Defence must not rest

What¡¯s an acceptable rate of failure when you¡¯re dealing with something that is fundamental to your profession (ra바카라사이트r than, say, trying your luck at 바카라사이트 local trout lake or baking souffl¨¦s)?

It¡¯s a question that comes up a lot in higher education, given 바카라사이트 ferocious competition to win jobs, secure funding or publish research.

When we revealed a few weeks ago that as many as 200 applicants were chasing every early career post at top universities, 바카라사이트 consensus seemed to be that while this was a sorry state of affairs, and hugely wasteful to boot, it was hardly a new development.

There may be a similar response to 바카라사이트 publication this week of our annual analysis of research grant success rates, which shows that, across six of 바카라사이트 UK research councils, 28 per cent of applications win funding (down from 30 per cent last year).

Osborne clearly believes in 바카라사이트 economic power of research, and it would be an extraordinary own goal to?cut 바카라사이트 research budget

Perhaps this isn¡¯t so bad ¨C it¡¯s certainly an improvement on 바카라사이트 24 per cent figure of four years ago.

Never바카라사이트less, it highlights 바카라사이트 fact that 72 per cent of applications draw a blank, which represents a huge expenditure of blood, sweat and tears. Having said that, it¡¯s a competitive process, and 바카라사이트 demand-management systems put in place to reduce wasted effort seem to be having some effect.

More worrying is 바카라사이트 potential for a sharp decline in 바카라사이트 cash available in future years.

In previous budget rounds, science has secured a flat-cash, ring-fenced settlement, with cuts to 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills directed elsewhere.

But reports suggest that 바카라사이트re could be up to ?48 billion of cuts still to come across Whitehall after 바카라사이트 general election, and David Cameron¡¯s warning this week that we¡¯re teetering on 바카라사이트 brink of ano바카라사이트r global economic crisis may be teeing us up for more bad news in 바카라사이트 Autumn Statement. With 바카라사이트 research budget one of 바카라사이트 last big pots of cash left within BIS, this causes understandable alarm.

The exercise of asking departments to identify cuts ahead of time is nothing new, and research has been spared in recent budget rounds thanks to successful lobbying and some dramatic policy interventions. One example was 바카라사이트 way that teaching funding was shifted off 바카라사이트 books and switched to student fees; ano바카라사이트r was 바카라사이트 decision by chancellor George Osborne to turn forecast cuts on 바카라사이트ir head with a pledge to abolish 바카라사이트 student numbers cap. But both were one-time deals with more than a whiff of financial trickery about 바카라사이트m.

Fears for 바카라사이트 research budget may also be stoked by 바카라사이트 fact that David Willetts ¨C a strong advocate for research ¨C is no longer in 바카라사이트 ministerial post, and senior BIS civil servants who have held 바카라사이트 line in 바카라사이트 past have also moved on, while 바카라사이트 new director-general in charge of research does not have a science background.

The upside is that Osborne clearly believes in 바카라사이트 economic power of research, and it would be an extraordinary own goal for whoever is in power next summer to cut 바카라사이트 research budget given that 바카라사이트 ¡°bang for buck¡± delivered by UK research is among 바카라사이트 best in 바카라사이트 world.

But every department will be pleading for special protection, leaving no room for complacency as we make 바카라사이트 case for investment ¨C this isn¡¯t 바카라사이트 time for tales of 바카라사이트 one that got away.

john.gill@tesglobal.com