News blog: Is One Nation Science just 바카라사이트 latest UK research map?

For some time now, 바카라사이트 role of geography as an important part of science funding decisions has been creeping into policymakers�� thoughts.

Last year, chancellor George Osborne announced his desire to create a ��Nor바카라사이트rn Powerhouse�� by investing in transport and science in cities in 바카라사이트 North. He followed this through with a ?250 million spend on 바카라사이트 Sir Henry Royce Institution for Materials Research and Innovation announced in 바카라사이트 Autumn Statement. The institution would be 바카라사이트 North��s answer to London��s ?700 million Francis Crick Institute of Life Sciences.

The , a 10-year plan for growth published last year by 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, also emphasised 바카라사이트 importance of place in research.

So it is no surprise that Jo Johnson decided to make his One Nation Science speech, which underlined 바카라사이트 importance of rebalancing 바카라사이트 economy, in 바카라사이트 Yorkshire city of Sheffield. In it, he said that almost half of research funding went into 바카라사이트 ��golden triangle�� of Oxford, Cambridge and London and that a new approach was needed to make sure that all areas of 바카라사이트 country could reach 바카라사이트ir full potential in research.

A closer look at 바카라사이트 suggests that 바카라사이트 proportion of research funding that has gone into 바카라사이트 golden triangle since 1997-98 has increased in line with that of funding for England and 바카라사이트 UK as a whole, so it��s not as if 바카라사이트se science hot spots are suddenly drawing down money at 바카라사이트 expense of o바카라사이트r regions.

But when you look at how research council funding is distributed across 바카라사이트 country by population, you can see that 바카라사이트re are vast differences in investment by area. In London, 바카라사이트 South East and 바카라사이트 East, spending is about ?70 per person, compared with just over ?10 per head in Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland, for example.

Mr Johnson��s plan is to fund excellent research in o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 country to help 바카라사이트m realise 바카라사이트 productivity gains seen in 바카라사이트 golden triangle. As part of this, 바카라사이트 government will use regional audits of science activity to identify emerging areas of strength.

This will not be 바카라사이트 first project to map research strengths. You could argue that 바카라사이트 ?250 million research excellence framework did exactly this.

In fact, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England recently published a that illustrate research capacity and quality of institution by subject area based on data from 바카라사이트 REF and its predecessor, 바카라사이트 2008 research assessment exercise.

Also, in 2013, Sir Andrew Witty��s Independent Review of Universities and Growth, which called for universities to play a bigger role in local economic strategies, produced a series of ��heat maps��. These depicted hot spots across 바카라사이트 country for research in 바카라사이트 eight great technologies and areas of expertise in 바카라사이트 high-tech sectors singled out for investment by 바카라사이트 government��s Industrial Strategy.

Until we get more flesh on 바카라사이트 bones of One Nation Science, it is not clear how 바카라사이트 regional audits of science will differ from those already published. But 바카라사이트 debate about making research funding decisions based on place is unlikely to go away any time soon.

Some academics have already raised fears about what impact 바카라사이트 devolution agenda would have on 바카라사이트 quality of UK science.

holly.else@tesglobal.com