the institute for advanced studies ias “… ideas for a better world ” “To generate and disseminate innovative interdisciplinary responses to challenges facing Scotland and the UK within the next 20 years”  addressing strategic issues of relevance to Scotland, and more widely  a physical space for unconstrained interdisciplinary thinking  working with the public, policy-makers, practitioners and end-users  marshalling existing knowledge and deploying research experience in fresh ways

From autumn 2010  a strategic partnership of Scottish universities and organisations who value knowledge exchange  initial university partners: Dundee, Edinburgh, St Andrews, Stirling and Strathclyde  with a new name to be announced shortly  located …  initially in purpose designed premises at the University of Strathclyde, then  either a permanent site  or moving every 3-5 years between universities or other sites (decided by Governing Board – possible refurbishment of accommodation as part of regeneration within a university

 occupying a clear niche in the knowledge exchange landscape, between Think Tanks (which lack knowledge resources) and typically mono-discipline research institutes  encouraging programmes with clear policy and practice implications, particularly for Scotland  programme format stimulates in-depth knowledge exchange and development over a period of time: e.g. three 2-4 day sessions with group contact in between  a typical programme includes some or all of:  presentations and discussion  workshops  electronic-broadcast debates  public lectures Operation Think Tanks (University) Research Institutes ias

Current programmes  Brain imaging and its impact on society  Cybercrime: a threat to all  Future of news industries  Pluralism in crisis  Women, punishment and community sanctions

 Programmes selected by committee whose members are nominated by Governing Board  Current call for proposals : see  Programmes should be led by multi-sector teams which must include academics from partner universities. All university staff may register interest in participating in programmes  Impact will be achieved through a linked chain of inputs, outputs and outcomes including  International and multi-sector participants  Programme reports and other publications, public engagement, new collaborations  Policy and practice informed by programmes, confidence in and profile for Scotland’s capacity for collaboration and innovation Programme selection, participation and impact

Benefits for Scottish universities  promoting cross-discipline engagement, enhancing the collective capacity of Scottish universities  raising the profile of Scottish research internationally  dissemination of thinking via a range of routes, including those relevant for REF  promoting new collaborations, and therefore new research and KE income  a new mechanism for public engagement  early outputs encouraging, but timeline for some desired impacts will be longer than 6 months  universities will “take out what they put in”: funding activity of their own staff, working with and stimulated by members of other institutions and sectors

Benefits for Government and for Scotland more widely  responding to drive for effective policy-making  recognising the range and types of evidence that need to be brought together  supporting co-production of policy  ability to address issues identified by third sector or business, and building teams around these  extracting added value from research already funded by the taxpayer  a mechanism for civic engagement

Governance Structure Professional services Programme Committee Manager Director Advisory Board Programme Proposers and Organisers Programme delivery team Governing Board independent/rotating Chair nominees of partner HEIs representatives of public sector, business and third sector interests advisors of international standing business leaders & industrialists Event assistant Management Team

What the Institute is  hosting and facilitating international interdisciplinary enquiry by multi- institutional teams  addressing clear questions, marshalling and reconfiguring existing knowledge  a physical place to meet and work  holding sustained programmes over periods up to several months  engaging practitioners with researchers  networking to policy bodies and linkages to government  growing into a national initiative with critical mass and draw What the Institute isn’t  a place for pursuing independent individual research (e.g. a “research hotel”)  limited to a narrow range of disciplines or themes  a virtual network  a single event or workshop  exclusively for academic research  a venue for conferences