Economic and Social Research Council


The Economic and Social Research Council is a council of UK Research and Innovation, a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, responsible for funding and support for research and training in the social sciences. It is the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues.
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History

The ESRC was founded in 1965 as the Social Science Research Council. The establishment of a state funding body for the social sciences in the United Kingdom, had been under discussion since the Second World War; however, it was not until the 1964 election of Prime Minister Harold Wilson that the political climate for the creation of the SSRC became sufficiently favourable.
The first chief executive of the SSRC was Michael Young. Subsequent holders of the post have included Michael Posner, later Secretary General of the European Science Foundation.

Change of name

Following the election of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1979 general election, the Government expressed reservations about the value of research in the social sciences, and the extent to which it should be publicly funded. In 1981, the Education Secretary Sir Keith Joseph asked Lord Rothschild to lead a review into the future of the SSRC.
It was ultimately decided that the Council should remain, but that its remit should be expanded beyond the social sciences, to include more 'empirical' research and research of 'more public concern'. To reflect this, in 1983 the SSRC was renamed the Economic and Social Research Council.

Mission

The ESRC's mission, according to its website, is to:
  • promote and support, by any means, high-quality research and related postgraduate training on social and economic issues
  • develop and support the national data infrastructure that underpins high-quality research
  • advance knowledge and provide trained social scientists who meet the needs of users and beneficiaries, thereby contributing to the economic competitiveness of the UK, the effectiveness of public services and policy, and the quality of life
  • communicate clearly and promote public understanding of social science.

Description

The ESRC is based at Polaris House in Swindon, which is also the location of the head offices of several other councils of UK Research and Innovation: AHRC, BBSRC, EPSRC, Innovate UK, MRC, NERC and STFC, as well as the UK Space Agency. At any one time ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and independent research institutes.

Notable people

Chairman:
Chief Executive:
Executive Chair: