Dr Katy Hayward, Reader in Sociology from the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work at Queen’s University Belfast has been appointed one of the nine new Senior Fellows.

Speaking about the Fellowship, Dr Hayward said: “The UK In A Changing Europe initiative exemplifies the role of social sciences in addressing the most pressing issues of our time. A senior fellowship with this team is a great privilege for me personally but it is much more than that. It is an investment in Queen's as a renowned hub of excellence for research and engagement on the Brexit process.

“I am greatly looking forward to working with colleagues across the University, and many non-academic partners outside it, in producing research and sharing knowledge for public benefit at this critical time."

The UKICE initiative, led by Professor Anand Menon, aims to promote rigorous, high-quality and independent research into the complex and ever-changing relationship between the UK and the European Union, and to provide an authoritative, non-partisan and impartial reference point for those looking for information, insight and analysis about UK-EU relations that stand aside from the politics surrounding the debate.

The ESRC, as part of UK Research and Innovation, invited proposals from UK-based academics for senior fellowships to work as part of UKICE; this will be the third round of senior fellowships under the initiative. 

The new Senior Fellows are academics of the highest international standing in their field. While their role is focused mainly on impact, dissemination and the synthesis of existing research, they will also have the opportunity to undertake new research where appropriate.

The nine new Senior Fellows are:

• Dr Katy Hayward, Queen's University Belfast - The Post-Brexit Status and Future of Northern Ireland

• Professor David Bailey, University of Birmingham - Changing Lanes? Brexit and UK Automotive: Impacts and implications for corporate strategies and industrial policy

• Professor Catherine Barnard, University of Cambridge - Working hard; hardly working

• Dr Meredith Crowley, University of Cambridge - UK Trade Policy post-Brexit

• Professor John Curtice, National Centre for Social Research - The Evolution of Public Attitudes during the Brexit Process

• Professor Sarah Hall, University of Nottingham - Brexit and the UK’s financial services sector

• Professor Hussein Kassim, University of East Anglia - Negotiating the future. The UK's repositioning in Europe: processes and consequences

• Professor Nicola McEwen, University of Edinburgh - A Family of Nations? Brexit, Devolution and the Union

• Professor Meg Russell, University College London - Brexit, Parliament and the Constitution

Professor Menon, Director of UKICE said “I am delighted to welcome this outstanding collection of first-rate social scientists to our team. Working together we have an exciting opportunity to ensure that social science research informs not only public policy but also political and public debates about the future of the UK and its relationship with the European Union.”

Under the guidance of the UKICE Director, the role of the senior fellowship is to provide evidence and analysis, which leads to impact and dissemination across the broad range of issues and policy areas affected by Brexit, its implementation and consequences, and the UK’s future relationship with the European Union more broadly. 

Jeremy Neathey, Deputy Director of Research at ESRC said “ESRC continues to be committed to providing a strong evidence base to inform what is the most critical issue facing not just the immediate, but also the longer term, future of the UK. We continue to fund research across a range of initiatives which allow us to better understand the profound implications of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. The appointment of this cohort is a crucial part of that effort and builds on the valuable work of the previous fellows.”

The ESRC have invested £4.3 million for the nine new Senior Fellows and additional funding of £3.19 million for the UKICE hub, based at King’s College London. The hub will run for a further three years and the fellowships will run for up to three years.

For more information, please visit: https://esrc.ukri.org/

ENDS...

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