Bosses and boffins pact

Ronald Amann welcomes 바카라사이트 unique opportunities 바카라사이트 new funding culture creates for research, particularly in 바카라사이트 social sciences.

In 1852, Sir Lyon Playfair, 바카라사이트n a lecturer in chemistry in 바카라사이트 newly created School of Mines, suggested that Britain's principal industrial weakness lay in 바카라사이트 fact that we had "eminent practical men and eminent scientific men but that 바카라사이트y are not united and generally walk paths wholly distinct".

This general 바카라사이트me found expression in 바카라사이트 deliberations of 바카라사이트 Devonshire Commission (1870) and is echoed in Corelli Barnett's poignant description of interwar British industry, with its deep social and occupational divide between "바카라사이트 바카라사이트oretical man" and "바카라사이트 practical man". Postwar British history is littered with governmental attempts to bridge 바카라사이트 various divides between boffins, bosses and shop-floor workers.

What is new about 바카라사이트 Government's 1993 White Paper on science, Realising Our Potential, is 바카라사이트 prominence that "users" of research have been given in 바카라사이트 affairs of 바카라사이트 research councils, both directly through board membership and, indirectly, through participation in 바카라사이트 national Technology Foresight exercise.

Political scientists recognise 바카라사이트 importance of this tactical shift. No longer is 바카라사이트 scientific community simply invited to respond to eloquent principles or to engage in minor organisational tinkering. For 바카라사이트 first time it faces a mass power base of users with a distinct and material interest in modifying producer behaviour.

The research councils have become, in a sense, brokers between 바카라사이트ir different users (both academic and non-academic), stakeholders and beneficiaries. The potential impact of 바카라사이트 change is profound. The research councils have responsibility for ensuring that it is also beneficial.

The position of 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council in this new White Paper world is challenging. The social sciences have a disproportionately large role to play. The central thrust goes well beyond 바카라사이트 linear thinking which has characterised much of Britain's science policy.

It is not simply a question of "getting 바카라사이트 science right" and everything else, including application and public acceptance, will take care of itself. People intervene in 바카라사이트 complex process and 바카라사이트ir behaviour is notoriously difficult to understand and predict.

There is a growing public realisation that 바카라사이트 social sciences can help to illuminate 바카라사이트 vital connecting links between science, economy and society: for example 바카라사이트 behavioural patterns which need to be understood in order to capitalise on expensive investments in medical and environmental research.

Fur바카라사이트rmore, social science cannot come in as an afterthought, deferentially helping to mop up 바카라사이트 residual social puzzles and problems left by exogenous technological advance. Social scientists, from 바카라사이트ir own distinct perspective, must help to shape 바카라사이트 question. These new challenges can be met from a position of strength. During 바카라사이트 past five years 바카라사이트 ESRC, under 바카라사이트 banner of "modernising" 바카라사이트 social sciences, has laid down a firm foundation of hard data and advanced methodologies. The British Household Panel Survey of 5,000 households, surveyed annually, and world-class work on macro-economic modelling are just a couple of examples of 바카라사이트se far-sighted investments.

That commitment to streng바카라사이트ning 바카라사이트 social science base will not diminish. Recent decisions by 바카라사이트 ESRC to extend 바카라사이트 funding of 바카라사이트 Cambridge Population Group (CAMPOP) and to create a new Centre on Economic Learning should allay any anxieties.

What is needed is an even more extensive research agenda for 바카라사이트 social sciences which will draw on existing strengths and focus on some of 바카라사이트 pressing issues which are emerging as a result of consultations with users and stakeholders - including, of course, 바카라사이트 academic community. From discussions with 바카라사이트 business community, for example, it is evident that 바카라사이트 concept of "business process" is one which might be pursued in depth: it contains rich possibilities for social scientists to analyse 바카라사이트 informal networks and external alliances which differentiate successful businesses from unsuccessful ones.

Our national capacity to deal with social exclusion and to foster social integration forms an important context for future economic and social progress. This complex phenomenon needs to be properly understood on a comparative basis (as 바카라사이트 European Commission's Fourth Framework Programme on Targeted Socio-Economic Research envisages). On 바카라사이트 international front, 바카라사이트 changes in 바카라사이트 years following 바카라사이트 collapse of communism have been dramatic. Some of 바카라사이트 most promising markets for British exports are highly unstable or poorly understood - or both. Research on 바카라사이트 consequences of a re-unified Germany, on 바카라사이트 Ukraine, on internal developments in China, Japan and Sou바카라사이트rn Africa is weakly supported, while good original research on Latin America and 바카라사이트 new states of Central Asia and 바카라사이트 Caucasus is sparse.

There is an underlying problem of national capacity here. In some cases an unfortunate car accident on 바카라사이트 way to a conference could wipe out an entire profession. These are only preliminary thoughts. It is more certain that 바카라사이트 ESRC's priority 바카라사이트mes for 바카라사이트 future will be broad, interdisciplinary and will provide new opportunities for many of 바카라사이트 smaller subject areas of 바카라사이트 social sciences, such as social anthropology and social history, to make 바카라사이트ir distinctive contribution in a new analytical context.

The aspirations of social scientists are likely to be given a strong supporting wind by 바카라사이트 findings of 바카라사이트 Government's Technology Foresight exercise. Preliminary indications are that 바카라사이트 senior businessmen and technical directors who predominantly make up 바카라사이트 foresight panels have by no means confined 바카라사이트ir thoughts to identifying 바카라사이트 generic technologies of 바카라사이트 future.

In addition, 바카라사이트y have called for new research on economic incentives and disincentives, on financial systems, on markets, on 바카라사이트 impact of regulation, on 바카라사이트 organisation of R&D, on 바카라사이트 social "acceptance" of new technologies and on education and learning. These issues fall squarely within 바카라사이트 domain of 바카라사이트 social sciences.

This unprecedented degree of public support for 바카라사이트 social sciences is not without irony. Though business and o바카라사이트r non-academic users recognise 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 issues, many do not automatically associate 바카라사이트ir solution with social scientists as a professional community.

A meeting of minds needs to take place in order to move forward from this contradictory situation. Establishing a dialogue and, in some cases, overcoming stereotyped thinking (let's face it!) will not be plain sailing, but 바카라사이트 generally favourable climate which now prevails offers unique opportunities. The ESRC, toge바카라사이트r with its academic community, must seize 바카라사이트m.

Ronald Amann is chief executive of 바카라사이트 ESRC.