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Showcase celebrates unique programme of research into the challenges of ageing

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A showcase event on Monday will celebrate the end of the New Dynamics of Ageing (NDA) programme, the largest and most ambitious research programme on ageing ever mounted in the UK when launched.

Held at the Business Design Centre in London on 21 October, the event chaired by Baroness Greengross OBE presents a comprehensive selection of state-of-the-art ageing research, showcasing work from the 35 projects undertaken by over 100 scientists as part of eight year NDA programme. With global populations ageing, the event - held in collaboration with Age UK - is especially of interest to policy makers and academics, as researchers present findings covering issues including dignity, money, and independence. The multidisciplinary NDA programme has successfully examined ageing from all angles, with findings including:

  • Engaging older people in technological design processes leads to more meaningful and acceptable products
  • Balance is a key predictor of out-of-home mobility in later life
  • Later life physical capability is linked to childhood family circumstances and cognitive capacity is influenced by early cognition and education
  • Popular representations of older women commonly combine ageism and sexism. Older women themselves are challenging those stereotypes
  • Ageing is not necessarily related to poorer sleep, and good sleep is a pre-requisite for older people’s well-being.

The showcase highlights the unique collaboration between five UK research councils, with the programme funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Medical Research Council (MRC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

High profile speakers at the event include Lord Filkin CBE - chair of the Public Service and Demographic Change Committee; Professor Paul Boyle - Chief Executive of the ESRC; and the Rt. Hon. David Willetts MP - Minister for Universities and Science.

Professor Paul Boyle - Chief Executive of the ESRC said:

"With our expected lifespan increasing two years every decade, society is facing new ageing challenges which need imaginative solutions. The ESRC, in collaboration with four other research councils, have a commitment to enhancing quality of life in the UK, and I am delighted to see the results of this significant cross-council project, rooted in excellent evidence-based research, that will have a real impact."

Professor James Goodwin, Head of Research at Age UK, said:

"The UK is facing demographic change, the likes of which we have never seen before, so it is increasingly important that we understand what this means for older people. The NDA sheds light on all aspects of ageing, from medical research to better design around the home and has the potential to make a real difference to people in later life."

ESRC Press Office:

Notes for editors

  1. The New Dynamics of Ageing Programme is an eight 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 was the largest and most ambitious research programme on ageing ever mounted in the UK when launched.
  2. The Economic and Social Research Council is the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues. It supports independent, high quality research which has an impact on business, the public sector and the third sector. The ESRC's total budget for 2012/13 is £205 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and independent research institutes.
  3. The Medical Research Council (MRC) has been at the forefront of scientific discovery to improve human health. Founded in 1913 to tackle tuberculosis, the MRC now invests taxpayers’ money in some of the best medical research in the world across every area of health. Twenty-nine MRC-funded researchers have won Nobel prizes in a wide range of disciplines, and MRC scientists have been behind such diverse discoveries as vitamins, the structure of DNA and the link between smoking and cancer, as well as achievements such as pioneering the use of randomised controlled trials, the invention of MRI scanning, and the development of a group of antibodies used in the making of some of the most successful drugs ever developed. Today, MRC-funded scientists tackle some of the greatest health problems facing humanity in the Twenty first century, from the rising tide of chronic diseases associated with ageing to the threats posed by rapidly mutating micro-organisms.
  4. BBSRC invests in world-class bioscience research and training on behalf of the UK public. Their aim is to further scientific knowledge, to promote economic growth, wealth and job creation and to improve quality of life in the UK and beyond. Funded by Government, and with an annual budget of around £467 million (2012-2013), they support research and training in universities and strategically funded institutes. BBSRC research and the people they fund are helping society to meet major challenges, including food security, green energy and healthier, longer lives. Their investments underpin important UK economic sectors, such as farming, food, industrial biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
  5. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the UK’s main agency for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences. EPSRC invests around £800 million a 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 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.
  6. The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funds world-class, independent researchers in a wide range of subjects: ancient history, modern dance, archaeology, digital content, philosophy, English literature, design, the creative and performing arts, and much more. This financial year the AHRC will spend approximately £98 million to fund research and postgraduate training in collaboration with a number of partners. 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.

Susie Watts 
Email: susie.watts@esrc.ac.uk 
Telephone: 01793 413119

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

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