Funding social science research in academia

This paper identifies the different funding streams for social science research and the different purposes for which it is carried out. The issue of making research "useful" and relevant and how this links to different modes of user involvement is discussed. For research users to be involved in research in a real, strong, way requires long-term relationships to be built between users and researchers. A large proportion of research being carried out within the higher education sector is funded by external bodies of some kind, on short-term contracts, The argument is put that little time and energy goes into the management of this contract research. The combination of high staff turnover, little management and the decline of the dual support system have made it increasingly difficult for long-term relationships between researchers and research users to be built up. The paper concludes with a discussion of the role and effect of the Research Assessment Exercise. There are no incentives in the RAE for the creation of the kind of environment within which applied research can flourish-team working a focus on problems rather than disciplinary issues, support, training and skill development for researchers, and good management.