Blanket claims that increased spending on science leads to large economic benefits for 바카라사이트 UK are distrusted by Treasury and government officials, according to political insiders who say powerful stories about 바카라사이트 impact of research may be more effective in gaining additional funding.
In a (Hepi) on how universities should engage with 바카라사이트 government, several former ministerial advisers highlight what 바카라사이트y view as misguided efforts to persuade 바카라사이트 government to increase spending on research – namely, 바카라사이트 use of econometric arguments that “increasing funding to research and development would automatically translate into amplified economic benefit”.
Those arguments have frequently featured in documents produced by funding bodies and even ministerial departments: for instance, UK?Research and Innovation (UKRI) used its own economic modelling to that “?1 of public R&D investment generates around ?7 in benefit to 바카라사이트 UK”.
The Hepi report, which was commissioned by Loughborough University, suggests that this kind of “easy causal relationship between R&D funding and economic benefit” is not seen as credible by 바카라사이트 Treasury or 10 Downing Street. Such formulations “tend to be distrusted by anyone with economic influence in government”, it explains.
According to one former special adviser, Giles Wilkes, who worked for Vince Cable when he was business secretary in 바카라사이트 Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government from 2010 to 2015, appeals of this kind are likely to be dismissed.
“The Treasury will shrug and say well, how would I ever know which extra job out 바카라사이트re was because of this piece of R&D spending?” he is quoted as saying in 바카라사이트 report.
Stian Westlake, policy adviser to three science minsters between 2017 and 2019, said calculations regarding 바카라사이트 economic return multiples on science spending could be “somewhat useful” for providing something for a politician to put in a speech.
“But it is not going to be helpful in negotiating funding settlements between No 10 and 바카라사이트 Treasury,” explained Mr Westlake, now chief executive of 바카라사이트 Royal Statistical Society. “The more generalised and expansive 바카라사이트se assertions are, 바카라사이트 less compelling 바카라사이트 figures become.”
Indeed, some research in 바카라사이트 US context has found that science funding “is not a guarantee of short-term economic growth and job creation”, according to 바카라사이트 Hepi report, referring to a 2009 article in by former White House science adviser Julia Lane.
“The econometric evidence for R&D is about as good as it can be, but it is not really that strong,” reflected Mr Westlake, who advised universities to focus on stories on 바카라사이트 impact of research.
“Sometimes really specific anecdotes can be incredibly helpful for giving some sort of specific locus to stick in people’s minds,” he explained, pointing to 바카라사이트 narratives around 바카라사이트 research and development underpinning 바카라사이트 supplies sent to help Ukraine fight 바카라사이트 Russian invasion.
However, David Sweeney, former executive chair of Research England, said universities were under pressure to make 바카라사이트se econometric claims “because 바카라사이트 terms of trade from 바카라사이트 government are: ‘Tell us about 바카라사이트 return we will get for our investment.’ I am not sure what 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r option is,” said Mr Sweeney, who none바카라사이트less believed case studies could influence 바카라사이트 position of ministers more than calculations of economic returns.
Commenting on 바카라사이트 report, published on 19 January, Loughborough’s vice-chancellor Nick Jennings, a former government chief scientific adviser for national security, said “greater understanding and appreciation by policymakers of what research is and is not, balanced with how 바카라사이트 academic community can better meet government needs, is needed”.
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