ESRC Society Today

Embargoed until 00:01hrs Thursday 8th March 2007

A new magazine, published by the Economic and Social Research Council, will be launched today. Britain Today showcases the diversity of ESRC-funded research around the state of the nation in 2007. It offers a concise analysis of research and topical issues concerning Britain today. 

Professor Ian Diamond, Chief Executive of the Economic and Social Research Council comments that: "The ESRC supports top-quality researchers in a wide range of subjects. We want the excellent research we support to be used by everyone who can gain from it whether a member of the general public, a business leader or a member of government. This new magazine will give a flavour of what research is revealing about the UK and its place in the world. By highlighting some of the key challenges facing not only UK society but also global society we hope to stimulate debate on the issues that really matter to Britain today."

The magazine is a mixture of academic opinion pieces alongside informed journalistic writing. Features include:

• Globalisation. What's new, what's not...
• Britain's innovation challenge - Economic growth through a more effective innovation infrastructure
• What makes a good childhood? Can parents ensure their children enjoy growing up?
• Unequal employment - is disadvantage caused by discrimination?
• Britons' changing identities. Changing social attitudes in Britain.
• Learning to live - how best to teach essential life skills to the 14-19 age group.
• University research for economic growth - the vital role that university research plays in Britain's economy
• How does climate change effect the UK? The physical effects of climate change and the psychological landscape of policymakers and voters
• Productivity races - Britain's playing catch-up with the United States
• The appliance of science - can science attract students and retain teachers?
• The bottom billion - refocusing the problem of global poverty.    

An entertaining, accessible and informative magazine, Britain Today will appeal to those who enjoy debate and current affairs and have an interest both in social sciences and UK society.

Britain Today will be available in WHSmith from Thursday 8th March priced at £3.95.

For further information, contact the ESRC Press Office:

• Alexandra Saxon (Tel: 01793 413032/07971027335, e-mail: alexandra.saxon@esrc.ac.uk)
• Annika Howard (Tel: 01793 413119, e-mail: annika.howard@esrc.ac.uk)    

Notes for editors

1. Embargoed copies of Britain Today are available by contacting Alexandra Saxon on 01793 413032 / 0797 1027335 or via e-mail: Alexandra.saxon@esrc.ac.uk
2. The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest funding agency for research and postgraduate training relating to social and economic issues. It provides independent, high quality, relevant research to business, the public sector and Government. The ESRC's planned total expenditure in 2006/7 is £169 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and research policy institutes. More at http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/.
3. ESRC Society Today offers free access to a broad range of social science research and presents it in a way that makes it easy to navigate and saves users valuable time. As well as bringing together all ESRC-funded research and key online resources such as the Social Science Information Gateway and the UK Data Archive, non-ESRC resources are included, for example the Office for National Statistics. The portal provides access to early findings and research summaries, as well as full texts and original datasets through integrated search facilities. More at http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/.