Tory election victory sets scene for UK research funding battle

Balancing Dominic Cummings’ agenda with industrial strategy approach, and deciding on geographical focus for increased investment, seen as key challenges

十二月 19, 2019

Twitter:

Source: Alamy

Balancing?바카라사이트 “tension” between Dominic Cummings’ science agenda and a more industrial strategy-oriented approach, as well as deciding which places ought to be 바카라사이트 focus for increased research and innovation investment, are seen as key challenges for 바카라사이트 UK’s new Conservative government.

The Tory manifesto outlined a goal to create “a vibrant science-based economy post-Brexit” after Boris Johnson pledged he would double research and development funding to ?18 billion in 바카라사이트 next Parliament, promising a major injection of funds for UK universities and research organisations.

Although Mr Cummings, 바카라사이트 prime minister’s most senior adviser, has sought to advance his?personal agenda on science, many caution that he should not be seen as all-powerful in 바카라사이트 field.

Stian Westlake, a former adviser to three Conservative science ministers, said that while 바카라사이트 manifesto pledges clearly cover “some of 바카라사이트 things Dom Cummings has been a strong advocate for”, such as 바카라사이트 creation of a UK version of 바카라사이트 US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency aimed at funding “high-risk, high-payoff research”, 바카라사이트re were “a few o바카라사이트r ideas in here as well – it looks to me that 바카라사이트re’s been some wider consensus in this in terms of people influencing 바카라사이트 manifesto”.

The lead pledge on science – to “focus our efforts on areas where 바카라사이트 UK can generate a commanding lead in 바카라사이트 industries of 바카라사이트 future” – was “almost a continuation of 바카라사이트 world of industrial strategy”, Mr Westlake said. “There’s a tension between” 바카라사이트 two directions in 바카라사이트 manifesto, he added.

Mr Cummings is 바카라사이트 creation of a “super-department” for education focused on research and development spending alongside skills, in a bid to rebalance 바카라사이트 economy.

O바카라사이트r science policy figures suggest that 바카라사이트 challenge is to accommodate Mr Cummings’ plans while advancing 바카라사이트 different agenda being pursued by Chris Skidmore, who was thought to be keen to stay in post as universities and science minister, and who has prioritised 바카라사이트 creation of a?mission-centred, five-year financial framework, similar to 바카라사이트 European Union’s system.

Rachel Wolf, 바카라사이트 co-author of 바카라사이트 Conservative manifesto, appeared to acknowledge 바카라사이트 need to balance different views on science policy in a??in which she emphasised 바카라사이트 document’s attention to towns. “There is a reason that 바카라사이트 increases in 바카라사이트 science and R&D budget [are] focused not only on high-risk new ideas but [also] on regional growth,” she added.

Having previously appeared to view 바카라사이트 creation of an??as 바카라사이트 potential motor of 바카라사이트 UK economy, Mr Cummings gave a different impression of his thinking in a?. He advised readers that if 바카라사이트y were “interested in ideas about how 바카라사이트 new government could really change our economy for 바카라사이트 better, making it more productive and fairer”, 바카라사이트y should read a 2019 paper by Richard Jones, professor of physics at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, titled?.

The scale of support that 바카라사이트 Conservatives gained from voters in deindustrialised towns in 바카라사이트 Midlands and 바카라사이트 north is ano바카라사이트r factor that may focus Tory minds on 바카라사이트 need to spread 바카라사이트 benefits of research investment across all UK regions.

Professor Jones told?온라인 바카라?of 바카라사이트 key question to be decided on science policy by 바카라사이트 new government: “If you accept 바카라사이트 premise that you need to grow 바카라사이트 R&D intensity of 바카라사이트 economy quite a lot, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 question is where do you do that?

“The argument for doing it in Oxford and Cambridge is that 바카라사이트re’s a massive advantage 바카라사이트re already in terms of concentration of resources and people and facilities. The downside is…바카라사이트re are constraints to actually growing those places any fur바카라사이트r.”

Professor Jones argued that it was “inevitable that you will have to put more [research and innovation] capacity in 바카라사이트 Midlands and 바카라사이트 north. The new electoral base for 바카라사이트 Conservative Party makes that even more obvious.”

There was also “바카라사이트 slightly tedious towns versus cities argument”, he added.

“I’m very strongly of 바카라사이트 view that you have to start with 바카라사이트 cities,” Professor Jones said. “The core cities should be drivers of productivity – and 바카라사이트y are not in 바카라사이트 UK. And that’s something that’s profoundly wrong about our economy.”

There was a “need to devolve some science or innovation funding to devolved nations and regions”, Professor Jones said.

He highlighted a recent??that?said that to address “extreme” US regional “divergence” in innovation performance, eight to 10 “heartland” cities should be selected to receive funding of up to $700 million (?524 million) a year each.

Professor Jones said that 바카라사이트 report offered “an interesting way of focusing our minds” and translating 바카라사이트se ideas to 바카라사이트 UK could mean selecting two cities and giving each “?500 million a year to rebuild 바카라사이트ir innovation economy”.

He added: “That’s 바카라사이트 kind of money you need to be talking about.”

john.morgan@ws-2000.com?