BU Research Blog

The call for applications to run events for the tenth annual Economic and Social Research Council’s (ESRC) Festival of Social Science is now open. 

This year the festival will run from 3-10 November.  There are two types of application form available to download from www.esrcfestival.ac.uk:

1. You are able to apply for a maximum of £2,000 support from the ESRC to run an event.   The closing date for supported applications is Friday 4May 2012.
2. You are also able to hold an event but not apply for funding.  Applications are being invited to notify us of your event, which you would like to be included in the Festival programme.  The closing date for non-funded applications is Friday 11 May 2012.

The Festival welcomes applications for events which target a non-academic audience including young people, third sector, the public, business or government.  The guidelines around the aims of the Festival and how to apply are in the Application Guidelines under Organise an Event.  Please note that organisations external to the ESRC are welcome to apply for support and to participate in the Festival.

The ESRC Festival of Social Science is a celebration of the social sciences. It began life in 2003 as Social Science Week – a collection of around 25 events, mainly seminars aimed towards an academic audience. Over the years Social Science Week has grown to a much larger and more inclusive ‘festival’ of activities, aimed at policymakers, business, the public and young people alike.

In 2011 an estimated 17,500 people attended over 130 different events across the UK. The variety of activities included public debates, secondary school level events, film screenings, theatrical performances, and hands on events. Interactive activities included exploring technologies around transport past, present and future; woodland walks; sharing memories and showing how research influences fashion and design.

The Festival of Social Science is a key element of the ESRC’s science in society strategy and its commitment to promoting awareness of UK social science research to new audiences.

The 2012 Festival will run in the Autumn, from 3 to 10 November and will continue to promote how social science has a role in all of our lives.

This is an excellent opportunity to increase the visibility of your research outside of academia and fits well with BU2018, our commitment to public engagement, and our concept of Fusion.

If you are interested in being involved please let Julie Northam know as soon as possible and the RDU will support you with your application.