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Our evidence briefings highlight research findings and their relevance in key policy areas. The views expressed in the evidence briefings are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the ESRC.
Research evidence shows that changes in female employment have helped to mitigate the trend of rising income inequality, but in families where the mother is the sole breadwinner the risk of poverty is high.
The Soft Drinks Industry Levy was implemented in April 2018 as a response to concerns about rising childhood and teenage obesity. Will the levy lead to the anticipated outcomes of reduced sugar consumption and improved health, or will it have unintended consequences?
Whether or not a student leaves home to study is strongly influenced by social and ethnic background, affecting career choices and local retention of skills after studies.
Cities worldwide are increasingly embedding smart technology to gather and analyse data, with global 'smart city' revenue expected to grow to $88.7 billion by 2025. Smart cities have a huge potential for improving sustainability, but are currently limited by market-focused economic models.
Increased investment in national and local infrastructure across the UK is fundamental to increasing productivity and economic growth. There is a pressing need to adopt a broad, integrated approach to infrastructure planning, valuation and engineering.
Stamp duty discourages house moving locally, slowing down the housing market. Replacing it with an annual local tax on the value of land or property could increase housing mobility and provide incentives to local authorities to build more housing and to property owners to use land more efficiently.
The Sustainable Care Research Programme, based at the University of Sheffield, is investigating how social care arrangements can be made sustainable. The new programme is focusing on the care needs of adults living at home with chronic health problems or disabilities.
Skills in the workforce are crucial for firms’ ability to putinnovative ideas into practice and increase productivity. Focus has traditionally been on high-level skills, but intermediate-skilled technicians and wider workforce skills are also essential.
The UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE) is a multidisciplinary consortium of 13 partners, led by the University of Glasgow and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
A personal legal identity is crucial for accessing benefits and services, and is seen as a key driver for prosperity in developing countries. A digital identification system based on behavioural data can provide a legal identity for people in underdeveloped countries.
