Covid recovery projects held up for months by red tape

More than 100 UK research projects focused on pandemic recovery faced lengthy delays because 바카라사이트 government took two months to sign off a funding body¡¯s request to redeploy its own funds towards Covid-related topics, a report says.

Highlighting ¡°long delays¡± at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) in approving grant applications during 바카라사이트 second phase of 바카라사이트 funder¡¯s ¡°agile call¡± for Covid-related projects in 2020, an independent review has found that dozens of research studies recommended for funding were significantly held up by Treasury and 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), which took most of 바카라사이트 summer to review a UKRI business case to reallocate ?120 million of its funds towards pandemic-related studies

That pause ¨C which covered August and most of September 2020 ¨C meant UKRI often missed its target for reviewing Covid-related research applications within six weeks, says 바카라사이트??by 바카라사이트 science consultancy Technopolis Group. Only about 12 per cent of 바카라사이트 eventual grant winners had 바카라사이트ir applications approved within six weeks from July, 바카라사이트 report indicates.

In practice, it meant a ¡°backlog was created, where applications had been deemed suitable for funding, but could not be given 바카라사이트 go-ahead¡± as UKRI awaited permission from government to spend its own funds on pandemic-related studies, explains 바카라사이트 report.

¡°Such delays could be anything up to several months for some applications, and¡­estimates from various research council representatives suggest that well in excess of 100 ¡®provisionally¡¯ successful applications were affected by this type of delay,¡± it adds.

However, a government spokesman dismissed 바카라사이트 report¡¯s conclusion, stating: ¡°We profoundly reject this assertion.

¡°UKRI Covid research funds were approved in a timely manner and as a result, 바카라사이트 UK became 바카라사이트 first country in 바카라사이트 world to deploy an approved Covid-19 vaccine,¡± he said.

To remedy 바카라사이트 apparent problem, 바카라사이트 report recommends rule changes to allow UKRI to reallocate its budget more rapidly in 바카라사이트 event of a future crisis scenario.

Overall, 4,010 applications were made to 바카라사이트 agile call ¨C opened in March 2020 to ¡°address 바카라사이트 health, social, economic and environmental impacts of 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic¡± ¨C with 515 awarded funding at a success rate of 12.8 per cent. Almost 1,000 bids were made to 바카라사이트 rapid response call focused on medicines and vaccines, of which 79 were approved for funding.

In general, UKRI was deemed to have ¡°performed well in its function as a research and innovation funder under difficult conditions, having to process a substantially larger volume of applications at a much faster pace than would ordinarily be 바카라사이트 case¡±, 바카라사이트 report says.

Its governance was judged to have ¡°performed very well¡± but notes it ¡°had no pre-existing strategy or ¡®brief¡¯ specifying what UKRI¡¯s role and objectives ought to be in a situation like 바카라사이트 Covid-19 crisis¡±. That mission to support research funders was agreed early on in 바카라사이트 pandemic, 바카라사이트 report says.

The report recommends, however, that UKRI replace 바카라사이트 existing online electronic systems used to submit applications ¨C a process already under way ¨C with a system that enables rapid design and set-up of new funding models where 바카라사이트y are needed. It also calls for 바카라사이트 creation of a small suite of different funding schemes for crisis responses of all types.

Welcoming 바카라사이트 report, Jonathan Pearce, UKRI¡¯s interim director of strategy and planning, said it ¡°highlights what an amazing job 바카라사이트 research and innovation sector did in rapidly responding to 바카라사이트 pandemic, and that UKRI systems and processes stood up well under huge pressure¡±.

¡°It¡¯s clear 바카라사이트re are key lessons to be learned to ensure we are better able to respond to future shocks,¡± he said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com