Economic and Social Research Council holds Regional Partners visit at LSE

On Wednesday 25 February 2026, LSE hosted the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) for a regional partners event, focused on the London research and innovation (R&I) community. This is the first time LSE has received an ESRC delegation to campus including senior leadership and colleagues working across council workstreams, since the visit from the Executive Chair in 2023. 

This was an opportunity to showcase the breadth of social science expertise contributing to economic growth and productivity from across ESRC’s investment portfolio in London, as well as engage local stakeholders with the council’s strategic priorities. The event is part of a broader series of engagements, through which ESRC seeks to strengthen regional relationships.

The ESRC Executive Chair, Professor Stian Westlake, and the LSE Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research (PVCR), Professor Susana Mourato, welcomed an audience of over 20 London-based universities, funders, policy, public sector and government colleagues. 

Participants heard from ESRC Executive Director of Research and UK Metascience Unit Co-Director, Jen Gold, about UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s new funding model and alignment with the Industrial Strategy. She focused on ESRC’s curiosity-driven budget allocation and the ongoing refresh of applicant-led schemes, through new pilot opportunities (React and Connect), and a second round of funding available from the Metascience Unit, co-hosted by the ESRC. 

Konrad Mould, UKRI Head of Engagement of the R&D Mission Accelerator Programme (RDMAP), gave an overview of the programme framework, which is supporting the government’s five missions by delivering R&I challenges. This is backed by a £500 million government investment by 2030, with an additional £1.5 billion leveraged from industry and the third sector. Coordinated through a central ESRC-led Programme Hub and overseen by the ESRC Executive Chair as Senior Responsible Officer, RDMAP is funding projects across its challenges and developing case study reports. 

In a panel chaired by ESRC Deputy Executive Chair, Professor Alison Park, LSE PVCR, Professor Susana Mourato, was joined by R&I leaders the from University of London (Professor Claire Gorrara), King’s College London (Professor Sir Bashir M. Al-Hashimi), Queen Mary University of London (Professor Andrew Livington) and Brunel University (Professor Hua Zhao), to discuss the challenges and opportunities for universities in driving growth, with items spanning housing, health, and Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts for People and the Economy (SHAPE) commercialisation. Panel members emphasised the importance of sustained funding for SHAPE disciplines, as well as investment in people and talent.

Throughout the day, attendees heard from multiple funders, as well as leading social scientists who work at the intersection of research and policy through plenary and breakout sessions (read more here).

While on campus, the ESRC Executive Chair had the chance to meet with LSE’s President and Vice Chancellor, Professor Larry Kramer, to learn about the School’s research capacity in key sectors, like AI, sustainability and political economy, and explore future ways of engagement with council and government strategic priorities.