UK SBS BLOJEU – CR150045AHRC A commissioned study to support the current evidence base on the Economic Value of the Impacts of AHRC-funded Research Projects

As the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) approaches its tenth anniversary in 2015, it aims to showcase the achievements of the arts and humanities community through a variety of activities. One of which will be to update and develop the research commissioned in 2006 for our publication Leading the World: The economic impact of UK arts and humanities ("Estimating the value of the Impacts produced by the AHRC, pages 34-35) on the economic impact of AHRC-funded research projects.

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) invests c. £100 million a year in research and training in the arts and humanities. It supports a broad range of disciplines which include modern languages and linguistics, law, history, design, music, philosophy, visual arts and media, English language and literature, creative and performing arts, classics, archaeology, architecture, religious studies, librarianship, information and museum studies.

The AHRC’s current strategy is set out in The Human World: The Arts and Humanities in Our Times, Strategy 2013-18. A significant proportion of AHRC research funding is allocated to ‘responsive mode’ awards and to postgraduate support.

In addition the AHRC supports certain strategic themes and initiatives. Current themes include: Care for the Future: Thinking Forward through the Past; Digital Transformations in the Arts and Humanities; Science in Culture; and, Translating Culture.

In addition, the AHRC has encouraged initiatives to support the creative economy such as the four Knowledge Exchange Hubs for the Creative Economy and a number of cross-Council programmes such as, for example, Connected Communities which is led by AHRC. The overall purpose of this study is to provide an updated and robust evidence base for quantifying and estimating the economic impact and value of AHRC-funded research. To register on our e-sourcing portal click on https://gpsesourcing.cabinetoffice.gov.uk and follow the link ‘Register for CCS eSourcing’.