Presentation by ESRC at Interface workshop, 23rd June 2011, about ESRC's strategic priorities, maximising impact and knowledge exchange funding and support available from ESRC

1. Welcome Astrid Wissenburg, Director of Partnerships & Communications Aaron Camber, Senior Knowledge Exchange Manager

2. Programme ESRC and RCUK priorities Knowledge Exchange Opportunities Maximizing Impact Knowledge Exchange for ESRC

3. Science budget allocations 2011 - 2015

4. Research Council allocations2011 - 2015

6. Strategic priorities The Delivery Plan 2011-2015 three strategic priorities: Economic Performance and Sustainable Growth Influencing Behaviour and Informing Interventions Vibrant and Fair Society To be delivered through: Enhancing impact from existing investments Encouraging investments to work together And only exceptionally, new investments To be refreshed annually

7. Economic Performance and Sustainable Growth What are the determinants of economic performance and sustainable growth? From existing commitments: innovation, highly skilled workforce, demographic changes From selective new investments: entrepreneurship, rising powers, infrastructure e.g. energy, digital How to secure benefits for populations? From existing and planned commitments: move to low carbon economy, environmental resource provision, global poverty alleviation, distribution of economic performance How to improve stability and resilience of economies? From selective new investments: new approaches to macro-economics; constructions of risk, regulation and governance

8. Influencing Behaviour and Informing Interventions How to understand behaviour and risks at multiple levels and settings? From existing investments: e.g., public and preventative health New investment: via Centres and Large Grants Competition steer; and synthetic work How and why do behaviours change? From existing commitments, maximising contribution from diverse awards From investment: role of technologies, social norms and signals via an agents of change steer to the Competition, and synthetic work How does the interplay of childhood, family, community and wider society influence inequalities of wellbeing? From existing and new investment: to exploit key longitudinal data and potential linkage to administrative data. NB, new investment addresses research and capacity-building; also challenges of measuring wellbeing.

9. A Vibrant and Fair Society What are inclusive communities and can we achieve them? From existing investments: implications of public service reconfiguration and contribution of civil society. From new investments: the interaction of resources, power, place and identity - ESRC contribution to Connected Communities; together with contribution from exploitation of key longitudinal data. How do individuals and communities most effectively make their voices heard? From existing and planned investments: the relevance of technology ; international comparative perspectives from rising powers, poverty alleviation From new investment by steer to the Centres and Large Grants competition which will also address: How mobile is our society? In terms of implications of austerity, retrenchment of the state and changes in delivery of public services Exploitation of key datasets and existing investments address migration; social mobility n.b. Underpinning themes of diversity and democracy

10. Research Councils UK The Research Councils as a whole will: Work more closely with HEIs, other research organisations and the Funding Councils. Steer collaboration to deliver enhanced outcomes and impact Locate and encourage excellence and capability, leading to greater research concentration where appropriate Develop collaborative approaches to managing demand for research funding

12. Maximise research impact by providing support and sharing best practice

14. Recognise that the research we fund has both academic and economic and societal impacts, i.e.The demonstrable contribution that excellent research makes to society and the economy by:

15. Fostering global economic performance, and specifically the economic competitiveness of the UK

16. Increasing the effectiveness of public services and policy

18. TSB

19. Government departments

20. Key universities

22. HE sector working together RCUK encourages the sector to work together to strengthen the research and knowledge exchange capacity of universities . There are many benefits of university collaborations: Brings together researchers from different disciplines and research organisation to share ideas, skills, techniques and technologies to address complex problems. Creates a critical mass in research skills, facilities and larger infrastructure. Opportunity to increase the visibility of work e.g. more pathways for realising economic and societal impact. Rapid and flexible access to new ideas and insights, increased opportunity for funding and higher quality outcomes in shorter timeframes. Shared costs and risks.

25. Simpler but more coherent set of opportunities

26. KE Funding Opportunities Aimed at social science researchers at all stages of their career in partnership with organisations in the business, public and civil society sectors Keen to encourage dialogue and collaboration between these groups, and innovative KE Funding Opportunities: Knowledge Exchange Opportunities Follow-on Fund scheme Next call planned for September/October 2011

27. Breakout Session Consider… packages of activity you would like to propose for KE funding opportunities types of impact they might have on the user community Be imaginative…

31. Generating impact: relationships Key factors identified for generating impact include: Established relationships and networks with user communities; Where appropriate, the involvement of intermediaries and knowledge broker as translators, amplifiers, network providers, etc Good infrastructure and management support;

32. Generating impact: co-production Involving users at all stages of the research; Well-planned user-engagement and knowledge exchange strategies; Co-production of knowledge – scope for generating higher impact; Portfolios of research activity that build reputations with research users;

33. The role of KE in ESRC Knowledge Broker: Connecting users with past/current portfolio Advice and Support: Impact Toolkit http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding-and-guidance/tools-and-resources/impact-toolkit/index.aspx Encourage good practice and experiences

34. Partnerships Collaboration critical to delivering quality, impact and independence Our partnerships include our academic community, HEIs and learned societies research users in public, private and third sector other research councils, funding councils and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) international collaboration with researchers and funders promotion of our research to the public

36. But business/private sector a priority for increased engagement - aim to increase business co-funding to 5% of external income by 2015

38. Over 70% - some level of engagement with the sector

39. More than 30% - strong existing relationships

40. Advisory Boards,

41. Collaborative Research, etc.

42. Consultancy arrangements

43. Where can we add value? ,

46. ESRC has many opportunities for Knowledge ExchangeKE Schemes & Pathways to Impact

49. Knowledge transfer schemes

51. Thank You Comments and questions welcome Astrid.Wissenburg@esrc.ac.uk 01793 413115 Aaron.Camber@esrc.ac.uk 01793 413230