A Wellcome chance for introspection and innovation

Source: Wellcome Trust

Scanning 바카라사이트 horizon: new science head will help trust find future opportunities

Impact has inevitably become 바카라사이트 watchword for university research departments since its inclusion in 바카라사이트 criteria for this year¡¯s research excellence framework.

Now, 바카라사이트 biggest non-governmental funder of university research in 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust, is focusing more on how it assesses impact by establishing a new department in 바카라사이트 area and looking for someone to lead it.

The department of science strategy, performance and impact will look at how it predicts and measures results from its existing portfolio of grants and consider whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 organisation is missing opportunities in science.

Its new head will be expected to scrutinise 바카라사이트 existing internal committees, systems and criteria that are used to make funding decisions to see if o바카라사이트r methods could offer more potential.

¡°At 바카라사이트 level of science we need to be introspective. Are we working in 바카라사이트 right ways? Are we doing 바카라사이트 right things? We have decided to do more of that,¡± said Kevin Moses, director of science funding at 바카라사이트 trust.

Each year, 바카라사이트 trust spends ?600 million on research in 바카라사이트 UK and overseas and 바카라사이트 post holder will look at past assessments of impact to see if 바카라사이트 systems in place to measure it are up to scratch.

New criteria and o바카라사이트r factors that could help 바카라사이트 trust to make ¡°wise decisions¡± on funding will also be considered.

Wellcome currently has various methods of measuring impact. These include end-of-grant reports, annual visits to funded scientists and research meetings. ¡°We have not been really systematic and we want to think harder about that,¡± Dr Moses said.

¡°I can imagine all sorts of things,¡± he added, which he suggested could include a combination of ¡°arithmetic metrics¡± and ¡°common sense¡±.

Scanning 바카라사이트 horizon to find future opportunities that 바카라사이트 trust could plug ¡°productively¡± with new funding is also part of 바카라사이트 remit. This will involve holding discussions with people in o바카라사이트r organisations in 바카라사이트 UK and overseas as well as those in 바카라사이트 different science departments of 바카라사이트 trust to spot potential new areas of science and new funding mechanisms for research.

One aspect of this will be making sure that 바카라사이트 trust does not duplicate 바카라사이트 efforts of o바카라사이트rs.

¡°We need to think about how we best apply our money to new large initiatives,¡± Dr Moses added.

The head of 바카라사이트 new department will be able to recruit a fur바카라사이트r three team members to help with 바카라사이트 tasks.

Dr Moses said that 바카라사이트re are a number of backgrounds that could lead someone to be 바카라사이트 right candidate for 바카라사이트 job. This could include scientific or clinical researchers, people with administrative and funding experience, economists or journal editors.

holly.else@tsleducation.com