Older people and those who work non-standard hours are less likely to feel integrated into society, according to a study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

New research suggests that far from disengaging young people from real life, virtual worlds can provide unique environments that can help them learn and negotiate new situations.

Innovative software to help teachers stay at the forefront of the digital revolution in education has been developed by researchers funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Many disabled children fail to reach their full potential because they continue to be marginalised in schools, health and social care, according to new research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

A more flexible approach to teaching methods and better community support could reduce school drop-out in high HIV-prevalence areas in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Government’s commitment to ‘localism’ is likely to fail unless Whitehall departments can shed a deep-rooted culture of centralism, a new study suggests.

Politicians and local councillors are currently looking for the best way to control spending across services. At an event as part of the Economic and Social Research Council’s (ESRC) Festival of Social Science, researchers will find out how young people would shape youth services in Lincoln.

Not many ten-year-olds may have considered what it’s like to be old. But two forthcoming workshops for Year 6 children aim to develop childhood understandings of later life and discuss the differences and similarities between people at various ages.

Community land ownership (CLO) is bringing people back to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and helping to create more vibrant and resilient communities, according to a report from the Scottish Agricultural College.

Academics and campaigners are calling on the government to reconsider its proposed changes in providing support for children with special needs.

Most migrants working in the London sex industry do not feel they are forced to sell sex. In fact, they decide to work in the sex industry to achieve a good standard of living for themselves and their families back home. They say working in the sex industry avoids employment in menial and poorly paid jobs.

With corned beef making a comeback, period dramas filling primetime TV and the styles of the 60s and 80s frequently gracing the fashion catwalks, nostalgia is playing an important role in everyday life.

As police and politicians seek fast-track solutions to the recent violence on the streets of England’s cities, student volunteers and teachers from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) have started a new project, ‘Global Youth Leaders’, which is part of a long-term programme using young people as mentors in deprived communities in Britain and abroad.

Parents who joke and pretend with their toddlers are giving their children a head start in terms of life skills. Most parents are naturals at playing the fool with their kids, says a new research project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

The British appetite for zombies is becoming a growing trend. From computer games and films to organised zombie walks though Britain’s cities, the proliferation of zombies seems to be everywhere.

The Olympic and Paralympic Games are one of the most prestigious events in the world and in 2012 all eyes will be on London. The well published post - 2012 Games legacy includes world class sports facilities, a woodland park, new homes, shops and restaurants. What isn’t clear is what will happen to the high level security measures that will be left behind after the Games.

The young people of Leeds will have a unique opportunity later this month to come together and discuss institutional racism and other social issues facing Britain today. The event coincides with the start of a retrial of two men charged with the murder of black student Stephen Lawrence 18 years ago.

The benefits of virtual worlds can be used to help autistic children develop social skills beyond their anticipatedlevels, suggest early findings from new research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) are delighted to announce that Professor Dame Janet Finch has been appointed as Chair of the Birth Cohort Study Governing Board.

Vampires on the True Blood television series are already enjoying the advantages of synthetic blood. While this may seem to be only the imagination on the big screen, the true benefits of blood manufactured from embryonic stem cells may be less than a decade away.

Governments should target aid towards individual households threatened with poverty because of soaring food costs rather than intervene in the markets to try to lower prices.

Contrary to belief, older people in South Africa and Brazil become happier as they age. New research suggests that, with the right policies in place, a developing country can significantly improve the wellbeing of its older citizens.

Researchers funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) have developed a software toolkit that shows how such an approach sparks and sustains students’ interest in science.

People with dementia can still make decisions in their everyday lives and with support from partners can continue to do so as their condition advances. This is one of the preliminary findings of a two-year research project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

The ESRC is pleased to announce that it is supporting five new projects in partnership with business which will continue to apply academic knowledge and thinking to business problems.