ESRC Society Today

The ESRC makes a significant contribution to research resources, such as datasets and surveys that support the work of the third sector.  These resources offer an invaluable insight into the dynamics ofUKsocietyand provide information on specific policy areas such as education, poverty, social exclusion, household consumption and personal finances.  Below is a list of ESRC funded research resources relevant to the third sector.

• Understanding Societya major new household panel study which will provide valuable evidence to assist with understanding the long term effects of social and economic change, as well as the impact of policy interventions on the general well-being of the UK population.  It will be the largest study of its type in the world.
• The Economic and Social Data Service (ESDS)provides access and support for an extensive range of key economic and social data, both quantitative and qualitative, spanning manydisciplines and themes.

• National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM)forms part of the ESRCs strategy to improve the standards of research methods across the UK social science community

• The European Social Survey (ESS)an academically-driven social survey designed to chart and explain the interaction between Europe's changing institutions and the attitudes, beliefs and behaviour patterns of its diverse populations.

• Workplace Employment Relations Survey (WERS)provides large-scale, statistically reliable evidence about a broad range of employment practices across almost every sector of the economy.

• Understanding Population Trends and Processes (UPTAP)builds capacity in secondary analysis and promotes the use of large-scale social science datasets, both qualitative and quantitative.

• The UK Longitudinal Studies Centre (ULSC)a national resource centre for promoting longitudinal research and for the design, management and support of longitudinal surveys. It is responsible for undertaking the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), one of the most heavily used surveys in social science research in the UK.

• Centre for Longitudinal Studieshas contributed to debates and enquiries in a number of policy areas including education, poverty and social exclusion, gender differences in pay and employment, social class differences in health, changing family structures and anti-social behaviour.  It houses three of Britain's internationally renowned birth cohort studies.

• New Birth Cohort Facility (BCF) is a new birth cohort to be established in 2012 and provide a resource dedicated to supporting enhanced access to and co-ordination of the existing cohorts.

• Timescapesexplores the development of personal relationships and identities through the life course.  It provides evidence for the development of family policies that are sensitive to human agency and life course dynamics.

• The Secure Data Service (SDS)a new service funded intended to promote excellence in research by enabling safe and secure remote access by researchers to data previously deemed too sensitive, detailed or confidential to be made available under standard licensing and dissemination arrangements.

• National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyle (NATSAL)provides vital data for scientists, clinicians and policy makers on sexual health and risk taking in sexual behaviours, and regularly informs sex education policy and public health planning

• National Centre for e-Social Science aims to encourage the uptake and use of emerging e-science technologies with social sciences.

• Click here for details of all other ESRC research resources.