steve morgan associate director for research, training and development hewlett foundation/population...
DESCRIPTION
Our purpose Knowledge Impact Advancing knowledge in all areas of human and social activity Promoting its use for people in the United Kingdom and the wider worldTRANSCRIPT
Steve MorganAssociate Director for Research, Training and
Development
Hewlett Foundation/Population Reference Bureau Conference; London 02.11.2006
ESRC STRATEGIC PLAN 2005-2010
Our purpose
Knowledge Impact
Advancing knowledge in all areas of human and social activity
Promoting its use for people in the United Kingdom and the wider world
Our principles
Quality Relevance Independence
Quality Funding research and training of the highest quality by world standards
Relevance Focusing on areas of major national importance and key policy areas
Independence Ensuring independence from political, commercial or sectional interests
FRAMEWORK
Four broad but integrated categories of activities:
ResearchCapacity
Engagement
Performance
KEY PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS
Seizing new research opportunities and being responsive to both the social science research community and our wider stakeholders
Strengthening the social science research base – people, disciplines, data, methods and infrastructure
Operating in a global context – a commitment to the increasing internationalisation of all aspects of our work
HEWLETT/ESRC Scheme – An example
- Still under discussion and subject to formal approval by ESRC and clarification of legal issues by Hewlett;
- Target date for formal launch is January 2007;- ESRC will be the implementing agent;- Scheme will require high Quality research with Impact on the
issue of economic development, poverty reduction and population dynamics/ reproductive health;
- Reconciles substantive research and capacity building in one scheme;
- Will cover UK, European and African research teams – with lead applicants from UK or Africa;
- Will encourage all appropriate disciplines to participate.
HEWLETT-ESRC Scheme
Research Projects but allows and encourages Capacity Building
Focus is on innovative research that will add new insights and understanding to the global social science knowledge base.
Also recognises that capacity is a problem in some developing country contexts – HENCE scheme encourages human capacity and technical capacity issues to be addressed.
HEWLETT-ESRC Scheme
Research Focus:Scheme will address relationship between economic
development and poverty reduction on the one hand, and population dynamics and reproductive health matters.
Will include a challenge for the research community to address the difficult issue of causality.
HEWLETT-ESRC Scheme
Capacity Building covers:Development and exploitation of new datasets (with
attention to long-term sustainability beyond project life)
New Methodological developmentsHuman capacity – Doctoral students, Visiting Fellows,
Professorial Fellowships
HEWLETT-ESRC Scheme
Both sponsors want to see impact from the projects;Requires projects to have an appropriate engagement
strategy with all stakeholders;Recognises that knowledge pathways are dynamic and
operate during lifetime of a project;Not just “end-of-pipe”
HEWLETT-ESRC Scheme
Hewlett is a private US Foundation and can fund anywhere in the world.
Hence: Hewlett involvement means we can fund anyone anywhere in the world – do not need a UK partner.
Focus for this scheme is UK, Africa and Europe, though European involvement will be as co-applicants to UK- or African-led team
ESRC-DFID Scheme – Another Example
Two calls to date:International peer review and panel
Around £4million allocated to 9 projects in February 2006
Around £3million allocated to 14 projects in Sept 06
28 large-scale projects shortlisted to submit full applications
Science for Development
Key time for research relevant to development
Research agencies looking at what they fund, how and why
Recognise that need to learn from each other, seek synergies and watch for duplication
Development agencies that fund research are assessing what they do, how and why
My reflections on the future
Research landscape is characterised by multiple actors and fragmentation - Need to work together
Need to triangulate research funders with aid agencies and with research community
Need to ensure that the best of social sciences contribute to the debates on an equal footing in all parts of the world – need to break “ghettoisation”
My reflections on future
Like many, I believe the time is right for a re-conceptualisation of the terms “development” and “development research”, etc
All subjects need to reflect on their entry point into the issues – need to move on from previous agendas
Terminology needs to be addressed; eg “development” has colonial roots and term subliminally suggests dependence – fosters an “us and them” mentality
Should think in terms of a “global us” and in terms of mutual concern for mutual issues
Sense of déjà vu with the global environmental agenda in ’90s
My reflections (contd)
Geographical focus based on national boundaries is breaking down
Poverty exists all over the world – emerging economies like China and India are breaking the national paradigm
Greater focus on topics and issuesGreater focus at both the local (participation of
peoples) and also at the regional (eg, South Asia, West Africa, etc)
Some big challenges
Reconciling environmental and development agendas
Understanding the economic and social drivers of change and transformation at the household, local, national and international levels
Developing a new paradigm that recognises the growing interdependencies of peoples and systems
New models for assessing relevance and impact of research and development aid