It is widely recognised that one of the most influential and sustaining knowledge exchange processes is achieved through people being given focused tasks as intermediaries between different communities. The ESRC Business Placement Fellows Scheme enables business to access the research knowledge and expertise of the researcher and the research institution. It allows social science researchers to spend time in a business organisation to undertake practice-relevant research and work with businesses on specific projects. It also provides opportunities for a member of a business organisation to work on a project that is relevant to their business in a setting where they have access to academic resources.
The ESRC will actively seek to support business projects relevant to the challenges highlighted in the ESRC Strategic Plan 2009-14.
The Business Engagement Strategy looks to ensure the broad business sector is able to fully exploit the evidence base and ensure maximum impact through the cross-cutting areas of innovation, skills and business models, with particular focus on the three economically-important sectors of financial services, retail and sport, leisure and tourism. The selection of these sectors has been based on the sectors current and future importance to the UK economy, as well as the level of current relevant research provision. Applications with relevance to these cross cutting themes and priority sectors are encouraged.
Aims of the scheme
- Promote the transfer and exchange of knowledge between academic departments and business organisations and the staff employed within them
- Provide business organisations with research-informed evidence to develop and review operational and management practices
- Expand networks for business organisations into academic and vice versa
- Provide career development opportunities and offer skills up-dating
- Enables all parties, including ESRC, to develop their understanding of the interaction between research and the development of operational and management practices in private sector organisations
Eligibility
The scheme enables the temporary transfer, either on a full time or part time basis, of individuals to/from business and academia.
Please note: PhD students are not eligible to apply to this scheme.
Duration
The ESRC promotes flexibility in relation to the duration of fellowships. For both routes, the minimum period for a fellowship will be one month and the maximum period will be 12 months.
There may be opportunities for the placement to be split into blocks of time, with the fellow returning to their usual place of work in between placement periods.
Some flexibility might be negotiated on the promotion of a fellow's time devoted to the award. However, for both routes, fellows would normally be expected to spend at least 50% of their time working in the host organisation's office.
Partners should be aware of any IP and academic publication issues prior to the partnership and agreements should be reached between the parties prior to commencement of the placement.
Conditions
- Fellows must adhere to the ESRC's requirement of independence from political, commercial or sectional interest throughout the placement
- Fellows will need to give undertaking to respect a confidentiality agreement, specifying that any data and internal debate will not be disclosed without prior written agreement of the host organisation
- The purpose can be between either a new or established relationship/partnership but must be a new project, not an already established one
- ESRC expect there to be measurable and visible outputs in the public domain at the completion of the project
- Both parties must commit to identifying outcomes after completion of the placement
Evaluation
In terms of evaluating the placement, the fellow will provide an End of Award Report three months after the grant end date. A further Impact Report will be produced by the fellow and the host organisation after 12 months to assess the impacts of the placement. The host partner will also be asked to provide a report on the fellow's outputs.
Guidance
Generic ESRC Guidance
Scheme Guidance
Scheme queries and application process
We strongly advise applicants to read the detailed scheme guidance notes and FAQs before contacting the Knowledge Transfer Team with queries.