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The European Commission has launched a pilot action to fund open access peer-reviewed publications from finalized FP7 projects. The initiative is implemented by the project OpenAIRE2020.
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Check out the research impact website to read new impact case studies by Carsten Sorensen, Associate Professor of Information Systems and Innovation, and Alexander Pepper, Professor of Management Practice.
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On her return from maternity leave, Ana talks about her role as research development manager in the Research Division and how the research funding landscape has changed over the years.
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News
European Commission launches FP7 post-grant open access publishing funds pilot
The European Commission has launched a pilot action to fund open access peer-reviewed publications from finalized FP7 projects. The initiative is implemented by the project OpenAIRE2020.
FP7 grant holders planning to publish peer-reviewed articles in open access journals after the end of the project may be able to use the funds made available through this pilot to cover the publication fees (Article Processing Charges or APCs). Open access monographs, book chapters or conference proceedings can also be funded if these are occurring after the end of the grant.
>>More
 
Statkraft and Grantham Research Institute announce three-year partnership on low-carbon economy research
Statkraft, Europe’s largest supplier of renewable energy, has announced that it is supporting a new policy research programme at LSE's internationally recognised Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
The new programme of policy analysis will focus on the transition to the low-carbon economy and will contribute high quality independent analysis to support and inform the climate change and energy policy process within Europe.
The Statkraft Policy Research Programme will extend over three years and is an exciting new initiative to provide world class analysis and policy advice on key aspects of climate and energy policy, particularly in the European Union. The Programme will investigate key issues around the transition to low-carbon economic development and growth, including actions to implement the pledges submitted by countries ahead of the United Nations climate change summit in Paris in December 2015.
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LSE wins AXA Post-Doctoral Fellowship
Each year, the AXA Research Fund offers twenty-five Post-Doctoral Fellowships to outstanding researchers, awarding 120,000 EUR over two years. For the second consecutive year LSE was successful in this programme and Dr Emily Freeman began her new role on 1 October 2015 in PSSRU.
Dr Freeman’s research aims to understand how formal provision of long-term social care for vulnerable older adults (aged 50+) in sub-Saharan Africa can be reconciled with ‘traditional African values’ of informal (family) care provision in order to plan interventions that can mitigate the risk of unmet care needs posed by major demographic change in the region.
Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) in Horizon2020 projects
The European Commission has published a report about the SSH projects funded in 2014 under Horizon2020, the EU’s €80billion research and innovation funding programme during 2014-2020. The report, titled Integration of SSH in Horizon2020: Participants, Budget and Disciplines, demonstrates the extent to which the EC has been successful in integrating SSH as a cross-cutting theme in EU funding.
Marie Curie Actions, FP7 fellow certificates
Marie Curie Action (MCA) researchers supported through FP7 projects can now request a certificate to evidence their time completing the fellowship and use it as part of their CV to support their research career. In order to request a certificate, the contact person mentioned on the relevant MCA FP7 project grant agreement should complete the online form which will check the information against the data stored by the EU. Once the information has been checked and verified, the contact person will receive a copy of the certificate via email. At present, certificates can only be produced for FP7 MCA fellows, but similar certificates are foreseen for Horizon 2020 MSCA fellows in the near future.
AHRC announces highlight notice on Public Policy in Leadership Fellows scheme
The AHRC’s Leadership Fellows scheme aims to fund research leaders, or potential future research leaders, to focus individual research projects alongside collaborative activities that will generate impact. AHRC’s highlight notice on Public Policy in Leadership Fellows scheme invites applications with innovative ways to exercise leadership through engaging policy makers in their research and explore potential for impact in policy development. The scheme with this highlight notice will be open until Friday 30 September 2016.
>>More
EC Horizon 2020 work programmes for 2016-2017 published
The European Commission has formally published the 2016-17 work programmes for Horizon 2020, the EU’s main funding programme for research and innovation. Calls under the ‘Societal Challenges’ pillar for collaborative projects are included in the following areas:
1. Health, demographic change and wellbeing
2. Food security, sustainable agriculture, marine and maritime research and the bio-economy
3. Secure, clean and efficient energy
4. Smart, green and integrated transport
5. Climate action, resources and raw materials
6. Inclusive, innovative and reflective societies
7. Secure societies
The work programme has also been published for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions which includes Innovative Training Networks, Research and Innovation Staff Exchanges, and Individual Fellowships.
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Research impact: LSE research making a difference
Research Division is pleased to announce two new impact case studies on the research impact website.
Managing digital eco-systems to drive market success
‘App’ networks are key to the success of iOS and Android, according to research led by Associate Professor of Information Systems and Innovation Carsten Sørensen.
>>Read the impact case study
Redesigning executive pay schemes for transparency and performance
Research by Professor of Management Practice Alexander Pepper revealed the psychological and economic flaws in complex pay schemes intended to incentivise top executives.
>>Read the impact case study
>>Access and search all 80 impact case studies
>>Access and view the 25 research impact videos
For questions about the research impact website, please contact Ellen Pruyne.
LSE Finance Division launches Financial Awareness Course
Launching in November 2015 the Financial Awareness Course is designed to provide access to, and understanding of, the various functions and updates to the Finance Division. It will benefit all those who are responsible for departmental or divisional finance functions. Each head of section from the Finance Division will be covering the following areas:
- Overview of the School’s finance
- Financial accounting & compliance - statutory and auditory reporting and controls, payroll and taxation
- Financial planning & analysis - budgetary control and forecasting and analytical reporting
- Financial operations - customer, supplier and cash service
- Accounts payable - settlement of supplier invoices, staff expenses and executive cards
- Fees & credit control
- Financial systems - management of financial information systems and report design
- Residences & Catering Services Division - management of student halls of residences and the School’s catering outlets.
Please direct any questions about the course to Aptos@lse.ac.uk. For more information about Finance Division services visit their website.
>>BOOK YOUR PLACE
LSE participates in International Open Access Week
International Open Access Week is a great opportunity to further promote open access and open up the discussion on OA issues. For this year's event, held from 19-23 October 2015, the Library's Research Support Services team tried a few ways to get the word out:
Blog entries
Drop-in/training sessions
- A drop-in session for academics to discuss open access and research impact
- A drop-in session in the PhD academy
- Bibliometrics training.
The blog entries by Sonia and Jan were picked up by the LSE Impact blog which greatly increased page views. Notably Sonia’s entry had an average page view time of almost six minutes, which is a great achievement. In total, the three blog entries were viewed over 900 times, and tweeted over 200 times in a week.
The sessions within the Library had low attendance, showing the difficulties in choosing an appropriate time, and getting the word out to the LSE community. However, the academics who did attend were extremely engaged and had many questions. The PhD Academy proved to be a great venue. There is definitely scope to develop a regular presence there to help early career researchers develop good dissemination habits for research impact.
During OA week, and the week preceding it, the team attended three department/centre meetings. At each meeting many questions were asked about HEFCE and depositing in LSERO more generally, showing that there is considerable value in attending department meetings rather than holding information sessions/forums at the Library.
Questions? Contact Lseresearchonline@lse.ac.uk.
Funding opportunities
ESRC, National Centre for Research Methods
International Journal of Social Research Methodology seminar competition
The scheme aims to support the development of critical and innovative approaches to ongoing and emerging methodological debates across a range of approaches, as these relate to philosophical, theoretical, ethical, and political issues. Awards up to £1,500 can be claimed per seminar organisation. Deadline: Monday 30 November 2015.
>>More
British Academy, Skills Innovator Awards
The Academy invites applications with the aim to promote innovative research methods using languages and quantitative skills. UK-residing applicants who will normally be within 15 years of the award of their doctorate can apply for up to £15K tenable for up to a year. The Academy expects applicants to experiment with new quantitative methods in research or new methods for language teaching in higher education. Deadline: 5 pm (UK time), Wednesday 2 December 2015.
>>More
Research Councils UK and Digital Catapult Centre, Researcher in Residence
This enables researchers to spend time at the Digital Catapult Centre within junior or senior residency schemes. Junior residencies allow early career researchers to develop their existing research interests within a user-centred project in conjunction with the Digital Catapult. Senior residencies are targeted at exceptional researchers with a significant track record in current challenge areas or in potential novel areas of interest for the Digital Catapult. All applicants must have a contract of employment at a UK university. Grants, worth up to £25,000 each, are available to cover expenses such as salary costs, equipment, travel and accommodation. Deadline: Sunday 6 December 2015.
>>More
British Academy/JSPS, Postdoctoral Fellowships for Overseas Researchers
The British Academy is inviting applications from scholars for the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral Fellowships for Overseas Researchers, where the Academy is a foreign Nominating Authority for the programme. Applications must be submitted via the e-GAP system. This scheme is for researchers in the UK who are at an early stage of their career and wish to conduct research in Japan for a period of 12-24 months. Deadline: 5pm (UK time), Wednesday 9 December 2015.
>>More
Wellcome Trust, Research Fellowships in Humanities and Social Science
This scheme supports humanities and social science scholars at all stages of their career but not in an established academic post, who wish to undertake a period of research in any area of human and animal health. Strong preference is given to applicants with a good prospect of achieving an academic career in the field. Applicants must be postdoctoral scholars but who are not in a tenured or otherwise long-term established post. Fellowships must be held at an institution in the UK, Republic of Ireland or a low- or middle-income country. Each applicant must have a sponsor who is an established member of the department in which the award is to be held. Deadline for preliminary applications: Friday 22 January 2016.
>>More
European Research Council (ERC), Consolidator Grants
These are designed to support researchers at the stage at which they are consolidating their own independent research team or programme. The scheme will strengthen independent and excellent new individual research teams that have been recently created. Applicants of any nationality with over seven and up to 12 years of experience since completion of PhD (or equivalent degree) and scientific track record showing great promise can apply for up to €2m over 5 years. Deadline: 5 pm (Brussels time), Tuesday 2 February 2016.
>>More
Events
Events this month from the Research Division Training Programme
The Research Division Training Programme is delivered as part of the LSE Teaching and Learning Centre's Academic Development Programme. Events are open to academic and professional services staff. For more information, email researchdivision@lse.ac.uk.
| 10/11/2015 |
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12:00 - 14:00 |
Getting started with REF impact case studies |
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An introductory session for those interested in learning more about the essential requirements for developing an impact case study for submission to the REF. This workshop will outline key criteria applied in REF2014 and consider some best practice examples from that assessment.
>>BOOK YOUR PLACE |
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| 17/11/2015 |
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12:00 - 13:30 |
How to manage your European funded award - what you need to know |
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Have you recently been awarded a Horizon 2020 award? Will you be managing Horizon 2020 awards in your department/centre?
Gain essential information about managing Horizon 2020 grants. Learn about financial and reporting changes in the programme. The session will include a Q&A with colleagues who have held EC funded awards.
Suitable for: those who manage research grants, academics, researchers, administrators, and departmental staff.
>>BOOK YOUR PLACE |
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| 18/11/2015 |
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12:00 - 13:30 |
Life after HEIF |
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Listen to case studies from across the School about how knowledge exchange (KE) activities and Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF) supported projects can be further developed and lead to new opportunities with respect to greater engagement, further funding, or opportunities to enhance reputation of individuals and of the LSE.
Confirmed speakers:
- Professor Tony Travers
- Professor Patrick Dunleavy
- Dr Nancy Holman
- Professor Henry Overman
- Dr Don Slater
>>BOOK YOUR PLACE |
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| 24/11/2015 |
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12:00 - 14:00 |
Pathways to policy impact |
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Explore some of the ways in which research comes to be taken up and used by policy-makers in the UK and elsewhere and consider what researchers themselves can do at each stage of the research project lifecycle to maximise the chances of it informing the development of evidence-based policy.
>>BOOK YOUR PLACE |
For a full list of upcoming events, view our training and events programme.
For daily updates, follow us on Twitter @LSE_RD.
Other research-related events
Research ethics training
Details of upcoming research ethics workshops, and other ethics training and fortnightly drop-in sessions can be found here.
For any research ethics queries please contact Lyn Grove.
Recent awards
Dr Mandy Turner, Middle East Centre, has been awarded an Emirates Foundation funded project under the LSE Academic Collaboration with Arab Universities grant scheme managed by LSE’s Middle East Centre. The project, in collaboration with Birzeit University, will enhance political economy teaching and research in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). It will critically examine the role of the Palestinian business elite in the political economy of the occupied West Bank since the creation of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in 1994. This is based on the observation that influential business groups have become increasingly central to understanding a wide range of issues associated with the current state of affairs in the oPt, Israeli-Palestinian relations, as well as internal Palestinian dynamics and its dependency on regional and international configurations.
Professor Leonard Smith, CATS, has been awarded funding from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution to identify potential local data streams, for example, pilot weather stations, non-public data and internet data and then to undertake an analysis of weather data to identify factors which drive safety.
Dr Kitty Stewart, CASE, has received Nuffield Foundation funding to undertake research on segregation in early years settings. The project will use data from the National Pupil Database to address three questions: (1) It will examine the extent of segregation in early education for three- and four-year-olds in England, both in relation to socio-economic background and in relation to ethnicity. (2) It will explore the extent to which these patterns simply reflect geographical segregation, and the extent to which they are exacerbated by differences in the nature of provision in different settings (such as different opening hours and fees for additional hours). (3) It will link children’s data longitudinally to explore the association between pre-school peer group and outcomes at Key Stage 1 (age 7), holding other child and setting characteristics constant.
Dr Kate Meagher, International Development, has been awarded funding from the University of California, Irvine for a research project to be undertaken by Christopher Paek. The project will study the impact of mobile payment platforms and other digital technologies that facilitate the design and distribution of micro-insurance products in South Africa. It will take a case study approach to understand how poor people respond to and experience a funeral insurance scheme offered by a leading South African insurance company through an innovative mobile-based interface. The study aims to shed light on the potential trade-offs of a micro-insurance agenda driven predominantly by efficiency and scale concerns.
Professor Anne Power, LSE Housing and Communities, CASE, has received funding from Trafford Hall to gather new evidence on the impact of the new government’s austerity programme on social landlords and tenants. The research aims to a) draw together and analyse evidence on how new policies are affecting the viability of social landlords and the lives of tenants; b) disseminate this new research widely amongst the social housing sector, with government, other policy makers, delivery bodies, housing academics and students; and c) collect through a workshop / think tank model, direct experiences from those directly affected (both tenants and frontline staff), in order to document and measure real changes and impacts.
Professor John Van Reenen, CEP, has been awarded an European Research Council Advanced Grant for the GGTMI project. The project will examine ways to increase European growth through technological and managerial innovation. The technological innovation aspect is focused on examining the lifecycle of innovators and entrepreneurs across several advanced countries, and the impact of financial constraints, tax and schooling policies on stimulating greater innovation. The second theme will examine by how much managerial practices can account for differences in the wealth of nations and how management quality can be improved, focusing on randomized control trials of business support polices.
Findings
LSE Research Online is a service provided by LSE Library to increase the visibility of research produced by LSE staff. It contains citations and full text, open access versions of research outputs, including journal articles, book chapters, working papers, theses, conference papers and more.
Heavy drinkers and drugs users underestimate their levels of consumption compared to others'
Heavy drinkers and users of illegal drugs downplay their relative levels of consumption, when comparing themselves to others, reveals research by LSE and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
Published in the journal Social Science and Medicine, the research shows that 68 per cent of respondents to the Global Drugs Survey – the world’s biggest drug survey – were drinking at hazardous or harmful levels, yet the vast majority (83 per cent) felt they were drinking at low or average levels.
>>More
Gender inequality is rife and "trivialised" finds LSE Commission
Inequality between men and women is rife in all levels of society, and radical change is required to make significant progress in closing the inequality gap. These are the findings of the Commission on Gender Inequality and Power held by LSE.
The Commission calls for radical measures to be taken across all areas and recommends that:
- Mandatory gender quotas are introduced for senior positions across all organisations in the public and private sector.
- Mandatory gender quotas for MPs for each political party are established to ensure fairer representation in decision making.
- A National Care Service is introduced to tackle the “caring deficit” and ensure better conditions for care workers.
- A Media Watchdog on Gender is established to monitor and report on sexism and unequal gender representation in the media.
- Legal aid cuts are reviewed and fees for tribunal and judicial reviews are abolished because these decisions have undermined women’s and low-paid people’s access to rights.
>>More
UK's first Digital Exclusion Heatmap launched
A new online mapping tool has been launched which shows, for the first time, a single nationwide measure of the likelihood of digital exclusion across the UK.
The Heatmap of Digital Exclusion, produced by the digital skills charity Go ON UK and developed with LSE, the BBC and Local Government Association, will display a measure of digital exclusion in each local authority and link it to the area’s level of social exclusion.
This breakthrough tool has been designed to provide policy-makers and those working in the digital skills and inclusion sector with the insight to drive engagement, action and funding where it is most needed.
>>More
Read more about LSE's cutting edge research.
Top tips
30 tips for successful academic research and writing
This month’s tip comes courtesy of LSE’s The Impact Blog. We have linked to a blog post titled ‘30 tips for successful academic research and writing’. Choosing something that you are passionately interested in to research is a great first step on the road to successful academic writing but it can be difficult to keep the momentum going.
Read the blog post on The Impact Blog. For more information about how to apply for funding to further your research idea contact rescon@lse.ac.uk or 020 7106 1202.
60 second interview
With Ana Alvarez-Serra, research development manager in the Research Division
Welcome back to the LSE from maternity leave. How does it feel to be back as a new mum and have you noticed any changes here at the School?
Isn’t there a saying that goes along the lines of “the more things change, the more they stay the same”? This is pretty much how I feel at the moment.
Tell us a little bit about your role as research development manager in the Research Division and what this means to colleagues across the School?
My main job is to support academic colleagues in developing innovative strategies in securing funding for research. The funding landscape can be daunting and part of my role is to help researchers navigate it to their advantage. I need to be up to speed with research funding trends to be able to help them think about their long-term research plans and identify the most suitable sponsor to support it.
You have worked in various research-related roles throughout your career. Over the years, how has the research funding landscape changed and have you noticed any particular trends?
Without a doubt, the sector has undergone massive transformations. From funding cuts to the impact agenda, the funding world is incredibly more complex. Excellence continues to be key, but there is a stronger emphasis on interdisciplinarity, collaboration and internationalisation.
Why do you think it is important for academics to apply for research funding?
Research funding is the means to support excellent research; it is not an end in itself. By securing funding for your research you can fulfil that intellectual curiosity that attracted you to academia in the first place. It allows you to carry out that fantastic piece of work that will consolidate your position as leader in your field, and who knows, maybe change the world?
What advice would you give to academics and research staff thinking of applying for research funding at the LSE?
You can do it! But you don’t have to do it on your own, we are here to help.
What book are you currently reading and which have you enjoyed most in the past?
It should be what books as I often have more than one on the go. I should probably say something work-related, but as a matter of fact “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” has been my bedtime reading at the moment. I have just finished “To Kill a Mockingbird” for the first time, so disturbingly current. And I am looking forward to Hillary Mantel’s “The Mirror and the Light”. “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel García Márquez has got to be in my top 10 books of all times.
If you could do it all again, what alternative career would you have chosen?
Alongside international relations I studied architecture for one year. I do wonder what life would have been like if I had become an architect.
Get in touch
The next edition of Research Briefing is on Tuesday 1 December 2015. If you would like to feature a research story, award, or opportunity in this newsletter, contact Amanda Burgess in the Research Division by Wednesday 25 November 2015.
Research Briefing is emailed on the first Tuesday of every month throughout the academic year.
Contact us
+44 (0) 20 7106 1202 I researchdivision@lse.ac.uk
Visit our website for more information and a detailed list of funding opportunities. |
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