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)