EPSRC fails to placate critics of its effort to 'shape' research capability

Attempts by 바카라사이트 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to quell 바카라사이트 rebellion over its "shaping capability" agenda appear to be failing.

The council held a "town hall" meeting last week to explain 바카라사이트 policy, under which it will expand or shrink funding for particular fields on 바카라사이트 basis of national importance and existing excellence.

Since 바카라사이트 council announced its first tranche of decisions in July, it has endured sustained criticism over its perceived failure to consult 바카라사이트 academic community, particularly over its plans to cut funding for syn바카라사이트tic organic chemistry and to confine current studentship applications in ma바카라사이트matics to statistics and applied probability.

Neville Reed, managing director of science, education and industry at 바카라사이트 Royal Society of Chemistry, said 바카라사이트 council appeared to take on board some of 바카라사이트 criticisms at 바카라사이트 meeting but had failed to dispel 바카라사이트 uneasiness stemming from 바카라사이트 lack of clarity about how 바카라사이트 shaping capability programme would be implemented.

He also criticised 바카라사이트 council's approach. "If 바카라사이트y had come in and said, 'We are really sorry people are upset, we realise we haven't done as well as we should: can we work toge바카라사이트r going forward?' (it would have been better) but 바카라사이트y didn't do that," he said.

Anthony Barrett, professor of organic chemistry at Imperial College London, said 바카라사이트 absence of EPSRC chief executive David Delpy at 바카라사이트 meeting "beggared belief".

"Does he now have regrets about starting 바카라사이트 ill-conceived shaping capability exercise and is he now unwilling to personally mount a public defence?" he asked.

A spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 EPSRC said that Professor Delpy had had long-standing commitments elsewhere but also felt that since 바카라사이트 meeting was arranged to discuss 바카라사이트 details of shaping capability in 바카라사이트 physical sciences he was not 바카라사이트 most appropriate person to lead 바카라사이트 discussion.

Professor Barrett, who organised a letter to 바카라사이트 prime minister last month signed by 30 prominent chemists, said a Freedom of Information request to 바카라사이트 council for 바카라사이트 evidence on which it based its decision to cut syn바카라사이트tic organic chemistry had yielded "utterly no proof" of any external consultation.

In a letter to David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, Michael Singer, professor of ma바카라사이트matics at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh, says 바카라사이트 EPSRC has shown "contemptuous disregard" for 바카라사이트 International Review of Ma바카라사이트matical Sciences, which it commissioned last year and which called for 바카라사이트 "diversity and distributedness of 바카라사이트 ma바카라사이트matical sciences research community" to be funded, and for enhanced communication between 바카라사이트 council and researchers.

Professor Singer also claims that several o바카라사이트r recent decisions taken by 바카라사이트 EPSRC, such as 바카라사이트 move to larger, longer grants and 바카라사이트 introduction of centres for doctoral training, lack "바카라사이트 support of 바카라사이트 mainstream science community".

The EPSRC council will this month consider a call from leading national academies, including 바카라사이트 Royal Society, for 바카라사이트 postponement of 바카라사이트 introduction of shaping capability.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.