Hello all

A couple of thoughts on the EPSRC/Sustrans research call process.

It feels important to me that we do have some discussion about this, rather 
than simply let it pass by - after all, this call and the money attached to 
it is likely to have consequences for all of us. With £4m allocated to 
cycling and walking research, I think it might become very hard to get 
funding for other cycling research - kind of 'cycling's had its share of 
research council resources for the next few years'. I hope I'm wrong, but 
that's my suspcicion.

Of course, getting a place on the Coventry workshop was a competitive 
process, and no doubt lots of very experienced, very good, and senior 
academics applied, and the intended research is about cycling AND walking, 
not just cycling (and I for one am not a well-rounded 'sustainable 
mobilities' researcher - I'm too heavily oriented towards cycling to be able 
convincingly to argue that), and the EPSRC - not the ESRC - look to be the 
dominant research council in this process, and the whole thing was initiated 
by Sustrans. And these things are always political. So I don't think it's 
too surprising some of us didn't get selected (and it's good that some of us 
did).

But this is the concern I want to express openly, and invite others to 
comment on:

the whole EPSRC/Sustrans research package seems completely oriented towards 
assessing interventions undertaken under Sustrans' Connect2 project (leaving 
aside whether it actually manages to 'win the public vote' - and the 
absurdities of such funding of sustainable transport infrastructure). Yet 
the Connect2 project represents only part of the sustainable transport 
picture. There is vastly more going on than Sustrans' work, significant 
though that is. Further, *all* the cultural, social, political, economic and 
planning processes implicated in the production of 'sustainable mobilities' 
and 'sustainable infrastructures' need, I think, to be put into context and 
subject to critique (after all, we know that 'the Sustrans approach' is not 
uncontroversial, and it's certainly not taken-for-granted as 'the right way 
to promote cycling' within 'the cycling world').

So I think my concern, in a nutshell, is Sustrans' influence in this 
research process might orient it rather more towards 'monitoring and 
evaluation' type studies than to more open and critical investigations. And 
of course, who is included and who is excluded from the outset will either 
encourage or discourage that from happening.

I am not suggesting that specific people or even projects will be directly 
'in the hands' of Sustrans, nor that - when it comes to it - those involved 
won't contextualise their studies and ask difficult questions and apply 
critical lenses. But different disciplines look at issues in different ways, 
and so I hope that the social sciences are well represented at Coventry. 
There needs to be sociologists, historians, cultural geographers etc 
involved in the earliest conversations about the directions which this 
research stream could and perhaps should take.

Sorry this isn't brief, but I think it is important for all of us.

Best wishes

Dave Horton


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Patton" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2007 3:00 PM
Subject: Re: EPSRC meeting next week


Hello again,

I'll admit I'm the outsider here (had to look in a dictionary to find out
that "hard lines" means "tough luck"), and may not understand the complexion
of the various research councils, but ...

When I see a notice advocating the creation/encouragement of new,
innovative, cross-disciplinary research consortia, specifically seeking to
include "social equity" and "community building", and then find that at
least two organizers and editors of the "Cycling and Society" symposia and
book are left out, it makes me wonder. For my part, although I would
probably not be able to apply directly as an investigator, being from the
colonies and all, I would have brought something to the table. I am an
academic geographer and GIS map maker, with degrees in natural resources and
science and technology studies. I'm an experienced government transportation
official (cycling/pedestrian division), and have worked with the North
American analogue of Sustrans. My present historical studies look at the
interwar years, when decisions were made that continue to shape the present
conditions of British cycling. I would argue that not enough voices were
included in the debates then. It would be a shame to persist in that
approach now.

None of this, of course, should be taken for disregard of the quantitative,
empirical side of things. Numbers are necessary, but not sufficient.

Many thanks to those attending for their willingness to report back to
colleagues here. All best ...


David Patton





On 11/1/07 2:17 PM, "Paul Rosen" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Oh well, it was off the record till I clicked send!
>
> Paul Rosen wrote:
>> Thanks, Tim - you're right, it is telling.  My worry (off the record for
>> now) is that Sustrans are pulling the strings too strongly here, given
>> that they have effectively been given £4m of R&D out of the public
>> purse, and they've closed off scope of what might develop at a very
>> early stage.
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Paul
>>
>> Tim Jones wrote:
>>> I'm also attending. Will feedback along with John and Tim. Hard lines
>>> to the others. I think it is telling that the 'quantitative barriers
>>> to cycling' boys made the first hurdle being as we are dealing with
>>> the EPSRC here but I think you are right that it would be good to
>>> understand the selection criteria.
>>>
>>> Tim Jones
>>> OBU
>>>
>>> Tim Ryley wrote:
>>>
>>>> I have found out in the last day that I too have a place, and am
>>>> willing, like John, to provide feedback to the group.  I am hopeful
>>>> that it will develop upon cycling research being undertaken, and link
>>>> well with the Cycling and Society group.  But will have to wait and 
>>>> see.
>>>>
>>>> Tim
>>>>
>>>> Dr Tim Ryley
>>>> Lecturer in Transport Studies
>>>> Transport Studies Group
>>>> Loughborough University
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:15:37 -0000
>>>>  "Parkin, John" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I have a place. I will let you know how things went and the make up of
>>>>> who went when I have been.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Dr John Parkin
>>>>> Reader in Transport Engineering and Planning
>>>>> University of Bolton
>>>>> Deane Road, Bolton BL3 5AB UK
>>>>> t:01204 903 027 m:07903 523 017
>>>>> w: http://data.bolton.ac.uk/staff/jp10/
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: Cycling and Society Research Group discussion list
>>>>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dave Horton
>>>>> Sent: 31 October 2007 10:43
>>>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>>>> Subject: Re: EPSRC meeting next week
>>>>>
>>>>> Hiya David and all
>>>>>
>>>>> I applied for a place, but didn't get one.
>>>>>
>>>>> But, like David, I think it'd be good to be kept in the picture by
>>>>> someone who is going, if someone's willing to do that.
>>>>>
>>>>> I hope someone from this group is going ....
>>>>>
>>>>> Best wishes
>>>>>
>>>>> Dave Horton
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Patton" <[log in to unmask]>
>>>>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2007 10:26 AM
>>>>> Subject: EPSRC meeting next week
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Hello All,
>>>>>
>>>>> Will someone attending the Coventry workshop mext week please post an
>>>>> update to the group? I won't be there, but am very interested to see
>>>>> what
>>>>> sort of cross-disciplinary teams come out of the meeting.
>>>>>
>>>>> Best of luck to all attendees.
>>>>>
>>>>> David Patton
>>>>>
>>>>> Clare Hall
>>>>> University of Cambridge
>>>>
>>