The government and police efforts to tackle financial crime - from business fraud to tax evasion - are hampered by a lack of accurate data about the nature and extent of offending, according to new research.

The health benefits of 'water clubs' in care homes for the elderly owe as least as much to the social nature of the activity as to the value of drinking water itself, an investigation by psychologists and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has shown

With a referendum on Scottish Independence due to be held in 2014, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has appointed seven one year senior fellowships with overall funding of £1.3 million.

The use of technology in the classroom is nothing new, but Topcliffe Primary School in Birmingham is breaking new ground by using technology to help pupils with autism communicate more effectively in a project jointly funded by the ESRC and the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)

Britain in 2013 - the nation in focus, showcases the diversity of ESRC-funded research on the state of the nation. The magazine is a mixture of academic opinion pieces alongside informed journalistic writing, offering a concise analysis of research and topical issues concerning Britain today.

Warwick and Aston Universities have been chosen to host a new Enterprise Research Centre that will help develop understanding of the factors affecting business investment, performance and growth.

‘Social medicines’ are beneficial to the health and wellbeing of individuals and the population. By combining social and biological information from UK Longitudinal studies (life-course studies) researchers have identified that the more ‘social medicines’ you have, the better your physical and mental health.

Multi-millionaire rockers such as Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Cliff Richard are set to benefit from recent changes to EU copyright legislation that extend the duration of copyright protection

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.

Cyberbullying – using modern communications technology such as e-mails, texts or web-postings to abuse people - is as common in the workplace as ‘conventional’ bullying. Yet, the way cyberbullying influences both the victim and witnesses are more hidden in the workplace according to new research by occupational psychologists.

As the impacts of the economic crisis continue to reverberate across European society, it is more important than ever before that European social scientists work together to investigate urgent economic and social issues and expand our understanding of complex social processes and individual behaviour.

Schools can promote social inclusion by helping children to discover a version of British history that acknowledges how people from a range of ethnic backgrounds have contributed to contemporary British society, according to new research.

Following the implementation of new legislation equalities policy, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community is now an aspect of staff training in local government according to research at the Universities of Newcastle and Huddersfield.

Learning about surviving disasters has resulted in a unique bank of research data which provides insights into what makes an effective community response at this critical time. Community responses are key to helping children and young people who survive major natural disasters.

Young people in Dorset will have the chance to question whether hosting London 2012 has brought benefits to the area in which they live as well as to the UK as a whole at an event as part of the Economic and Social Research Council’s (ESRC) Festival of Social Science.

Introducing abstinence education into UK schools could be a less effective substitute for comprehensive Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) aimed at children and young adults, say a research team led by Sheffield Hallam University.

Children’s parties or activity days, where prospective adopters meet children awaiting adoption, could be part of the solution to the current adoption crisis, according to research that will be showcased during the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)’s Festival of Social Science.

One of the challenges we face is how to best design and change cities into smart intelligent and sustainable environments. Researchers will explain how new technology can make our cities more habitable, and help the people who live in them understand them better.

People on low incomes who find it impossible to secure affordable loans can now access finance more readily following a successful Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project jointly funded by Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

In the developing world minority social movements who oppose projects they regard as inappropriate and exploitative can be effective. Research jointly supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and Department of International Development (DFID) suggests that it is possible for social movements to drive changes.

According to latest research, social scientists with PhDs working in central government make valuable contributions to policy, and report that holding a PhD can enhance their credibility with senior officials. It also shows that they are more likely to have climbed the career ladder and progressed into leadership roles.

A world-leading initiative which brings together some of the most important studies of people’s lives in the UK, has been launched today by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Medical Research Council (MRC).

If approached in the right way, citizens are willing to change their behaviour and do more to help themselves and others, according to research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

A unique approach to early literacy work with families where children develop their language skills and their ability to read and write from an early age has had a huge success.

Insomnia sufferers in England could have greater access to successful treatment, thanks to a training programme developed as part of trials of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi), funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).