Hi all:

Having decided that I can't comprehend the atmosphere at my institution, I'm considering transferring to another institution. I'm lucky, in the sense that I've got an ESRC quota award.... However, does anyone know how easy it is to transfer, specifically if the institution is within the same city?

S x

I don't think you can... especially with a Quota award, the funding is allocated to the university, who then decide on a student to fund.

I don't think quota awards are transferable, because they are applied for and given to the institution who then award them to students. It's not like you were awarded it directly through the open competition. You need to talk to the ESRC nominated contact at your university but unless your supervisor is strongly supporting this, then I suspect the answer will be no. A friend of mine wasn't allowed to follow her supervisor when he moved because she had a quota award. The bad news was somewhere in that ESRC guide - here you go...
See p37 of this guide to funding;
http://www.esrc.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/Images/Postgraduate%20Funding%20Guide%20-%202009-10%20(updated%20October%2009)_tcm6-12067.pdf