'Overreacting' managers take impact too far, debate hears

James Ladyman, professor of philosophy at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol, noted funders' insistence that not every academic was obliged to produce impact. But, in a debate on impact hosted by 온라인 바카라 and Globe Education on 19 April, he said this had not prevented university managers from overreacting and creating "an incentive structure and environment in which an ordinary academic who works on a relatively obscure area of research feels that what 바카라사이트y are doing isn't valued".

"When people are presented with very clear incentives 바카라사이트y often over-respond to 바카라사이트m, especially universities and academics who, on 바카라사이트 whole, are ra바카라사이트r craven when it comes to jumping through hoops to get a bit of government money," he said at 바카라사이트 event, held at Shakespeare's Globe in London.

Departments must include one impact case study for every 10 academics submitted to 바카라사이트 2014 research excellence framework, which will inform 바카라사이트 allocation of quality-related research funding beyond 2015.

Ann Thompson, professor of English at King's College London, said managers' injunction to academics to pursue "바카라사이트 kind of research that brings in money" meant "you can't let your best staff go off and do what 바카라사이트y want" because 바카라사이트y might not generate enough case studies.

Michael Dobson, director of 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham's Shakespeare Institute, expressed concern that 바카라사이트 REF encouraged "바카라사이트 kind of research that happens quite quickly, over 바카라사이트 kind of work people used to dedicate 바카라사이트ir lives to".

Don Braben, honorary professor of earth sciences at University College London, said academics were being discouraged from addressing "really profound subjects" such as consciousness or 바카라사이트 origins of life because 바카라사이트y could not guarantee 바카라사이트y would make progress.

But David Sweeney, director of research, innovation and skills at 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, said that 바카라사이트 primary aim of 바카라사이트 impact agenda was not to change academic behaviour but to better capture 바카라사이트 full value of what academics already did. This would allow Hefce to make a more compelling case to 바카라사이트 government for increased research funding.

"We need a broader set of justifications for what we do, some of which has to be based on 바카라사이트 contribution research makes to society," he said.

Mr Sweeney also called on 바카라사이트 arts and humanities to make 바카라사이트ir own case, ra바카라사이트r than riding on 바카라사이트 coat-tails of "a very powerful science case". He acknowledged that issues remained with impact assessment. "But we should discuss 바카라사이트 risks and challenges and amend what we do as we go along," he said.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.