To all SPA members
If you have views on the questions below, please could you let me know. We hope to ensure the SPA is represented at this meeting and will endeavour to convey any concerns or comments from our members.
Please email me at: [log in to unmask]
Best wishes
Caroline
From: ESRC Open Evening [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 09 November 2011 16:56
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Invitation to the ESRC Open Meeting 2011, 6pm - 8pm, Tuesday 6 December 2011, 76 Portland Place, London W1B 1NT
Dear Professor Glendinning
6pm – 8pm, Tuesday 6 December 2011
76 Portland Place, London W1B 1NT
I would like to invite you to attend our Open Meeting, which is an opportunity for the public and our social science community to give us their views on our current priorities.
In particular, this public meeting will consider the following challenges:
· Should our current three strategic priorities remain as they are over the next five years; and
· To what extent should the ESRC and Research Council’s priorities reflect current political and societal concerns?
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funds research and training in social and economic issues from a budget of £203 million (2011/2012). We fund over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and independent research institutes throughout the UK, and we are the UK's largest funding agency relating to social and economic issues.
Our Delivery Plan sets out the Council's key priorities for five years from 2011 to 2014. These include the focus on three strategic priorities: Economic Performance and Sustainable Growth; Influencing Behaviour and Informing Interventions; and A Vibrant and Fair Society. These priorities guide our work towards maximising the impact from existing research, resources and training investments.
Our presentations will cover a summary of these three priorities and how they have influenced ESRC’s strategic directions, as well as the challenges of independent research reflecting specific political and societal concerns. This will be followed with a panel discussion and a question and answer session which will provide an opportunity for you to ask questions.
There is no charge for the event, but for registration purposes we would be grateful if you could indicate if you would like to attend. This can be done by emailing [log in to unmask]
Coffee will be available from 5.30pm and the meeting will start at 6.00pm prompt. It will be followed by a networking drinks reception so that you can meet with ESRC staff and Council and Committee members.
We would like to attract as wide a range of people as possible and would be pleased if you could mention this to friends and colleagues who might be interested in attending.
I look forward to meeting you in December.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Paul Boyle
Chief Executive
Economic and Social Research Council