Key appointment for Head of School

Head of School of Law and Politics appointed to prestigious research committee

Professor Daniel Wincott, Head of Cardiff University’s School of Law and Politics, has been appointed as a member of the Economic and Social Research Council’s (ESRC) Research Committee.

The ESRC is the UK’s largest funding organisation for research on social and economic issues; working with business, the public and third sectors. A non-departmental public body, at any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students across the country from its budget of over £200 million.

The ESRC Research Committee – which meets three times a year - oversees and sets policy for research funding and investment. In 2015 the Council announced a review of its governance structure, renewing and modifying the Research Committee and introducing a new Capability Committee.  These Committees will work closely together to address the integrated and interdisciplinary challenges which face social science research in the coming years. 

Professor Wincott’s appointment to the Research Committee is not his first involvement with the work of the ESRC. He was previously involved with the development of the ESRC’s work on “The UK in a Changing Europe”.  In mid-2014 he became Vice Chair of the advisory group for this initiative – which explores the challenges facing the UK in its relationship with the European Union. The initiative draws on outstanding independent academic research and expertise to inform critical policy and political debates on this contentious subject.

Professor Wincott said: “The ESRC restructure was a fantastic opportunity for me to become more involved in their work. Through my involvement with The UK in a Changing Europe, I was familiar with work being commissioned by the ESRC, but I wished to become more involved at a strategic level. The Research Committee will give me that opportunity and I look forward to joining it later this year.”

Professor Wincott will continue as Vice Chair of the advisory group for The UK in a Changing Europe initiative when his membership of the ESRC Research Committee begins in September 2015, running for two years until 2017 (with the possibility of re-appointment for a further two years).