As part of the UK Data Service (UKDS) launch, social scientists from all sectors are invited to participate in a series of webinars introducing data and resources available through the service.

The Economic and Social Research Council is delighted to announce new funding of £64 million to be invested in Big Data. This forms part of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's announcement of capital funding for the eight Great British technologies in his Autumn Statement detailing an additional £600m for science, research and innovation.

The ESRC is pleased to announce that the next British Election Study will be hosted by the University of Manchester in collaboration with Oxford University and Nottingham University.

The ESRC is pleased to participate as funding partner in the What Works Network. The aim of the network is to provide robust research evidence to guide decision-making on £200bn of public spending.

Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts has announced the reappointment of Dr Alan Gillespie CBE as the chair of the ESRC.

A number of prominent social scientists and ESRC grant holders have been honoured in the New Year Honours list. We are pleased to offer our congratulations to everyone honoured.

How can you capture the meaning of 'social sciences' and 'society today' in a single picture? This was the challenge of Portraits of Britain – a photographic competition organised by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Festival of Social Science.

We are seeking applications to fill two vacancies for part-time membership on the ESRC's governing Council, which are expected to arise during 2013.

Data from waves 3 and 4 of the Understanding Society Innovation Panel are now available to download.

We wish to evaluate the use of UK address list information by academics, in light of the recent creation of the National Address Gazetteer.

A number of prominent social scientists and ESRC grant recipients have been honoured in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.

As part of a national dementia initiative, ESRC and the National Institute for Health Research will be working together to support social science research on dementia with up to £13m funding available.

An update for ESRC grant holders on our Open Access policy and current developments in this area.

We have produced a set of five new social mobility evidence briefings. The briefings cover education, health inequalities, parenting style, child poverty and employment.

Research Councils UK have prepared a draft Welsh Language Scheme in accordance with the Welsh Language Act 1993. The public consultation commences on 21 February and will end on 1 May.

Mae Cynghorau Ymchwil y DU wedi paratoi Cynllun Iaith Gymraeg drafft yn unol â Deddf yr Iaith Gymraeg 1993. Bydd yr ymgynghoriad yn dechrau ar 21 Chewefror a daw i ben ar 1 Mai.

Professor Tony Coxon, founding director of the British Household Panel Study, passed away on 7 January.

A number of prominent social scientists and ESRC award recipients have been honoured in the New Year Honours list.

Professor Sir Roger Jowell, co-director of the British Election Studies programme and co-founder of the European Social Survey, passed away on 25 December aged 69.

Season's greetings and Christmas holiday closing times.

As the Understanding Society survey’s first 'full wave' of information has been deposited with the UK Data Archive, interviews from the world's largest household panel survey are for the first time accessible for research analysis.

Following changes to our existing peer review practices and submission policies, we have conducted an extensive consultation with the social science community - receiving a very positive response.

ESRC Chief Executive Paul Boyle has been elected as the first President of Science Europe, a newly formed organisation that brings together 50 research organisations from across Europe.

Three innovative new research projects have been awarded funding by the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) through its Research and Knowledge Exchange Fund.

An Anglo-Japanese scientific symposium on growing older in urban environments was held in the Spring. The symposium was jointly supported by the ESRC, the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (London office) with the help of the International Longevity Centre (London/Tokyo).