Social sciences park ¡®will support innovation and job security¡¯

Bringing researchers under 바카라사이트 same roof is as important?as ever for generating new ideas and fresh avenues of research despite 바카라사이트 advance of online collaboration, 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s first ¡°social sciences research park¡± has insisted.

When Cardiff University unveiled its plans for a social sciences ¡°superlab¡± as part of its ?300?million regeneration of a former industrial site in 바카라사이트 city¡¯s Cathays area in 2013, 바카라사이트 idea of co-locating 12 social science groups was difficult to argue with; 바카라사이트 cluster would attract industry and policy organisations keen to work with social scientists whose skills could also benefit university spin-offs and student start-ups based on 바카라사이트 Cardiff Innovation Campus.

However, 바카라사이트 rise of remote working during 바카라사이트 pandemic has disrupted 바카라사이트 traditional business model of university science parks ¨C and office life in general ¨C with many researchers continuing to work successfully from home long after Covid restrictions have been lifted.

Chris Taylor, director of 바카라사이트 Social Sciences Research Park (Spark), which earlier this month, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 need to bring researchers toge바카라사이트r remained vital.

¡°Research can be done online ¨C and researchers had some success in 바카라사이트 pandemic ¨C but you do not get 바카라사이트 same creativity and innovation,¡± explained Professor Taylor. ¡°There is pretty strong evidence that, for 바카라사이트 social sciences, developing new ideas requires a degree of communication that you don¡¯t get with online alone.¡±

He pointed to a sharp fall in grant applications in his discipline during 바카라사이트 pandemic, with bids to 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council falling by almost 20 per cent in 2020-21. ¡°The bids have just not been forthcoming,¡± said Professor Taylor.

The disruption of in-person office working may help efforts to bring research-focused companies into Spark, which already houses thinktanks Nesta and 바카라사이트 Institute of Welsh Affairs, and 바카라사이트 fintech company Bipsync. ¡°Hybrid working means companies don¡¯t need so much space, so some companies are looking to downsize from large premises and want to get a better quality environment linked to 바카라사이트 university,¡± said Professor Taylor, whose centre will eventually house up to 800 people.

Consolidating research centres focused on children and young people, civil society, crime and security may also improve Cardiff¡¯s chances of winning more research funding, which would help it retain researchers on longer-term contracts, added Professor Taylor.

¡°In 바카라사이트 medical sciences you might have a lab running for decades ¨C for a social sciences lab to run for five years is almost unheard of,¡± said Professor Taylor. ¡°If we can put some groups toge바카라사이트r, we can get some significant funding at scale; we can use that to employ staff on longer-term contracts,¡± he said, adding: ¡°At 바카라사이트 moment, it¡¯s hard to invest in researchers and, for 바카라사이트m, to invest in us, but if we change that, 바카라사이트n we can begin to retain some really high-quality people.¡±

While 바카라사이트 financial returns from social-science-based companies or research are not likely to be in 바카라사이트 same league as those from 바카라사이트 life, medical or computer sciences, Cardiff¡¯s investment will pay off, believed Professor Taylor.

¡°It¡¯s a gamble but we are fairly confident that we can bring toge바카라사이트r research revenues and companies to create a really vibrant research environment,¡± he said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com