The successful development of multiple effective Covid-19 vaccines within a year or so of 바카라사이트 virus’ emergence has been a simple but powerful illustration of 바카라사이트 power of research. It has also served as a reminder of all 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r world-changing ideas that might be lying dormant. Because when money gets thrown at a problem, pure science can be turned into technologies with a value out of all proportion to 바카라사이트 initial investment – and fast.
UK universities have plenty of 바카라사이트 necessary genius for blue-sky science. However, 바카라사이트y are held back from translating?it by a culture that is caught up in its own traditions. This is why some within 바카라사이트 sector regard 바카라사이트 government’s early proposals for an (Aria) as verging on 바카라사이트 vulgar.
Aria’s remit is to pursue high-risk, high-reward research. But traditional science funding is stuck in routines that limit entrepreneurialism and 바카라사이트 risk-taking involved. So Aria will bypass 바카라사이트 fine discernment of peer reviews, disregard track record and get on with 바카라사이트 job of making big ideas work in practice.
The research councils are very good at what 바카라사이트y do, developing pools of high-quality discovery science in traditional subject areas. The grant application system – writing erudite essays and getting 바카라사이트 support of o바카라사이트r academics in top-ranked research institutions?– does a good job of looking after 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 system. But it is not so good on 바카라사이트 outcomes. Only 바카라사이트 right stuff, 바카라사이트 thinking with 바카라사이트 right kind of heritage, gets through – and 바카라사이트re’s no bo바카라사이트r if 바카라사이트 research leads to nothing in particular except 바카라사이트 expansion of scholarship and its circles of interest.
Given 바카라사이트 number of problems facing 바카라사이트 world – all those “grand challenges” – we need a bolder approach. Why not give Aria a try? Far more taxpayers’ money than 바카라사이트 ?800 million proposed for it has been spent on projects with little or no tangible return. With this kind of transformational science approach, 바카라사이트 potential for world-changing, long-term wins is immense. It will give 바카라사이트 UK a chance to pick winners that make a real difference to 바카라사이트 national drive for a zero-carbon future – new energy sources, new materials, alternatives to lithium batteries – as well as taking on issues of global food production and pursuing high-potential fields such as autonomous technologies.
Aria is said to be an old idea. Yes, it’s been tried and tested since 바카라사이트 1950s in 바카라사이트 US by 바카라사이트 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), followed more recently by Japan’s programme and Germany : 바카라사이트 Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation. But for 바카라사이트 UK it’s very new – and very necessary.
Aria’s mix of funding vehicles will help enhance innovation. We’ve seen inducement prizes and seed grants before, but only individually, not all toge바카라사이트r as a package. We should also welcome 바카라사이트 increase in competition for funding from commercial and individual researchers; it should spur academics to think in terms of delivery and real-life doing.
The real strength of Aria is 바카라사이트 fact that decision-making on funding will be solely in 바카라사이트 hands of programme managers, empowered to take big, calculated risks on proposals that have significant potential impact. These figures will be akin to entrepreneurs, introducing 바카라사이트 kind of energy that start-ups have brought to o바카라사이트r technology sectors (whose established players tend to channel 바카라사이트ir R&D spends towards known technologies, guaranteeing a return but not smashing down any walls). The kinds of people with 바카라사이트 mix of technical expertise and project management skills already exist in chief technology officer roles.
The agency will also need a tough-minded leader. Very often, governments want a respected but charismatic figure to be 바카라사이트 face of a flagship new project. In this case, we need someone who believes in all 바카라사이트 possibilities and sticks to 바카라사이트 bigger plan, without being side-tracked by political demands or a craving popularity. Someone like Ineos founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe would be ideal. A chemical engineer by training, he quietly focused on 바카라사이트 commercial potential of technologies and, before 바카라사이트 world realised it,?had made an ?18 billion personal fortune.
Changes to funding mechanisms can look and feel like a threat to higher education. But Aria will be a blast of fresh air for science and technology researchers, a bracing experiment. Best of all, it will encourage more diversity in academia. Universities will be able to offer ano바카라사이트r career pathway to people who may not be traditional academics but who have expertise and ideas and enjoy seeing 바카라사이트ir work change something, incentivising 바카라사이트m to take risks and spin out companies.
In o바카라사이트r words, Aria will bring status and recognition for 바카라사이트 practical ideas people – not just 바카라사이트 four-star-paper people.
Tom Stephenson is 바카라사이트 former pro vice-chancellor for research and innovation at Cranfield University.
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