ESRC Society Today

For immediate release - Monday 17th September 2007

Ian Pearson, the Minister for Science and Innovation, has appointed a new member to the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

Professor Ann Buchanan is Director of the Centre for Research into Parenting and Children, Professor of Social Work and Fellow of St Hilda's College at the University of Oxford. Before entering academic life in 1990, she spent ten years working as a child psychiatric social worker in an inner urban area. The focus of her research has been on the well-being of children, particularly those at risk of social exclusion. She led the team which carried out the Review on the Impact of Government Policies on Children Age 0-13 at Risk of Social Exclusion, commissioned by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and is regularly involved in government policy discussions as an expert on parenting. She is a Trustee of the Family Welfare Association and the Baring Foundation.

Professor Buchanan has been appointed to Council for a period of three years from 1 August 2007 to 31st July 2010.

Ian Pearson has also made a reappointment to the Council. Professor Judith Rees, Professor of Environmental and Resources Management at the London School of Economics, has been re-appointed for a period of 3 years from 1st August 2007 to 31st July 2010.

For further information contact:

• ESRC Press Office:
  • Alexandra Saxon (Tel: 01793 413032 e-mail: alexandra.saxon@esrc.ac.uk)
  • Danielle Moore (Tel: 01793 413122, e-mail: danielle.moore@esrc.ac.uk)  

Notes to Editors

1. The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest funding agency for research and postgraduate training relating to social and economic issues. It supports independent, high quality research relevant to business, the public sector and voluntary organisations. The ESRC's planned total expenditure in 2007/08 is £181 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and research policy institutes. More at http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/.
2. These appointments have been made in accordance with the requirements of the Code of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. None of the appointees have been involved in any relevant political activities in the last five years.All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees' political activity (if any declared) to be made public.
3. The appointees hold no other ministerial appointments. 
4. An honorarium of £6,410 per year is currently paid to all members and a higher rate of £8,540 is paid to members who chair Boards. From 1 October, the annual honoraria will rise to £6,570 for Council Members and £8,750 for members who chair boards. Professor Judith Rees is chair of the ESRC's Training and Development Board.
5. ESRC Society Today offers free access to a broad range of social science research and presents it in a way that makes it easy to navigate and saves users valuable time. As well as bringing together all ESRC-funded research and key online resources such as the Social Science Information Gateway and the UK Data Archive, non-ESRC resources are included, for example the Office for National Statistics. The portal provides access to early findings and research summaries, as well as full texts and original datasets through integrated search facilities. More at http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/.