Foreword

Mapping the causes and consequences of change in this complex and dynamic world is a huge task. So too is identifying tools to manage risk, finding remedies for ills and preparing society for further change in future. This is the challenge facing social science and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

Social scientists deepen and expand collective understanding of where we are and where we are heading. Evolving empirical knowledge of our socio-economic environment is the basis of sound decision-making by governments, businesses and charities, as well as communities, families and individuals.

Although much effort must be made to sustain the health of individual disciplines, the social scientist's value is increasingly realised in interdisciplinary work. The natural and physical sciences are extending the boundaries of technical possibility, for instance in nanotechnology, genomics, or adaptation to environmental change and moves to a low carbon economy; alongside this we need to understand the social and economic implications of such advances. This, too, is science. Elucidating behaviour - economic, political, social, cultural is not 'soft'; this research is now distinctly rugged.

The ESRC exists to fund and train the people for these vital tasks, and to ensure they apply the most advanced and appropriate methods using the best possible data. As a result we need to invest in high quality datasets and research infrastructure. Opportunities must also be provided for the best UK social scientists to work with the best researchers in other countries.

Our Strategic Plan 2009-2014 sets out our prospectus for what social science can and must do over the next five years.