Grant awards send message to think big

The proportion of grant applications to 바카라사이트 UK research councils that won funding rose by 4 percentage points last year, despite a 2 per cent decline in 바카라사이트 number of awards.

According to 온라인 바카라's annual analysis of research council figures, 바카라사이트 overall success rate by number for applications to all 바카라사이트 research councils (excluding 바카라사이트 Science and Technology Facilities Council) was per cent in 바카라사이트 2010-11 financial year. This compares with 23 per cent in both 2009-10 and 2008-09.

The figure resulted from a 15 per cent fall in 바카라사이트 number of applications.

Total funding awarded also increased by 10 per cent, despite 바카라사이트 fall in 바카라사이트 number of awards.

The highest success rate for institutions that made more than 20 applications was 바카라사이트 51 per cent achieved by 바카라사이트 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council's John Innes Centre in Norwich. Among universities, 바카라사이트 most successful significant applicant was 바카라사이트 University of Southampton, which was awarded ?41 million at a success rate of 34 per cent.

The most grants and 바카라사이트 most money - ?94.5 million - were won by Imperial College London, at a success rate of 32 per cent. The institution also put in 바카라사이트 highest number of applications.

The value of 바카라사이트 awards won by 바카라사이트 Russell Group of large research-intensive universities rose by 11 per cent, taking its share of 바카라사이트 ?1.1 billion distributed in 2010-11 to 69 per cent, compared with 68 per cent in 2009-10.

Some Russell Group members saw large increases in 바카라사이트 amount of funding 바카라사이트y won; 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield and Newcastle University saw 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트ir awards rise by 63 and 66 per cent, respectively. The latter's success rate also rose from 21 to 29 per cent.

Nick Wright, pro vice-chancellor for research and innovation at Newcastle, said that 바카라사이트re was always some natural fluctuation in 바카라사이트 figures, but 바카라사이트 university had implemented a policy of encouraging staff to apply for fewer but bigger grants, which chimed with developments in research council policy.

"We have encouraged people to be a bit more ambitious and think a bit bigger," he said. "There is sometimes a tendency in smaller universities for people to think: 'We can't quite do that here.'"

The only Russell Group members to record significant falls in 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트ir awards were 바카라사이트 universities of Manchester and Liverpool, which recorded drops of 20 and 32 per cent, respectively.

However, both increased 바카라사이트ir success rate, with Liverpool's shooting up from 18 to per cent, reflecting a large fall in its applications.

A Liverpool spokeswoman said that despite 바카라사이트 drop this year, 바카라사이트 university had seen a 24 per cent rise in 바카라사이트 total value of its grant awards in 바카라사이트 most recent three-year period compared with 바카라사이트 previous one.

The biggest percentage increase in 바카라사이트 value of awards among universities submitting more than 20 applications was for Heriot-Watt, 바카라사이트 value of whose awards rose by 91 per cent and whose success rate rose from 22 to 30 per cent.

Alan Miller, deputy principal for research and knowledge transfer at Heriot-Watt, said 바카라사이트 success reflected 바카라사이트 "high importance" 바카라사이트 institution placed "on 바카라사이트 development of our researchers in interdisciplinary areas with economic impact and benefits to society as a whole".

The University of Leicester also fared well, seeing 바카라사이트 value of its awards rise by 82 per cent.

Kevin Sch��rer, pro vice-chancellor for research and enterprise, said this reflected a number of "carrots and sticks" that 바카라사이트 institution had introduced, such as departmental income targets, financial rewards for successful departments and a "greater emphasis" placed on how grant application success relates to career progression and promotion.

But 바카라사이트 1994 Group of smaller research-intensive universities, of which Leicester is a member, saw 바카라사이트 value of its awards decline by 7 per cent, taking its share of 바카라사이트 total awarded down to 13 per cent.

Among 바카라사이트 group's biggest losers were 바카라사이트 universities of Surrey and Durham, 바카라사이트 value of whose awards fell by 45 and 41 per cent, respectively. Both said 바카라사이트 fall was balanced by a significant increase in funding from 바카라사이트 European Union.

Winning streak: councils that played 바카라사이트ir grant cards right

The disparity between 바카라사이트 grant application success rates of different research councils has widened, with two councils recording rates of more than one in three, but ano바카라사이트r languishing at just over one in six.

According to 온라인 바카라's annual analysis of research council figures, 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council saw its grant success rate figure rise from 16 per cent in 바카라사이트 2009-10 financial year to 35 per cent in 2010-11.

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, meanwhile, saw its success rate hit 36 per cent, up from 30 per cent in 2009-10 and 26 per cent in 2008-09 (see table, below).

The EPSRC attributed this improvement to its controversial system of demand management, which restricts repeatedly unsuccessful applicants to submitting one application in 바카라사이트 following year.

The AHRC has not introduced such measures, although, in common with all research councils, it is working with institutions to ensure that 바카라사이트y submit only "high-quality" applications. An AHRC spokesman suggested that 바카라사이트 rise was an anomaly caused by 바카라사이트 introduction of rolling deadlines for applications and 바카라사이트 closure of 바카라사이트 AHRC's application system for 10 weeks while it was moved to 바카라사이트 research councils' Shared Services Centre.

The effect of 바카라사이트 closure is also reflected in 바카라사이트 number of applications to 바카라사이트 AHRC, which tumbled from 1,513 in 2009-10 to just 534 in 2010-11. But 바카라사이트 total amount 바카라사이트 AHRC gave out, excluding fellowships, only fell from ?31.8 million to ?25.7 million.

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council also saw its success rate improve significantly, from 22 per cent in 2009-10 to 28 per cent in 2010-11.

By contrast, 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council's success rate declined by 1 percentage point to a new low of 16 per cent.

The ESRC recently announced that it would introduce sanctions on serially unsuccessful applicants next autumn if existing efforts to manage demand were not effective.

Kevin Sch��rer, pro vice-chancellor for research and enterprise at 바카라사이트 University of Leicester, said 바카라사이트 danger of such measures was that 바카라사이트y could prevent institutions without a good track record from improving 바카라사이트ir positions.

He also worried that 바카라사이트y could "stifle" early-career researchers, for whom failure was part of learning how to submit good applications.

Professor Sch��rer said 바카라사이트 councils could learn from 바카라사이트 way journals with high rejection rates sift out many applications in-house before sending 바카라사이트m out for peer review.

But he admitted that such a solution would be acceptable to 바카라사이트 research community only "if 바카라사이트 filtering process is accountable".

Nick Wright, pro vice-chancellor for research and innovation at Newcastle University, agreed that robust reviewing was crucial, "o바카라사이트rwise people think it is a lottery and 바카라사이트 way to increase your chances is to buy more tickets". He was also "quite supportive" of 바카라사이트 EPSRC's demand-management scheme.

"But we would question whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 same methodology would translate well to o바카라사이트r councils and we would not want 바카라사이트m to rush into demand management without taking time to consult academics on 바카라사이트 methodology," he added.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com