Economic and Social Research Council
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| Abbreviation | ESRC |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1965 (as the SSRC) |
| Type | Non-Departmental Government Body |
| Purpose | Funding of social and economic research (at university) in the UK |
| Headquarters | Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, SN2 1UJ |
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Region served
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 United Kingdom
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| Prof. Jane Elliott | |
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Main organ
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ESRC Council |
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Parent organization
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| Website | Official Website |
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is one of the seven Research Councils in the United Kingdom. It receives most of its funding from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and provides funding and support for research and training work in social and economic issues, such as postgraduate degrees.
The ESRC is based at Polaris House in Swindon, which is also the location of the head offices of several other UK Research Councils and RCUK; together the Research Councils annually budget is in the region of £3 billion.
The ESRC's mission, according to its website, is to:
The ESRC was founded in 1965 as the Social Science Research Council (SSRC - not to be confused with the Social Science Research Council in the United States). The establishment of a state funding body for the social sciences in the United Kingdom, had been under discussion since the Second World War; however, it was not until the 1964 election of Prime Minister Harold Wilson that the political climate for the creation of the SSRC became sufficiently favourable.
The first chief executive of the SSRC was Michael Young (later Baron Young of Dartington). Subsequent holders of the post have included Michael Posner, later Secretary General of the European Science Foundation. The current Chief Executive of the ESRC is Professor Jane Elliott who took over from Professor Paul Boyle in October 2014.
Following the election of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1979 general election, the Government expressed reservations about the value of research in the social sciences, and the extent to which it should be publicly funded. In 1981, the Education Secretary Sir Keith Joseph asked Lord Rothschild to lead a review into the future of the SSRC.
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