Projects

Competition to be launched September 2010

Full documentation will be available once the call is launched.

White Rose Studentship Networks promote collaboration across the Universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York. 

Four Studentship Networks will be supported to start in 2011. 

We will be inviting applications in the following strategic themes:

Strategic Theme 1: Digital Economy -The use of technology to capture, share and manipulate information is an established cornerstone of our society and the economy.  The research that underpins this capability is well established and the UK has a world-leading ICT research capacity.  Increasingly, the novel, innovative and in some cases subversive design and use of new technologies can affect an individual’s life choices, change the way society interacts, offer new modes of interaction for government, revolutionise existing business processes or create new business paradigms.

The early involvement of the user community is vital if new technologies are to be integrated successfully into business opportunities, technical solutions or commercial products and processes.  This includes industry, government, charities, the public and other relevant groups. Challenges in the Digital Economy will require multi-disciplinary input across a broad spectrum of subjects including, but not limited to, researchers from the arts and humanities, economic and social scientists, medical sciences, in addition to engineering and physical sciences.

Strategic Theme 2: Connected Communities - Communities are essential to sustaining the human, social and cultural capital required to address the economic, social, health and environmental challenges of the 21st century and to fostering the creativity and innovation which will underpin future economic growth, sustainable development and improvements in quality of life.  New forms of connectivity within and between rural and urban communities are emerging as a result social, cultural, demographic and technological change whilst local environments and ecosystem services, physical connections, a sense of belonging and a vibrant cultural and creative sector, remain crucial to supporting well-being and the regeneration of economically deprived areas.

The core of ‘connected communities’ will be research to understand the changing nature of communities, in their historical and cultural contexts, and the value of communities in sustaining and enhancing our future quality of life.  This enhanced understanding will also inform the development of more effective community based interventions to address key economic and societal challenges.  Engagement with communities and other stakeholders at all stages of the research will be a key feature together with the connection of research expertise and data relevant to communities from across the research base.  This will enable the development of a more holistic understanding of communities rather than tackling issues in isolation.

Strategic Theme 3: Demographics Health and Healthcare - Population change - both migration and ageing - implies changing pressures on infrastructure and has wide-ranging implications for the provision of public services, in particular healthcare.  It is widely acknowledged that the UK healthcare model of simply treating disease is unsustainable both economically and socially.  Life expectancy at birth has increased by almost 30 years in the last century and it is predicted that around 40% of the UK population will be aged 50 and over by 2051.  Specific challenges include planning for later life by enabling older people to remain economically active through improvements to their health; preventative measures to tackle the issues of obesity, smoking, and alcohol consumption which impact on life expectancy, quality of life and healthcare costs; and designing public services to meet the needs of an ageing population.  A multidisciplinary approach into ageing research is thus required, which can better link knowledge of demographic change to issues of healthcare consumption and provision, whether on a regional or national basis.

Strategic Theme 4: Security, Conflict and Justice  (Note: This is associated with the White Rose Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) bid to the ESRC.) - A number of issues including environmental change, international terrorism, financial crisis, globalisation and population mobility are questioning traditional assumptions about states, the international order and security.  Traditionally security issues were focused on issues of military defence and law and order but new perceptions of security threats extend the concept to many aspects of social relations.  Consequently, the changing dimensions of security raise issues concerning the nature of conflict and the need to balance issues of security with justice (whether this is the maintenance of justice in relation to counter-terrorist measures or ensure a just distribution of resources in the context of the issues that surround energy, food, or water security).

This network is concerned with security in the broadest possible context and the social, economic, legal and political consequences of new perceptions of security and insecurity.  In addition there is a focus on the various ways in which states, international organisations and civil society respond to these new insecurities and securities and the potential for conflicts around issues of resource insecurity.  There is also a focus on the way in which interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches can help further the understanding the changing nature of security and its impacts.

Additional Information:

This Studentship Network is associated with the White Rose Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) bid to the ESRC.  The PVCs for Research have delegated the authority to the three lead academics from the DTC bid to define this strategic theme and subsequently select the Studentship Network to be funded.  Applications to this strategic theme must be made in the same way as the other three strategic themes

For more information please contact Craig Walker, c.walker@whiterose.ac.uk 01904 435354