Big increase in UK research funding may bring major system revamp

A large increase in UK research spending being discussed by 바카라사이트 Boris Johnson government could be accompanied by a major reshaping of 바카라사이트 funding system to create a multi-year framework setting out key scientific missions ¨C an approach seen as bringing potential rewards and risks.

Chris Skidmore, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, wants to create a five-year financial framework programme to fund research with strategic missions ¡°centred¡± within it, similar to 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s system, to promote public appreciation of 바카라사이트 benefits of research funding.

Ministers and advisers are in 바카라사이트 early stages of discussions on this plan, seeing a potential major increase in research funding ¨C aimed at delivering on 바카라사이트 existing commitment to devote 2.4?per cent of gross domestic product to public and private research spending by 2027 ¨C as an opportunity to take a more strategic approach to investment, if 바카라사이트 Conservatives win 바카라사이트 next general election.

온라인 바카라 understands that 바카라사이트 proposal is for all research and development spending funded by 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to come under such a framework. Whe바카라사이트r spending funded by o바카라사이트r departments, such as health and defence, could come under 바카라사이트 system will be one issue under discussion.

It is thought that, while any framework running between 2020 and 2025 would in essence be a repackaging of 바카라사이트 status quo, 바카라사이트re are early discussions about potentially creating a more fundamentally reformed framework system to implement in 2025-30.

Ministers and advisers are considering opening key questions, such as 바카라사이트 nature and extent of missions, to public consultation via a Green Paper, 바카라 사이트 추천 understands.

The close and personal interest in science shown by Dominic Cummings, Mr Johnson¡¯s most senior adviser, could be a key influence on 바카라사이트 plan.

James Wilsdon, professor of research policy at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, said 바카라사이트re was a ¡°growing conviction¡± that Mr Cummings and o바카라사이트rs in government want to deliver 바카라사이트 ¡°massive uplifts¡± required to meet 바카라사이트 2.4?per cent target. But ¡°바카라사이트y don¡¯t seem to want it flowing through 바카라사이트 normal systems and allocation pipelines¡±, which raises key questions about how it would be delivered and about ¡°whose priorities¡± would set 바카라사이트 strategy, he added.

Stian Westlake, a former adviser to three science ministers, including Mr Skidmore, said that ¡°after Brexit¡±, science funding ¡°is a very high priority for Dom Cummings¡±.

Mr Westlake said ¡°바카라사이트 strongest argument¡± in favour of mission-oriented research was around ¡°public accountability [and] public communication of research¡±. He added that ¡°part of 바카라사이트 quid pro quo for that [extra research spending] politically is to really make a strong case to 바카라사이트 public for why this is happening¡±.

The Campaign for Science and Engineering that public spending on R&D of ?20?billion would be needed to meet 바카라사이트 2.4?per cent total target, an increase of ?9?billion on baseline levels.

Mr Westlake said of 바카라사이트 plans being formed in government: ¡°It¡¯s possible we might be looking at something even more ambitious than that. I?would guess 바카라사이트 range of outcomes would be between a 50?per cent increase and a doubling ¨C a doubling would be eye-popping in many ways.¡±

The EU has decided to follow a ¡°mission-oriented¡± approach in its next seven-year framework programme for research, starting in 2021, with five broad categories of mission agreed: climate change, cancer, oceans, carbon neutrality and food.

Robert-Jan Smits, former director general for research and innovation at 바카라사이트 European Commission, said that he ¡°fully understood¡± why 바카라사이트 UK government wanted to move towards multi-annual frameworks. ¡°It will offer financial security and reliability to 바카라사이트 UK research community, [bringing] toge바카라사이트r scattered funding streams, and as such enhance visibility [of research] to 바카라사이트 British citizen and society as a whole,¡± he said.

Mr Smits added that 바카라사이트 missions chosen must be of a scale and scope appropriate to 바카라사이트 national context. He cited Japan and China as countries ¡°that have followed 바카라사이트 EU approach and set up multi-annual science and innovation framework programmes¡±.

However, Mr Smits, now president of Eindhoven University of Technology, said that?a national programme ¡°will have impact only if it is opened up to scientists from across 바카라사이트 globe¡±.

Professor Wilsdon said that while ¡°everyone¡± in 바카라사이트 sector would welcome 바카라사이트 stability of multi-year funding, such a system would be ¡°nothing new¡± given that 바카라사이트 Labour government had introduced a 10-year framework in 2004, before losing power in 2010.

He cautioned that ¡°what you don¡¯t want is 바카라사이트 whole system violently lurching off to this month¡¯s new set of fashionable missions¡±, and that ¡°바카라사이트 more you put into missions, 바카라사이트 more you need to put into QR [quality-related funding] to provide 바카라사이트 corresponding flexible money¡±.

But Professor Wilsdon also said 바카라사이트 value of a mission-oriented approach ¨C which already exists in some industrial strategy funding, for example ¨C was ¡°in breaking open 바카라사이트 disciplinary categories and getting people to think in cross-disciplinary ways¡±.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com