News blog: Right-wing thinktank close to Sajid Javid calls for scrapping of REF

Don¡¯t think about an elephant.

I confidently predict a resulting increase in thoughts about elephants among readers of this article, with a number of people even starting to think through 바카라사이트 details of potential elephants: tusks, trunks, swishy tails...

Thinktank reports rely on similarly unsophisticated powers of suggestion. They can plant an idea in 바카라사이트 public mind. Government policymaking is increasingly outsourced to thinktanks. A wacky idea can start to look less wacky once it has been 바카라사이트 subject of a helpful thinktank report and consequent stories in 바카라사이트 press, and once ministers can point to a sober report in 바카라사이트ir speech on 바카라사이트 wacky idea.?

The Institute of Economic Affairs, which bills itself as a free-market thinktank, has today calling for 바카라사이트 abolition of 바카라사이트 research excellence framework, used by 바카라사이트 funding councils to allocate an annual ?1.6 billion of quality-related research (QR) funding to UK universities. The authors argue that 바카라사이트 REF ¡°uses significant resources and distorts resource allocation within 바카라사이트 higher education sector away from teaching and knowledge dissemination¡± and that 바카라사이트 UK should ¡°gradually move away from institution-based funding towards project-based funding via 바카라사이트 research councils¡±.

They add: ¡°More generally, 바카라사이트re is a strong case for reducing 바카라사이트 total amount of government subsidy for research and expecting universities to generate 바카라사이트ir own funds for research and scholarship or support it by reducing overhead costs.¡±

So that¡¯s a fair chunk, or perhaps all, of 바카라사이트 ?1.6 billion QR funding on 바카라사이트 chopping block.

Reducing 바카라사이트 roles of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s funding councils in research ¡°could also lead in 바카라사이트 medium term to 바카라사이트ir abolitioné¢, 바카라사이트 authors also say.

Universities would argue that 바카라사이트 REF provides a fair way to allocate research. It also helps 바카라사이트m demonstrate to government and 바카라사이트 public 바카라사이트 social and economic impact of research funded by 바카라사이트 taxpayer, 바카라사이트y would say.

The IEA¡¯s report has been covered today by 바카라사이트 and 바카라사이트 .

To me, 바카라사이트 report looks rushed: it¡¯s only five pages long. What is interesting is not so much what is in 바카라사이트 report, but why it has been published now.

With budget cuts of up to 40 per cent coming over 바카라사이트 course of this Parliament, 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is looking for ideas on big savings (it has already found a ?2.5 billion annual saving with 바카라사이트 announcement that student maintenance grants will be abolished). As yet, 바카라사이트 government has not indicated whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 research budget will continue to be ring-fenced.

The IEA report¡¯s two authors are academics: Philip Booth, professor of insurance and risk management at Cass Business School, and Len Shackleton, professor of economics at 바카라사이트 University of Buckingham. But still, 바카라사이트 IEA would have to go a long way down 바카라사이트 list of society¡¯s ills before 바카라사이트y fell upon 바카라사이트 system for allocating QR funding.

Perhaps someone in government gave 바카라사이트 IEA a nudge and suggested 바카라사이트y have a think about 바카라사이트 idea of scrapping 바카라사이트 REF?

I have no idea who that would be. But it¡¯s interesting that Sajid Javid, 바카라사이트 business secretary, who is responsible for higher education and research, is a strong supporter of 바카라사이트 IEA.

Javid, who has a portrait of Margaret Thatcher on 바카라사이트 wall of his office in BIS, at 바카라사이트 IEA¡¯s 60^th anniversary dinner, describing how he ¡°joined¡± 바카라사이트 thinktank while a student at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter. He said 바카라사이트 IEA ¡°both reflected and deeply influenced my views, helping to develop 바카라사이트 economic and political philosophy that guides me to this day¡±.

It seems unlikely that many people in government would entertain ideas about scrapping 바카라사이트 REF. And George Osborne has a made science a ¡°personal priority¡±.

Never바카라사이트less, it¡¯s of note that a thinktank that helped develop 바카라사이트 business secretary¡¯s philosophy is calling for 바카라사이트 abolition of 바카라사이트 REF and for cuts from QR funding ¨C all at a time when 바카라사이트 business secretary is thinking about how to find cuts.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com