of

projects – including before and after

o We are specifically interested in working with our

major investments, including DTCs, to address

oengagement with the business sector

o the three key priorities

Impact Agenda

o Will focus our Knowledge Exchange schemes on key

areas where specific support is required e.g. in follow-on

funding

o New Impact Toolkit:

oan expansion of the Communications toolkit

oA practical tool

odraws on best practice from investments (and will continue

to do so)

o Launched with new ESRC website January 2011

Impact Agenda

ESRC Key Priorities & Future Strategy

Adrian Alsop 2nd Feb 2011