BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Central Government initiatives have been developed to position the UK as an economy able to deliver unique value in global business markets. In line with these initiatives the ESRC has developed its Business Engagement Strategy.
This call focuses on business engagement and provides opportunities for social science researchers to engage with specific sectors of business, listed below, to encourage knowledge transfer and exchange to assist business sustainability. The ESRC encourages engagement with business through a tailored package of new and additional activity. Funding of up to £100k per application is available for a combination of activities, ideally with co-funding partners.

The call aims to:
• promote the transfer and exchange of knowledge between social science researchers and business sectors and staff within them
• respond to the knowledge needs of business through a range of knowledge exchange mechanisms
• expand networks for business sectors into academia and vice-versa
• provide business sectors with research-informed evidence to develop and review operational and management practices
• enable all parties, including the ESRC, to develop their understanding of the interaction between research and the development of operational and management practices within business sectors
• contribute to the delivery of the Government's Science and Innovation Investment Framework.

Eligibility
The call is open to social scientists based in UK Higher Education Institutions or similar organisations. The ESRC welcomes applications from more than one department in addition to the principal applicant.

Requirements
A package of activity should be developed, comprising the following elements:
• Impact Grants: projects which demonstrate the impact of research by engaging with at least one business sector audience.
• Placements: funding to permit academics working on projects in a business setting and business individuals to do likewise in an academic unit for a short period – of at least one month, not necessarily in one block of time.
• Seminars: funding for at least two seminars aimed at encouraging interaction between researchers and potential users of research within the chosen sector or group.

Placements must be co-funded to demonstrate user engagement. It is expected that each of the other activities in the package will also attract co-funding where possible. Favourable consideration will be given to such applications.
It is expected that successful awards start on 14 April 2008.

Sectors
Applicants should focus on any of the following sectors: Energy; Financial Services; Health Technologies; Retail; and Sport, Leisure and Tourism.
It is recognised that there are areas of common interest between the ESRC and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), http://www.dti.gov.uk/innovation/technologystrategy/tsb/index.html
Applicants should show how the award would be used to enhance a strengthening partnership between the ESRC and the TSB.

Outputs
The package is expected to yield at least: one impact project; four placements; two seminars/workshops. However, applicants may suggest how they intend to vary this combination in response to identified business needs.
• Final reports for placements will be submitted within one month of the end of the Fellowship with a short report detailing any longer-term impact 12 months later.
• Final reports for Impact Grants will be submitted by 30 June 2009.

Closing Date
Applications should be sent to The Registry, ESRC in hard copy with an electronic copy to lesley.lilley@esrc.ac.uk by 4 February 2008.

For an application form and guidelines contact knowledgetransfer@esrc.ac.uk

Capacity Building Clusters
As part of a broad effort to encourage engagement with business ESRC is establishing a series of capacity building clusters focused on business research and engagement. The aim of the clusters will be to create a new generation of high quality researchers with a commitment to direct engagement with the business sector and as such will complement the Business Engagement Opportunities Scheme. More information on the funding package for the clusters will be available on the ESRC website from mid-December.