ahrc strategy, programmes and future directions professor shearer west director of research
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AHRC Strategy, Programmes and Future Directions
Professor Shearer WestDirector of Research
Political Contexts: Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills
• From April 2009: Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and BERR joined to become BIS (Department of Business, Innovation and Skills)
• BIS oversees both sides of dual support (approx 80% of a + h funding from QR)
Funding Contexts: The Dual Support SystemQuality-related Funding allocated by the Funding Councils of England, Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland. £1.5 billion in 2008-09 distributed by block grant to universities on basis of Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) results. Distributed retrospectively.
Research Council Funding Annual investment of c. £1.3 billion in research in UK universities, c. £500 million in their own Research Institutes, and c. £300 million in access to international facilities for UK researchers. Distributed in advance of project on basis of peer review.
Funding Contexts: Research CouncilsSeven UK Research Councils form the collective entity Research Councils UK (RCUK):
Arts and Humanities Research CouncilEconomic and Social Research CouncilEngineering and Physical Sciences Research CouncilBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research CouncilScience and Technology Facilities CouncilNatural Environment Research CouncilMedical Research Council
AHRCHistory:• AHRB (splinter of British Academy) formed
1998• AHRC Royal Charter April 2005• Over the last four years the AHRC has
benefited from a 35% uplift in funding, from £80.5 million in 2005/06 to £109 million announced for 2010/11
AHRC
Scope:• 27% of research-active academic community
within AHRC remit• Over 14,000 academics• Approximately 50 disciplines/sub-disciplines• AHRC receives 2.8% of the science and research
budget
AHRC
Quality:
Arts and humanities research received the highest percentage of 4* ratings in the 2008 RAE
‘Future Directions’ consultation • February to May 2009
• Initial analysis identified
emerging themes
• Themes published on
website for further consultation
• Emerging themes to Council and
Advisory Board
• Council discussing prioritising for
2012 onwards
Strategic PrioritiesAdvancing UK’s world-leading
reputation for researchStrengthening value and impact of arts
and humanities researchEnhancing the role of arts and
humanities in cross-disciplinary support for research on societal challenges
Building capacity through further strategic consolidation of postgraduate funding, including support for both endangered areas and key skills
Strategic PrioritiesProviding opportunities forresearchers to work outside HE andoutside the UK throughout theirresearch careers
Through more strategic targeting ofpartnerships and greater brokerageactivities, developing the capacity ofarts and humanities research to:
influence public policyengage with the creative
economyhave an impact internationallyhave greater profile with the public
Core Arts and Humanities Areas
History, Thought, Systems of Belief
Creative and Performing Arts
Cultures and Heritage
Languages and Literatures
Current Strategic Programmes
Design in the 21st centuryLandscape and Environment
Beyond TextDiasporas, Migration and IdentityReligion and Society (with ESRC)
Science and Heritage (with EPSRC)
Emerging Arts and Humanities Research Challenges
• Digital Transformations in Arts and Humanities
• Translating Cultures• Care for the Future: Thinking
forward through the Past• Science and Culture
Preparing for highlighted calls in each of these areas in coming months
RCUK Strategic Programmes which include AHRC
Digital Economy
Global Uncertainties
Living with Environmental Change
Lifelong Heath and Wellbeing
Cross-Council Programme in Development: Connected Communities
• AHRC lead
• Working group with EPSRC,
ESRC, MRC and NERC
• Expert group being
established
• Summit to be held in summer
•Events planned with
Department of CLG and Young
Foundation
•Launch planned within year
Main types of support
Open responsive calls
Thematically responsive calls
Commissioned research
Principal Mechanisms
Research Grants (up to £1 million and including early career and ‘speculative’ route)
Fellowships (including policy and KT Fellowships)
Networks
Studentships
Knowledge Transfer
• AHRC/BBC outcomes
• AHRC/BT scheme
• Policy work (Fellowships
and seminars, work with
Scottish Funding Council)
• Creative Industries,
Technology and Innovation
Network
• Working with the
Technology Strategy Board
International
• RCUK Priority Countries
• HERA Programmes (18/19
HERA awards with UK partners)
• AHRC / DFG
• Cultural Heritage Joint
Programming Initiative
• Net Heritage
• Joint funding with NSF
RCUK Definition of Impact
The demonstrable contribution that excellent research makes to society and the economy. Economic impact embraces all the diverse ways in which research related knowledge and skills benefit individuals, organisations and nations by:
RCUK Definition of Impact
• Fostering economic competitiveness• Increasing the effectiveness of public services
and public policy• Enhancing quality of life, health and creative
output
What Impact Encompasses• monetary impacts• improvement of public services• contribution to public policy• ‘human capital’• contribution to quality of life
IMPACT IS ABOUT THE MANY FORMS OF BENEFIT AND VALUE THAT RESEARCH BRINGS TO PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONS OUTSIDE THE ACADEMY
How Arts and Humanities Research Demonstrates Benefit and Value
Benefits to business e.g. creation of new products involving fine artists and designers, such as ‘Design against Crime’ products, used by pubs and coffee shops (e.g. Starbucks)
How Arts and Humanities Research Demonstrates Benefit and Value
Bike off 2: D21 Research GrantImpacts:
on designon public policyon societyon economy
How Arts and Humanities Research Demonstrates Benefit and value
improvement of public services e.g. research feeding into museums, galleries, and other public sector organisations through Collaborative Doctoral awards; Shah Abbas exhibition at British Museum
How Arts and Humanities Research Demonstrates Benefit and Value
contribution to public policye.g. House of Commons Select Committee use of findings from Edinburgh Centre for Intellectual Property; Policy Seminars on Policing and Counter-Terrorism and on Human Rights; Home Office use of research from ‘Religion and Society’ programme
How Arts and Humanities Research Demonstrates Benefit and Value
‘human capital’• 535,000 undergraduates and postgraduates
studying arts and humanities subjects at any one time
• 145,000 arts and humanities graduates per year• 75% of AHRC-funded Ph.D.s are in academic posts• Overseas research students bring in £2 billion per
annum to the UK economy
How Arts and Humanities Research Demonstrates Benefit and Value
Quality of life• enhancing intellectual life, divergent thinking and
tolerance; building on centuries of heritage, maintenance and growth of cultural richness
• Indirect economic impact through encouraging inward investment and tourism
Quality of Life: Public Engagement
• Broadcast media
• Exhibitions
• Community history
• Museums and galleries
• Film
• Family genealogy
• Digital inclusion
Public Engagement (cont.)
• Archaeology
• Performing arts
• Schools curriculum
Ways of Achieving Benefit and Value: Knowledge Exchange
The processes by which new knowledge is co-produced through interactions between academic and non-academic individuals and communities.
Recognition that this is usually a process of exchange
Range of KE partners in the Arts and Humanities
• Commercial• Cultural and heritage sectors• Performance organisations • Broadcasting, film, games and media• Public policy• Professional practitioners• Third sector
Beneficiaries and Impact section of grants forms
• Recognition that impacts cannot always be predicted; asking for potential ‘pathways to impact’ and potential beneficiaries, not for a prediction of impact
• Opportunities for research community to grow capacity for non-academic benefits
• Intended to boost the profile of arts and humanities research with other stakeholders and the public
• Not intended to be used as a sanction but to encourage academics to engage with others outside the academic community
• World-class research where impact arguments cannot be made will not be disadvantaged