How long will it be until RCUK issues a call for proposals on the London riots?

There is much debate on how the government will pick up the pieces after the recent rioting and looting in London and other cities. But what do recent events mean for the direction of academic research? Phil Ward, Research Funding Manager at the University of Kent, considers how Research Councils have historically focused on contemporary social challenges, and invites you to comment on the possible ‘unshackling’ of academics from political research.