Our role

We are responsible for advising the ESRC on the successful achievement of its corporate strategy through a combination of policy, large investment, and project-level evaluations. We also lead the ESRC's work on developing methods for the evaluation of impact, and oversee its programme of International Benchmarking Reviews.

We operate independently of the Policy Committees and provide Council with a comprehensive assessment of funded research as well as undertaking reviews in key policy areas; the evaluation results are incorporated into the ESRC's strategic planning and development. We also advise the Chief Executive and the Policy Committees on the quality and outcome of individual research investments.

Membership

The Evaluation Committee is chaired by a Council member. Other members are appointed by Council for two years and are drawn from a range of academic and non-academic backgrounds. 

• Prof Ann Buchanan, University of Oxford (Chair)
• Prof Paul Anand, Economics, Open University
• Prof Tara Fenwick, Stirling Institute of Education, University of Stirling
• Prof Brian Francis, Mathematics and Statistics, Lancaster University
• Steven Marwick, Evaluation Support Scotland
• Jeremy Mayhew, Public User Member
  
• Prof Paul Milbourne, Cardiff University
• Dr Paul Nightingale, University of Sussex
• Jeremy Peat, BBC National Trustee for Scotland
• Prof Ken Starkey, University of Nottingham
• Prof Sandra Walklate, University of Liverpool
• Prof Paul Whiteley, University of Essex
• Penny Young, National Centre for Social Research
  
• Vicki Crossley, ESRC (Secretary)

For further information on the Evaluation Committee's work please contact Vicki Crossley: vicki.crossley@esrc.ac.uk.

Meeting Summaries

Notes from previous Evaluation Committee meetings:

• 2 March 2012 (PDF, 81Kb)
  
• 1 November 2011 (PDF, 80Kb) 
• 22 June 2011, (PDF, 81Kb)
• 31 March 2011 (PDF, 75Kb)