Research networks

David is the convenor of the Public Interest Research Network which is a collaborative research organisation involving more than one hundred researchers in and outside academia who work together to produce research in the public interest. David also co-convenes three working groups as part of the Public Interest Research Network, one on Neoliberal Scotland the second jointly with Doug Stokes of Naspir which focuses on Terrorism 'expertise', the Consortium for Research on Terrorology and Political Violence. The third, on Science Communication and Management, focuses on the pressures on natural and social science under neoliberalism and the communication of science issues.

In May David was awarded a Global Uncertainties Leadership Fellowship by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) with a grant of around £400,000. Research supported by the Global Uncertainties Leadership Fellowship will allow an empirically informed and critical assessment of the production and communication of expertise on terrorism. A series of knowledge exchange and ‘leadership’ activities will help to exchange knowledge with policy makers, civil society, the media and the general public. (See more...)

 

EPSRC small grant to examine 'Strategic Identity Management in Cyberspace' via the phenomenon of 'sock puppets' (Defined by the New York Times in 2007 as 'the act of creating a fake online identity to praise, defend or create the illusion of support for one’s self, allies or company.')

European Commission funded project under FP7 titled ALICE RAP on 'Reframing Addictions'. I lead Work Package 12on the Addictions’ web of influence - which aims to increase the knowledge of interplay between stakeholders across a number of addictions. Approx €250,000.

C-SAP awarded around £12,000 to a team from the Teaching About Terrorism Group to study how Terrorism and political violence are taught across the UK. The team is led by David Miller (Strathclyde) and includes Marie Breen Smyth (Abersytwyth) and Dave Whyte (Liverpool).

SpinProfiles: SpinProfiles is a project launched by Spinwatch in May 2009 which aims to catalogue organisations and individuals involved in managing public debate. A list of all pages is accessible from the Spinprofiles Project page.

 

Science communication Awarded £1,700 through the EPSRC Bridging the Gap initiative to foster interdisciplinary activities on science communication and policy.

 

Neocon Europe: A project monitoring Neoconservative networks in Europe. More information here.

 

2007-2009

Public Interest Research Network A consortium of independent researchers operating since 2005. In 2007 it was awarded £7,000 by the University of Strathclyde Research Enhancement Fund for developing its networks. http://www.publicinterest.ac.uk

 

Public Services in Scotland This project was funded by Unison to provide a review of public services reforms in Scotland.(£4,500, with Patricia McCafferty)

 

Terrorism Expertise project Funded by the University of Strathclyde Research Development Fund (£7,500), this project examined the most cited and most prominent experts on 'terrorism' and focused on their activities and connections with government, the military and the intelligence services. Further work in this area is underway.

 

Awarded CASE studentship by ESRC on environmental advocacy in partnership with Friends of the Earth (England Wales and Northern Ireland).(with Will Dinan)

 

Scottish Executive (£45k)

 

STUC funded project on the Scottish Water industry

 

Water Customer Consultation Panels Scotland

 

Corporate Public Relations in British and Multinational companies, funded by the ESRC. 2000-2003

The research aims to map out the extent, scope and practice of public relations activities among the largest British companies and among a small number of multinational corporations. It will collect new data on the provision of public relations capacity in British and selected multinational corporations The project will provide original data on the scale of PR activities and will reveal the factors which determine the form of corporate PR provision among large British and multinational corporations.

The research will endeavour to assess the role of corporate PR in British and international corporate governance and most importantly to link the expansion and provision of corporate PR capacity to specific corporate strategies and decisions. It will attempt to trace the reasons for the expansion of corporate PR and will outline the macro-level strategies followed by corporations in varying sectors of business.

Overall, the project will attempt to describe and analyse the role of corporate PR in national and international governance. To outline the impact of the changing business environment (ie national and international governance, economic conditions and 'globalization') upon the PR strategies used by corporations. The research will be undertaken by means of a survey of the biggest 150 British companies, by interviewing corporate PR personnel and by collecting a wide range of internal documentation, market research data and ephemeral and promotional literature.

 

Global Media Monitoring Project,
co-ordinated by the World Association for Christian Communication
Political Communication and the Scottish Parliament funded by the ESRC Devolution programme.
Political Communication and Democracy', Funded by the ESRC 'Media Culture and Media Economics' Programme.