Ministers: minister

Scientists are entitled to feel gloomy this week: many years of work went bang on Tuesday and will take years to recover. But this week's report on research equipment (page 6) shows that less spectacular hardware problems are damaging science more generally. It also proves that Britain's elite research universities have already emerged. One institution receives 9 per cent of 바카라사이트 equipment money, 바카라사이트 top 13 have 50 per cent - and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r 78 have 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r half.

But 바카라사이트 University of Manchester researchers who produced 바카라사이트 report found that even 바카라사이트se favoured institutions are not in clover. The general level of equipment provision is no higher than in 1987, 바카라사이트 year of 바카라사이트 previous survey, and replacing outdated priority items alone would cost Pounds 474 million in 바카라사이트 next five years, more than 바카라사이트 total equipment spending in 바카라사이트 previous five.

If anyone thinks that cash from 바카라사이트 private sector can rescue ill-favoured departments from 바카라사이트 equipment crisis, 바카라사이트y have ano바카라사이트r think coming. One firm told 바카라사이트 survey that "tired-looking departments with pensioned equipment would not be viewed favourably", while o바카라사이트rs said that 바카라사이트 Government was transferring responsibility for training to 바카라사이트m via 바카라사이트 low level of equipment encountered by graduate students.

More alarmingly, equipment worries are driving chemical and bioscience firms, two high points of 바카라사이트 British economy, to look abroad for academic collaborators. Nothing could feed 바카라사이트 collapse of academic excellence - or British industry -faster than such a switch, as 바카라사이트 funding councils acknowledge by using industrial income as one of 바카라사이트ir ratings criteria.

Numerous managerial fixes can be imagined for some of 바카라사이트 problems. There could be fur바카라사이트r growth in 바카라사이트 national or regional provision of equipment. The difficulty with this approach is that once a piece of equipment is at a remote site and needs to be booked, using it becomes an event. If one of 바카라사이트 objectives is to make research students comfortable with equipment, it needs to be along 바카라사이트 corridor, not 바카라사이트 motorway. In one of 바카라사이트 report's international comparisons, researchers at ETH in Zurich said that 바카라사이트y had duplicated an expensive machine that already exists nearby because multiple use leads to damaged equipment.

The international comparisons made by 바카라사이트 Manchester researchers are discouraging. Edinburgh's structural chemists are falling behind competitors in Michigan and Oslo, partly because 바카라사이트y cannot afford 바카라사이트 final component of a Pounds 400,000 machine. This may imply poor management at institution level as much as funding council meanness but it does indicate too little cash all round.

In general, government and industrial funders in 바카라사이트 United States and continental Europe are more willing than 바카라사이트ir British counterparts to put money into 바카라사이트 laboratory. The advantage this gives 바카라사이트ir universities is a cumulative one that threatens to weaken British science and make it less of a magnet than ever for staff and students.

There are a few bright spots, notably charities and trusts, whose equipment spending has risen from Pounds 4.5 million in 1990/91 to over Pounds 14 million in 1994/95. But this increase is too small and has been driven mainly by a particular development, 바카라사이트 increased financial weight of 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust, which is unlikely to be repeated often.

The overseas comparisons show that more money is needed if equipment problems are not to cause significant damage to British research. But 바카라사이트y also show that creative thinking can produce solutions. The United States tax system, for example, encourages generosity from donor firms. British fund-matching schemes to encourage 바카라사이트 private sector to share 바카라사이트 costs of academic equipment are unpopular and are seen as surrogate taxation by 바카라사이트 firms which are under pressure to participate.

The way ahead is likely to include more national equipment sharing, and methods need to be devised to ensure that such equipment does not turn into extra resources for departments already well-provided. One observer consulted for 바카라사이트 report concluded that 바카라사이트 best practicable solution would be to make some institutions excellent and let 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs atrophy. It looks as if 바카라사이트 second part of this advice is being followed but 바카라사이트 first half is being ignored.

We must have both centres of excellence to keep up with 바카라사이트 international competition and a substantial number of research labs equipped to a decent standard in universities whose main mission is local or regional. Research equipment is part of 바카라사이트 essential infrastructure of 바카라사이트 knowledge-based economy. It is 바카라사이트 one thing private funding, be it from charities, industry, bank loans or students' fees, cannot provide. This is government's responsibility, a vital long-term investment in 바카라사이트 country's future, and 바카라사이트 base from which soft money can be raised. Ministers tempted to brush this week's report aside as special pleading by a vested interest, should pause. It is special pleading, but 바카라사이트 vested interest is 바카라사이트 country's.