The National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM) team at the University of Southampton is very pleased to announce that it has been awarded a 6.25M grant from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The new award will commence, for a period of 5 years, in October 2014. The coordinating Hub of NCRM has been based at the University of Southampton since the Centre was first established in 2004. The new Centre structure will be a collaborative partnership between the universities of Southampton, Edinburgh and Manchester.
Dean of the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences at the University of Southampton, Professor Jane Falkingham said: "I am delighted by the excellent news that NCRM has been refunded for its 3rd five years. It is a reflection of the significant contribution NCRM has made to the understanding and development of methods within the social sciences since its inception in 2004 and to the innovative leadership of Professor Chris Skinner, NCRM's inaugural Director, and Professor Patrick Sturgis. I am confident that over the next five years Patrick and his team will continue to push the boundaries, ensuring UK social science is at the forefront of research and training."
Deputy Dean and Associate Dean for Research at The Faculty of Humanities, University of Manchester, Professor Colette Fagan, said: "We are delighted at the success of this joint bid for the National Centre for Research Methods together with the Universities of Southampton and Edinburgh. Combining the methodological strengths of The University of Manchester with those of Southampton and Edinburgh, will broaden the range of research methods used in UK social science research and expand the training programmes to include all locations across the UK. The new partnership will play a vital role in ensuring the future of UK social science research as it evolves into the age of big data."
Dean of the School of Social and Political Science at the University of Edinburgh, Professor Fiona Mackay said: "The opportunity to contribute to the next phase of the NCRM is an exciting challenge for social scientists at the University of Edinburgh. The excellence of the NCRM's work since 2004 in the development of innovative social science research methods and in the delivery of training and capacity building for social scientists is widely-acknowledged, and I am delighted at the prospect of Edinburgh-based colleagues being part of the further development of NCRM's national and international profile. At a time when social science's role is changing rapidly, it is an honour to participate in NCRM's shaping of emerging research and training agendas."
NCRM Director, Professor Patrick Sturgis commented:"I am delighted that ESRC has decided to support the crucial work of the Centre for a further five years. We are very excited by the opportunities that will be created through our partnership with Manchester and Edinburgh. Over the past ten years NCRM has become the key plank in ESRC's strategy for increasing the quality and range of research methods used by the UK social science research community, both in academia and beyond. Our objective in the next period of funding is to enhance and expand our research and training programmes so that they meet the evolving needs of social scientists across all sectors and disciplines."
For further details, please contact NCRM Communications Manager.