Launch of UCL’s Collaborative Social Science Domain (CSSD): supporting social scientists across the disciplinary spectrum at UCL

Tuesday, 12 December 2017

5.30pm to 7.30pm (be followed by a drinks reception in the North Cloisters, Wilkins Building, UCL)
Venue: Lecture Theatre 1,Basement, Cruciform Building, UCL, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT

• Hosted by Professor Alison Fuller, CSSD Chair and Pro Director (Research and Development), Institute of Education, UCL

• Keynote speech: Brokers and boundary-spanners: the changing role of the social sciences in the UK research landscape by Professor James Wilsdon

• Presentation: Can the Amazon Echo be used in the home to help those living with dementia? by Dr Nicholas Firth

• The launch will be followed by a drinks reception

• Programme

Join us to formally launch UCL’s Collaborative Social Science Domain (CSSD) and learn more about our activities to date and plans for the future. This will be an ideal opportunity for UCL researchers to discover how our Domain can support them and facilitate new cross-disciplinary collaborations. There will be contributions from senior representatives from major research funding bodies who will discuss the role of cross-disciplinarity in their strategic priorities.

We are delighted that James Wilsdon (outgoing/former Chair, Campaign for Social Science and Professor of Research Policy and Director of Impact and Engagement at the University of Sheffield) has agreed to deliver a keynote speech which will reflect on some of the opportunities and uncertainties for social science being created by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), the Industrial Strategy Challenges Fund, Brexit and other major shifts in the UK research environment.

Professor David Price, Vice Provost Research at UCL will talk about the importance of cross-disciplinary research in addressing global, societal challenges and UCL’s strong support for the CSSD.

The evening will also include a presentation by Dr Nicholas Firth (Centre for Medical Imaging, UCL Computer Science) who is co-leading the project Can the Amazon Echo be used in the home to help those living with dementia? with Professor Mary Sullivan, Dementia Research Centre, Institute of Neurology. This project was supported by CSSD’s 2016-17 Social Science Plus funding scheme which supports innovative research collaborations between social scientists and engineers, scientists and researchers from across UCL.

Sign up here to keep in touch with news from CSSD about funding, events, and other initiatives. And tell us a little more about your research interests and priorities for the next three years.

About CSSD
The CSSD is working across UCL to support and promote collaborative research activity between social scientists and scientists from other (non-social science) disciplines. We support social science researchers at UCL regardless of their department or faculty affiliation. CSSD encourages methodological innovation, new cross disciplinary collaborations across institutional boundaries, and builds capacity via our Early Career Network and engagement/impact activities. Importantly we are also keen to encourage and facilitate non-social scientists who wish to diversify their research foci, activities and networks, and broaden their methodological repertoires by forming new collaborations with UCL's rich and diverse pool of social scientists.

Programme
Welcome and introduction
Professor Alison Fuller, CSSD Chair and Pro Director (Research and Development), Institute of Education, UCL

UCL and cross-disciplinarity
Professor David Price Vice-Provost Research, UCL

Keynote speech
“Brokers and boundary-spanners: the changing role of the social sciences in the UK research landscape”
Professor James Wilsdon, outgoing/former Chair, Campaign for Social Science and Professor of Research Policy and Director of Impact and Engagement at the University of Sheffield.

Presentation
Can the Amazon Echo be used in the home to help those living with dementia? Dr Nicholas Frith (Centre for Medical Imaging, UCL Computer Science)

Expert Panel: Opportunities and Challenges
ESRC: Rebecca Fairbairn, Head of Longitudinal Studies and Biosocial Capability
UCL: Yvonee Rydin, Chair, Planning Environment and Public Policy, Bartlett School of Planning, UCL
Wellcome Trust: Jack Harrington, Jack Harrington, Portfolio Development Manager, Humanities and Social Science team

Q&As

Drinks reception (North Cloisters, Wilkins Building, UCL)