ERC rejects 'impact agenda'

The adoption of an impact agenda by 바카라사이트 European Research Council would destroy 바카라사이트 organisation and will never be countenanced, its president has pledged.

Helga Nowotny made 바카라사이트 remarks at a high-profile conference in Brussels last week marking 바카라사이트 fifth anniversary of 바카라사이트 ERC's creation. It funds "frontier" - or blue-skies - research solely on 바카라사이트 basis of scientific excellence.

Just over 20 per cent of its grants between 2007 and 2011 went to researchers at UK universities.

Professor Nowotny, emeritus professor of 바카라사이트 social studies of science at ETH Z��rich-Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Z��rich, admitted that this approach created an "inherent tension" with "바카라사이트 demands of policymakers for practical innovation, seen as 바카라사이트 undisputed motor of...economic growth".

Such tensions, she added, were heightened in tough economic times.

"One answer is to target resources...to look to strategic sectors, to put science to work on 바카라사이트 most pressing problems. It all looks so easy, so obvious," she said. "But frontier science does not work like this. We cannot programme scientific breakthroughs or order 바카라사이트m from a menu...We can't foresee 바카라사이트 consequences of what we discover."

Many funding bodies around 바카라사이트 world, including 바카라사이트 UK research councils, require applicants to speculate on 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트ir proposals. Some even favour blue-skies research that promises to contribute to particular challenges.

But Professor Nowotny said 바카라사이트 ERC's governing scientific council "would not yield" if it were pressured to adopt similar policies.

"It is very obvious that if we were to step back from 바카라사이트 principle of excellence by only a tiny bit, it would be 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 ERC," she said.

She added that politicians needed to trust "바카라사이트 cunning of reason" to find uses for apparently "useless" knowledge. Her position was backed by Morten ?stergaard, Denmark's minister for science, innovation and higher education, who said he had not detected pressure for 바카라사이트 ERC to adopt impact from fellow European science ministers.

Meanwhile, M��ire Geoghegan-Quinn, European commissioner for research, innovation and science, dismissed suggestions from some European Union member states that 바카라사이트 ERC should distribute its grants more widely. Introducing geographical criteria would diminish 바카라사이트 global reputation that 바카라사이트 ERC had gained for excellence, she said.

The European Commission has proposed a 77 per cent increase in 바카라사이트 ERC's budget over 바카라사이트 next seven-year spending cycle, known as Horizon 2020, taking it to more than �13 billion (?11 billion). Commission spending on science and innovation would rise by 45 per cent to �80 billion if its proposals are accepted by 바카라사이트 European Parliament and 바카라사이트 Council of Ministers.

Ms Geoghegan-Quinn described as "incontrovertible" 바카라사이트 case for increased spending on research and innovation in order to boost EU competitiveness, jobs and growth.

She said that MEPs, who were also convinced by 바카라사이트 argument, had a duty to help 바카라사이트 commission make 바카라사이트 case to governments so that research did not lose out due to its lack of lobbyists.

In a video message, European Commission president Jos�� Manuel Barroso said 바카라사이트 ERC was a remarkable success story that had "spurred on healthy competition among top scientists at a European level".

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.