The aim of the Government Social Research Service (GSR) is to provide robust and relevant research evidence for government policies departments. "Our work reduces the degree of uncertainty in policymaking", explains GSR Joint Head Richard Bartholomew.

People in Nordic countries have a high level of trust in the police and courts, while people in Eastern European countries tend to be the least trusting of justice institutions, according to recent findings from the ESRC-supported European Social Survey.

Innovation is not always dependent on a city location, but can also thrive in remote rural areas - for instance exploiting natural resources or developing high-tech engineering and electronics innovation hubs.

Government borrowing is reduced, but the economic outlook is still bleak, according to the Green Budget analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Sixty-five per cent of studied rape cases studied were lost at the earliest stage of the justice process, with police decision to take no further action a significant factor. Research shows that police assess a combination of features of the victim and of the incident to determine 'good cases' for court.

A tooth drilling simulator part-funded by the ESRC has been awarded the prestigious BETT award for Innovation in ICT. The simulator enables dentist students to practice on virtual 3D teeth - without the pain of real patients.

The ESRC Research catalogue is being expanded with over 900 datasets, downloaded from the Economic and Social Data Service and UK Data Archive - encouraging the use and reuse of data funded by ESRC.

In the face of survey fatigue, how can researchers gather quality information? Data linking could not only add high value to existing surveys, but also create new data resources.

Public health policies have been hampered by the lack of good research evidence to design and implement effective initiatives. Research by the ESRC-funded Centre for the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions for Public Health Improvement has examined health policy initiatives in Wales.

In an ESRC CASE studentship, psychologist Eleanor Ratcliffe at the University of Surrey is exploring how listening to natural sounds such as birdsong can improve mood and attention after stress or fatigue.