Elizabeth Pellicano and Asi Sharabi have today been announced as the joint winners of the 2007 Michael Young Prize, sponsored by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and The Young Foundation.
Conceived in honour of the founder of the ESRC, the late Lord Michael Young, the prize aims to reward and encourage early career researchers whose work offers genuine new insights and is likely to have an impact beyond academia. Both Elizabeth and Asi win �3,000 each to help them communicate their research to users outside of academia.
Dr Elizabeth Pellicano�s research focuses on the differing development of children with autism. Autism is a lifelong developmental condition that affects up to 1 in every 100 children in the UK. Individuals diagnosed with the condition experience significant difficulties in social interaction and communication. The impact of these difficulties is far-reaching � on the individuals themselves, their carers, and broader society.
Previously most research in this area has focussed on the causes of autism rather than understanding it as a developmental disorder. By following a group of autistic children over a period of three years Dr Pellicano, from Bristol University, found that there was no uniform pattern of development.
The findings of the study will help to shape better policy responses to autism. It will also provide carers and parents of children with autism with answers some of their every day concerns such as whether an autistic child will ever have a 'real' friendship or hold down a job.
Dr Pellicano intends to run a series of events aimed at parents and carers of children with autism as well as at policy-makers in order to communicate her research and to further develop understanding about what factors shape the development of autism.
In contrast, Dr Asi Sharabi�s research looked at the barriers confronting Israeli children in understanding the Palestinian perspective of the Israeli Palestinian conflict. Working with Israeli children from three different social settings � kibbutz, city and Jewish settlements � Dr Sharabi�s research uses drawings, compositions and interviews to explore the social, cultural and historical contexts that contribute to the construction and understanding of the Palestinian perspective.
The research findings offer a valuable insight for those seeking to understand how prejudices are built and maintained in conflict situations and therefore how they might be overcome.
Professor Ian Diamond, Chief Executive of the ESRC commented: �The decision to have two winners this year mirrors the exceptional standard and range of applicants this year. Getting research into practice so that it has a measurable impact on policy, business and wider society is at the heart of what the ESRC does. I am delighted that, by working with The Young Foundation, we can encourage researchers at the start of their careers to do just that.�
Science and Innovation Minister Ian Pearson said: �We have a deserved reputation for research excellence in this country. The Michael young Prize not only recognises such excellence but builds upon it. By helping communicate the fantastic work of its winners their research can have a real impact in people�s lives. Ensuring great research can be exploited to benefit society is central to the aims of the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills�.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE WINNERS, CONTACT:
ESRC Press Office:
Alexandra Saxon on Tel: 01793 413032, e-mail: alexandra.saxon@esrc.ac.uk
Danielle Moore, Tel: 01793 413122, e-mail: danielle.moore@esrc.ac.uk
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
1. Dr Elizabeth Pellicano is currently a Lecturer in the Department of Experimental Psychology at University of Bristol. She began her career in psychology at the University of Western Australia where she completed her PhD.
2. Dr Asi Sharabi currently working as a Social Media Strategist in London. A former Lieutenant in the Israeli Defence Forces, Asi studied Social Psychology at the London School of Economics. Last year he won the LSE Robert Mackenzie Prize for his PhD thesis.
3. The ESRC is the UK's largest funding agency for research and postgraduate training relating to social and economic issues. It supports independent, high quality research relevant to business, the public sector and voluntary organisations. The ESRC�s planned total expenditure in 2007 - 08 is �181 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
4. The Young Foundation was founded in 2005, formed from the merger of the Institute of Community Studies and the Mutual Aid Centre. The foundation is a centre for social innovation identifying and understanding unmet social needs and developing practical initiatives to address them. The foundation works in many fields - including health, education, housing and cities and bringing together research and action, including the creation of new enterprises. The Young Foundation has been established to re-energise this powerful combination of research and practical action. More at http://www.youngfoundation.org.uk
5. ESRC Society Today offers free access to a broad range of social science research and presents it in a way that makes it easy to navigate and saves users valuable time. As well as bringing together all ESRC-funded research and key online resources such as the Social Science Information Gateway and the UK Data Archive, non-ESRC resources are included, for example the Office for National Statistics. The portal provides access to early findings and research summaries, as well as full texts and original datasets through integrated search facilities. More at http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk