The New Dynamics of Ageing Programme (NDA), a collaboration between five of the UK's Research Councils – the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Economic and Social Research Council and the Medical Research Council, has announced the second round of successful applications to be funded under the programme.
Research has been at the heart of the improvements in life expectancy and is now focussed on improving the quality of people's lives as they age. Twelve new research projects have been funded, totalling around £3million investment in the vital area of ageing research. The projects include:
- Research at the University of Wales, Swansea led by Professor Judith Philips focussing on how older people respond to unfamiliar spaces when using different types of transport. This research has a potential impact for both housing and urban planning policy.
- Looking at the ways in which Older People’s Quality of Life (OPQOL), a key aspect of “active ageing” policies, can be measured and the factors which can affect it provides the focus of Professor Ann Bowling’s, research at University College London.
- At Glasgow School of Art, Professor Alastair Macdonald will look at innovative ways of visualising biomechanical data in order to inform healthcare and design practice.
- Professor Christina Victor’s research at the University of Reading aims to provide greater understanding of the experience and meaning of growing older within a South Asian Community within the UK.
- By analysing longitudinal data, Professor David Blane, Imperial College London will look at the relationships between health, paid employment and informal caring as people grow older to see whether these are changing over time.
- At the University of Bristol, Dr Liz Lloyd will examine preparations for the end of life made by older people with supportive care needs and the factors that can support or undermine a sense of dignity.
- Dr Lynn McInnes at Northumbria University will explore the relationship between successful ageing in order to determine what sort of interventions could help people maintain their mobility in order to help future generations stay mobile as they get older.
- Creating a greater understanding of the financial abuse of older people being cared for in the community is the focus of Professor Mary Gilhooly’s research at Brunel University. The research will also help us understand how decision making changes as people get older which highlights warning signals for people who may be vulnerable to abuse.
- Dr Penny Vero-Sanso at Birkbeck College will be looking at ageing, poverty and neoliberalism in urban South India to see what the impact of liberalisation has been on the livelihoods and welfare of the older urban poor in a developing country.
- At the University of Manchester, Dr Armando Barrientos will be leading a comparative study of Brazil and South Africa focussing on the relationships between ageing, well-being and development.
- Using the design of technologies, Professor Peter Wright’s research at Sheffield Hallam University aims to promote older people’s engagement with their physical and social environments as a way to encourage new forms of younger people and the wider community, enhancing people’s experiences of growing older.
- Professor Michael Murray at Keele University’s research aims to increase understanding of the social, health and psychological processes involved in promoting independence and social engagement among older people in disadvantaged urban communities.
With more people in the UK aged over 60 than below 16 years of age for the first time, according to the 2001 census, the NDA programme aims to ensure that ageing research has the maximum beneficial impact to both the economy and society through enhancing the quality of life, productivity and self-sufficiency of the older generation..
Professor Alan Walker, Director of the New Dynamics of Ageing Programme commented: “It is vitally important that we understand the changes taking place in the ageing process. This second round of funding made from the programme will target resources to look at many dimensions of ageing, from bio-mechanics to social and cultural aspects, ensuring that this much needed knowledge is available as quickly as possible for policy makers, practitioners, product designers and anyone in a position to improve the quality of later lives.”
A call for proposals for the third round of funding will be issued on 17th September. More information will be available from: http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/opportunities/current_funding_opportunities/index.aspx?
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Professor Alan Walker, Director, The New Dynamics of Ageing Programme: Tel: 0114 222 6466 or e-mail: a.c.walker@sheffield.ac.uk
Economic and Social Research Council: Alexandra Saxon Tel: 01793 413032 e-mail: alexandra.saxon@esrc.ac.uk
Arts and Humanities Research Council: Jake Gilmore Tel: 0117 987 6773 or e-mail: j.gilmore@ahrc.ac.uk
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council: Matt Goode, 01793 413299 or e-mail: matt.goode@bbsrc.ac.uk
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council: Jane Reck Tel: 01793 444312 or e-mail: jane.reck@epsrc.ac.uk
Medical Research Council: John Davidson or Laure Thomas Tel: 0207 636 6011 or e-mail: john.davidson@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk or laure.thomas@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
1. The New Dynamics of Ageing programme is a seven year multidisciplinary research initiative with the ultimate aim of improving quality of life of older people. The programme is a unique collaboration between five UK research councils - ESRC, EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC and AHRC - and is the largest and most ambitious research programme on ageing ever mounted in the UK. The programme aims to develop practical policy and implementation guidance and novel scientific, technological and design responses to help older people enjoy better quality lives. This requires integrating understandings of the changing meanings, representations and experiences of ageing and the key factors shaping them through direct engagement with older people and user organisations. For more information visit,: http://www.newdynamics.group.shef.ac.uk/
2. The ESRC is the UK's largest funding agency for research and postgraduate training relating to social and economic issues. It provides independent, high quality, relevant research to business, the public sector and Government. The ESRC’s planned total expenditure in 2006/7 is £169 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and research policy institutes. More at http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk
3. Each year the Arts & Humanities Research Council provides approximately £90 million to support research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities, from archaeology and English literature to design and dance. In any one year, the AHRC makes approximately 700 research awards and around 1,500 postgraduate awards. Awards are made after a rigorous peer review process, to ensure that only applications of the highest quality are funded. Arts and humanities researchers constitute nearly a quarter of all research-active staff in the higher education sector. The quality and range of research supported by this investment of public funds not only provides social and cultural benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK.
4. The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) is the UK funding agency for research in the life sciences. Sponsored by Government, BBSRC annually invests around £350 million in a wide range of research that makes a significant contribution to the quality of life for UK citizens and supports a number of important industrial stakeholders including the agriculture, food, chemical, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk
5. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the UK’s main agency for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences. The EPSRC is investing £650 million this year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change. The areas covered range from information technology to structural engineering, and mathematics to materials science. This research forms the basis for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone’s health, lifestyle and culture. EPSRC also actively promotes public awareness of science and engineering. EPSRC works alongside other Research Councils with responsibility for other areas of research. The Research Councils work collectively on issues of common concern via Research Councils UK. Website address for more information on EPSRC: www.epsrc.ac.uk/
6. The Medical Research Council (MRC) is funded by the UK tax-payer. It aims to improve human health. The research it supports and the scientists it trains meet the needs of the health services, the pharmaceutical and other health-related industries and universities. The MRC has funded work which has led to some of the most significant discoveries and achievements in medicine in the UK. More at: www.mrc.ac.uk