ABSTRACT
Academic research in the UK is supported by seven of the research councils, each covering their own portfolio of disciplines and subject interests. The councils provide the university sector with research funding through a mixture of research grants and studentships. Historically, much of this funding has been made available through responsive mode support (individuals make a direct application to the research council that funds research in their discipline). Increasingly, however, funding is also directed into strategic programmes. These are themed (usually around issues of government and sector priority) and are often interdisciplinary, being
supported by more than one research council.2 The Designing for the 21st Century Research Initiative is an example of a strategic programme. The programme was conceived in 2002, as a response to growing policy interest in the creative industries3 and out of recognition that many of the design challenges facing society in the 21st century require investigation through interdisciplinary research.
