Academy of Social Sciences

We recently awarded a second round of grants, funded by ESRC: Economic and Social Research Council, to support seven EDI initiatives and interventions put forward by social science societies as part of our joint EDI Project with our member social science societies and ESRC. Congratulations to the British Academy of Management, the British Association for Applied Linguistics and UK Association for Language Testing and Assessment (joint bid), the British International Studies Association, the Development Studies Association, the Royal Economic Society’s Discover Economics programme, the Royal Statistical Society and the Society for the Advancement of Management Studies. Find out more about our recipients and their EDI initiatives ➡ https://lnkd.in/e2GxN9bK The EDI Project is a joint programme between The Academy of Social Sciences (AcSS), its member Social Science Societies and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The project aims to encourage and facilitate greater awareness of, and actions to support, EDI across member social science societies, by working together to share resources, learning and to maximise the potential to effect real and positive change. #EDI #socialscience #funding

The full speaker line-up for our free joint in-person event with the University of Exeter on building resilient rural communities has been confirmed. Have you registered yet? If the UK wants to retain resilient food and farming systems, which can deal with the demands of a changing climate and technological innovation, we need farming communities and rural communities which are healthy and sustainable. A steep rise in mental health problems within rural parts of the country, exacerbated by reduced access to support services, could be the biggest barrier. Our panel will unpack these challenges and identify the policy solutions which need to be put in place. This event will see contributions from farmer and former NFU President Minette Batters (event chair), Professor Matt Lobley and Dr Becca Wheeler of the University of Exeter, and farmer, consultant and Farming Community Network (FCN) volunteer Christine Malseed. Event attendees are invited to join a panel discussion, followed by audience Q&A and a networking drinks reception. 📅 11 September 2024 ⏰ 7pm-9.30pm 🎙 University of Exeter, Amory Building Sign up now ➡ https://lnkd.in/e-ugDCKa #Farming #Agriculture #RuralEconomy

“I’ve gone beyond trying to identify and see who these invisible children are, to being able to work with colleagues across the academy, the practitioners and policymakers, to say ‘What do we have to do to make the lives of young carers better? How can we have a fairer solution for young carers?’” Professor Saul Becker is Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Health and Education at The Manchester Metropolitan University and is regarded as the world leader in young carers research, policy, and practice. In the latest episode of season 6 of the We Society podcast, Saul joins our host, Will Hutton, to discuss his 30 years of research into the hidden world of young carers. Listen now 👂 https://lnkd.in/eUXeArp3 #socialscience #WeSociety #podcast #youngcarers

Speaker announcement 📢 Christine Malseed has been confirmed to speak at our free joint in-person event with the University of Exeter on building resilient rural communities 👩🌾 If the UK wants to retain resilient food and farming systems, which can deal with the demands of a changing climate and technological innovation, we need farming communities and rural communities which are healthy and sustainable. A steep rise in mental health problems within rural parts of the country, exacerbated by reduced access to support services, could be the biggest barrier. Christine and her fellow panellists will unpack these challenges and identify the policy solutions which need to be put in place. Christine is Director of her family farm, Frenchbeer Farm, on Dartmoor. She also works as a rural business consultant and facilitator focusing on succession planning. In 2008, she completed a Nuffield Scholarship studying rural stress, through which she visited farmers in Australia and New Zealand where farm succession planning is the norm. She realised that in the UK silence and denial over this important issue results in high stress and rural business failures. Alongside these roles, Christine sits on the Independent Agricultural Appeals Panel and volunteers at the Farming Community Network (FCN). Event attendees are invited to join a panel discussion, followed by audience Q&A and a networking drinks reception. 📅 11 September 2024 ⏰ 7pm-9.30pm 🎙 University of Exeter, Amory Building Register now ➡ https://lnkd.in/e-ugDCKa #Farming #Agriculture #RuralEconomy

Are you interested in learning more about the equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) data of social science students studying in the UK? Our EDI in the social sciences: summary data report draws on 2021/22 Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data to present a top-level summary of EDI data for the social sciences, for both academic and teaching staff and for student populations in UK higher education. The report, produced as part of our collaborative EDI Project in partnership with our member learned societies and the ESRC: Economic and Social Research Council, acts as a resource to support further work in this area including discipline-level analyses to support EDI activities. Find out more ➡ https://lnkd.in/eE7t4V_b The EDI Project is a joint programme between The Academy of Social Sciences, its member social science societies and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The project aims to encourage and facilitate greater awareness of, and actions to support, EDI across member social science societies, by working together to share resources, learning and to maximise the potential to effect real and positive change. #socialscience #EDI

Register for our free webinar 💻 on delivering the potential carbon, health and social benefits of reduced car use 🚗 You’ll hear from Dr Matthew Niblett of the Independent Transport Commission (event chair), Professor Charles Musselwhite of the Research Centre for Transport and Mobility (CeTrAM) at Aberystwyth University, Dr Siobhan Campbell FAcSS of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) and Professor Iain Docherty FAcSS of the University of Stirling. 📅 10 September 2024 ⏰ 1pm-2pm GMT 🎙 Online Register now ➡ https://lnkd.in/eFK2Xgf8 #Transport #TransportPolicy

🔊We are thrilled to have been awarded funding from the Academy of Social Sciences (AcSS), supported by the ESRC: Economic and Social Research Council, to take forward our equality, diversity and inclusion agenda. The AcSS’ EDI Project aims to encourage and facilitate greater awareness of, and actions to support, EDI across social science learned societies in the wider community The funding will be used to implement two key aspects of our EDI strategy – improving the website accessibility for all users, and monitoring/supporting the diversity of applications to, and awarding of, our BISA prizes and grants🏆 Read more here👉https://lnkd.in/eaJeZanP Juliet Dryden Kyle Grayson

In the wake of a UK General Election, in this month’s policy update our Head of Policy & Public Affairs, Ed Bridges, takes a closer look at how the social sciences might fare under a new UK Government, with insights focused on higher education and research and development. Plus, comments on changes in the Welsh higher education and research landscape, and at the Office for Students in England. Read more ➡ https://lnkd.in/ede6KbAw #socialscience #policy

Speaker announcement 📢 Dr Becca Wheeler has been confirmed to speak at our free joint in-person event with the University of Exeter on building resilient rural communities 👩🌾 If the UK wants to retain resilient food and farming systems, which can deal with the demands of a changing climate and technological innovation, we need farming communities and rural communities which are healthy and sustainable. A steep rise in mental health problems within rural parts of the country, exacerbated by reduced access to support services, could be the biggest barrier. Rebecca and her fellow panellists will unpack these challenges and identify the policy solutions which need to be put in place. Rebecca is a Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Rural Policy Research (CRPR). Her current research interests include farmer attitudes, behaviour and decision-making in relation to agri-environment schemes, landscape-scale management and climate change adaptation; health and wellbeing in the agricultural community; public engagement with farming and nature; and the social and cultural geographies of place and landscape including heritage, temporality and the oral histories of everyday landscapes. Event attendees are invited to join a panel discussion, followed by audience Q&A and a networking drinks reception. 📅 11 September 2024 ⏰ 7pm-9.30pm 🎙 University of Exeter, Amory Building Register now ➡ https://lnkd.in/e-ugDCKa #Farming #Agriculture #RuralEconomy

The Academy has today published a new report which summarises the scale and trends in research funding for the social sciences across UK higher education.  The UK is a world leader in social science research and its impact. 80% of the social science research submitted as part of the 2021 Research Excellence Framework exercise was recognised to be world leading or internationally excellent.  Governments, business and charities all draw heavily on social science research, including the knowledge base in universities and insights among practitioners, to aid in policy and strategy development, implementation, growth and evaluation. Therefore, sustained research and development funding in the social sciences is essential in underpinning social science research and its applications.  The Academy’s new report draws largely on published annual Higher Education Statistics Authority (HESA) research funding data for the nine academic years between 2013/14 and 2021/22. It presents a selection of the data available and analyses the social sciences sector in comparison with the medical and biological sciences sector, the physical sciences, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) sector and the arts and humanities sector. It also presents the individual cost centres within the social sciences sector.  As a result, the report provides insight into the quantity, distribution and change over time of research funding for the social science sector as a whole and across disciplines and discipline clusters within it; acts as a reference study for the documentation of change in the future, and in identifying areas of particular concern that the Academy’s learned society members may wish to follow up on for ‘their’ disciplines; and, perhaps most importantly, raises questions about what the UK wants from its social science sector research and the appetite for its funding.  Find out more and read the report ➡ https://lnkd.in/dnKphn7b #socialscience #research #funding