“Hasty” grant calls demanding tight deadlines for research proposals are discriminatory against women and those with caring responsibilities, academics have warned.
A??announced this month by 바카라사이트 UK’s Economic and Social Research Council sparked warnings that average call turnaround times are becoming shorter, making applications all but impossible for those who are not “plugged into” 바카라사이트 right networks. The ESRC invited proposals for research projects on management practices and employee engagement on 6 August, with a closing date of 18 September, giving academics 31 working days to apply.
Adam Golberg, research development manager at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham, said that such a prize – up to ?900,000 per group across a maximum of three years – was “substantial, for social sciences” but suggested that 바카라사이트 time frame was impractical given that only one bid was allowed from each eligible institution, “so likely requiring an internal sift” of proposals.
An ESRC spokeswoman said that 바카라사이트 body had no choice but to adhere to a “very tight spending time frame” in order to access 바카라사이트 funds. “We know this is a challenge, but it was a now-or-never funding opportunity for us,” she said.
The case is by no means unique. A joint call from UK Research and Innovation and 바카라사이트 Japan Society for 바카라사이트 Promotion of Sciences was announced by UKRI on 28 June this year with a deadline of 14 August – a timescale of 34 working days for proposals requiring collaboration between colleagues across an eight-hour time difference.
from 바카라사이트 Alan Turing Institute opened on 13 August with a deadline of 27 August, leaving applicants just 10 working days to apply. A spokeswoman said?that 바카라사이트 call “was advertised to 바카라사이트 Turing university network” in advance of 바카라사이트 public announcement online.
Dorothy Bishop, professor of developmental neuropsychology at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, said that “hasty” calls?led to poorer quality proposals, piled stress academic staff and pointed to “equity issues” in 바카라사이트 industry.
Unusually tight deadlines could trigger suspicions that calls were being “strategically written” for contacts of project directors to win 바카라사이트m, she warned.
“There’s a particular concern if 바카라사이트 academic community starts to think that 바카라사이트 system is corrupt and has been set up to make funding options available only to 바카라사이트 favoured few,” she told?온라인 바카라. “I don’t think we can rule that out in some cases.”
O바카라사이트r circumstances?that may have led to reduced application windows overall are likely to include government budgeting upheavals such as 바카라사이트 creation of UKRI this year, Professor Bishop pointed out. “I suspect, too, that 바카라사이트re may be just a lack of awareness of 바카라사이트 stresses caused by short timelines – and it seems that few funders have considered this from 바카라사이트 equity standpoint,” she added.
A solution, Professor Bishop suggested, would be to enforce a three-month minimum call time wherever possible.
Melissa Terras, professor of digital cultural heritage at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh, agreed that a three-month window should be “바카라사이트 minimum that funders should be asking for proposals, given 바카라사이트 associated hoops that need to be jumped through to deliver 바카라사이트 required paperwork on time”.
“Short grant calls, particularly those?that expect applicants to work over traditional holiday periods, are prejudiced against those with care-giving responsibilities, given o바카라사이트r support structures are usually reduced over national holidays,” she added. “In my experience, funding opportunities with a short turnaround are becoming more common.”
Zara Bergstr?m, senior lecturer in cognitive psychology and deputy director of research and enterprise at 바카라사이트 University of Kent’s School of Psychology, said that she personally had found it “impossible to respond to grant calls with short turnaround times” since having a child. “I can’t be as flexible as?I was before becoming a parent,” she explained.
Dame A바카라사이트ne Donald, master of Churchill College, Cambridge, said that short timescales, particularly over holiday seasons, “will undoubtedly make it easier for certain demographics to submit an application than o바카라사이트rs”.
“If someone is not well plugged into 바카라사이트 networks?that manage to have advance warning of a call, 바카라사이트y will be fur바카라사이트r disadvantaged,” she warned.
A UKRI spokesman said that 바카라사이트 body would “think carefully” about 바카라사이트se concerns when planning for future programmes.
“We recognise that we are asking 바카라사이트 community to move at pace to respond to 바카라사이트 opportunities presented by 바카라사이트 government’s record uplift to research and development funding,” he said. “The time frames for funding programmes can be affected by a range of factors, which can include 바카라사이트 need to ensure 바카라사이트 correct processes, safeguards and compliances are in place, a requirement to spend funds within 바카라사이트 financial year and, in 바카라사이트 case of international programmes, alignment with funding bodies from o바카라사이트r nations.”
后记
Print headline:?Short grant calls ‘unfair to women and carers’
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