ESRC Society Today

ESRC has agreed to collaborate with the other Research Councils on the peer review and funding of research projects that extend beyond the social sciences. The new arrangements will enhance the opportunities for research that brings social sciences methods and approaches together with those of other research communities. Examples include research into energy, ageing, genomics, nanotechnology and the creative industries.   

Details of the arrangements, which apply to the ESRC's Research Grants Board provision and comparable responsive-mode routes within the other Research Councils, are available on the RCUK website and in the ESRC's funding guide. Project proposals that extend beyond the mission a single Research Council will continue to be submitted to the Council with the majority interest, but peer reviewers will be obtained from each of the relevant communities. The Research Councils will also co-fund those projects where a significant element of the costs reside within more than one Council's domain.

In parallel, AHRC and ESRC have updated their joint subject statement (PDF, 65 Kb), with the aim of providing more detail on their research areas at the interface of their interests.