College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Brexit and social inequality projects win major funding

Two major projects involving the University have received significant funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.

The funding body has announced more than £10 million for five innovative multidisciplinary research projects in UK universities in the fields of economics and social science.

Edinburgh academics secured funding for two projects: Analysing Multi-Dimensional and Multi-Scale Inequalities in Scottish Society; and Between two unions: The Constitutional Future of the Islands after Brexit.

Social inequality

Professor Susan McVie  will look at the causes and consequences of social inequality in Scotland with a view to developing the research needed to tackle such inequality.

This award will allow us to create an ambitious and innovative programme of research to explore the source and impact of inequalities that face people in Scotland. Our research will focus on how inequalities are influenced by the places people live in, and the extent to which inequalities remain stable over time. A key aim will be to identify new policy solutions to deal with multiple forms of inequality.

Prof Susan McVieAQMeN co-director

Brexit impact

Professor Michael Keating, director of the Centre on Constitutional Change (CCC), will lead a team to examine how Brexit is impacting on constitutional dynamics in the UK.

The project examines changing constitutional relationships across the UK and Ireland in the context of Brexit. We are witnessing a real-time experiment in constitution-making under conditions of uncertainty.

Professor Michael Keating 

The CCC is a multi-institutional project, based at the University of Edinburgh.

Ambitious research

The ESRC Large Grants competition invited proposals from eligible individuals and research teams to take forward an ambitious research agenda with the potential to make significant economic or societal impact. Proposals were assessed through peer review and panel meetings.

Society faces real challenges in the coming years. Not only are we entering extensive negotiations on Brexit but we also need to address the pressures on our health and social care systems, and continued inequalities across the UK. These projects are all directly relevant to the challenges ahead and demonstrate the important contribution that social science can make to society and the individuals within it.

Professor Jane ElliottESRC Chief Executive

Related links

AQMeN

Centre on Constitutional Change

ESRC