As part of its Placement Fellowship Scheme the ESRC and the Arts and Humanities Research Council welcome applications from academics interested in working in a research capacity in SABIP. The Scheme encourages social science researchers to spend time within a partner organisation to undertake policy relevant research and to develop the research skills of partner employees. The Fellowship will be jointly funded by the ESRC, AHRC and SABIP while the Fellow remains employed by his/her institution.
- Project Title
- Value analysis of value added or removed by intermediaries in the creative industries - Research scoping, design and piloting
- Length of Fellowship
- 3-6 months
- Proposed start date
- April 2010
- Location of Fellowship
- SABIP, 21 Bloomsbury Street, London WC1B 3HF
Expected tasks
- Literature Review on mapping and value analysis in the creative industries
- Scoping and designing research project to analyse value added or removed by intermediaries in the creative industries
- Undertaking preliminary research (piloting the research methodology)
- Contributing to SABIP research strategy
- Contributing to emerging strategy for a new Centre for Business Models and IP
Skills required
Essential:
- Knowledge of a range of relevant analytical tools, including value chain, network or systems analysis
- Experience in applied economic analysis
- Knowledge of the creative industries and emerging technological and business model paradigms in a range of sectors
- Knowledge of methodologies for mapping the creative industries
- Applied research experience
- Strong Analytical skills
Desirable:
- Experience in scoping and designing complex research projects
- Project management experience
- Awareness of SABIP, ESRC and stakeholder strategic goals
Background
The Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property Policy (SABIP) has been established to provide strategic, impartial, evidence-based advice to Government on issues concerning intellectual property (IP) policy. As a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), comprised of a non-executive board and supported by a Secretariat, SABIP commissions research which is synthesised into policy recommendations for Government.
SABIP's research feeds into both general Government IP and innovation policy (for example, copyright strategy or improving use of the IP system by SMEs) and specific programmes (for example, contributions to a Ministry of Justice review of civil litigation costs).
The creative industries are currently going through a period of substantial change, driven by technological, regulatory and economic factors. SABIP has created a panel of experts (Copyright Expert Panel) to provide guidance in the development of a research programme into strategic issues which takes full account of these developments. An overview of the challenges and relevant policy areas requiring further enquiry was provided by SABIP in its 'Strategic Priorities for Copyright' (March 2009) which outlined the following six priorities:Ownership Issues; Rights Management; Contract & Copyright; Simplification and Digital Consumer Attitudes & Behaviours.
In order to deliver policy recommendations which are appropriate to economic realities, SABIP and the CEP believe it is important to develop an improved understanding of the actors which any regulatory intervention will affect. Evidence is needed to determine to what extent value is captured and diverted at different stages of the distribution model, in ways that change traditional assumptions of the value chain on which copyright is to a large extent built. The final project would likely focus on two-three selected creative industries (eg publishing; music; film).The following questions are considered to be relevant:
- How has the role of intermediaries involved in bringing works from creators to consumers changed in the online environment? What types of entities are involved, and in what ways do they differ from intermediaries in the physical world?
- How do their activities and business models affect the value chain of works being delivered to those who wish to enjoy them and remuneration from those consumers flowing back through the distribution chain to the creators?
- Finally, what policy issues are implicated by these changes? Issues may include:
- Should existing law on infringement apply differently than it currently does? What is the scope of potential liability for new intermediaries to obtain authorisation from and make payment to copyright owners? Should they benefit from safe harbours, and if so, in what circumstances? Are there other appropriate solutions, such as independent obligations to take steps to prevent infringement?
- Are new remuneration models needed, feasible and appropriate to make up for the gaps in the value chain? How can Government policy support the development of these new models?
For a limited period we would like to augment our staff resources with external expertise to provide both quantitative and qualitative research skills that will enable us to scope and design the above project. The candidate will also be expected to undertake some research using the research methodology identified (at the very least pilot-testing the research design). As well as technical expertise, the use of external expertise should bring a fresh viewpoint and an opportunity to interrogate a range of conceptual frameworks - eg existing thinking on value chains and value networks in the creative industries. This research will play a role in shaping the analytical frameworks by which SABIP views the impact of copyright policy and makes its recommendations going forward. The candidate will not be expected to provide policy recommendations.
From the candidate's perspective, this will be an opportunity to contribute directly to the development of a key activity at the interface of research and policy and potentially shape the direction of research on business models and copyright for the next few years. The candidate will also get a unique insight into the operations of a NDPB and would have an opportunity to interact with senior staff at the Intellectual Property Office, including its Chief Economist. We would encourage the candidate to develop a sustained research interest in areas associated with the research project.
Given the short time scale, we would expect the person to be able to get to grips with the project in a very short period. The successful candidate must therefore have some familiarity with the research methodologies, the creative industries and similar studies.
The closing date for this call is 24 February 2010
Applications for this call are only through the Joint Electronic Submission System (JeS System) and should be submitted accordingly.
The call opens on 20 January 2010 and closes 24 February 2010. Please refer to the scheme specific guidance notes. A list of FAQs relevant to the Placement Fellowship Scheme is provided to assisit you.
For further information on this Fellowship email: lesley.lilley@esrc.ac.uk
Or rachelle.harris@sabip.org.uk>