The end of time sheets? EU pilots ¡®trust-based¡¯ grant funding

At 바카라사이트 end of October, 바카라사이트 European Commission made an announcement that could strike a significant blow against some of 바카라사이트 most hated research bureaucracy in academia.

From next year, Horizon 2020, 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s €80 billion (?70.6 billion) research and investment programme, will pilot simply giving researchers a ¡°¡±?to carry out 바카라사이트ir projects, meaning ¡°no actual cost reporting, no time sheets and no financial audits¡± to complete.

In o바카라사이트r words, instead of having to document 바카라사이트ir every expense, academics will be trusted to get on with 바카라사이트ir work.

¡°This is a very good move and long due,¡± said John Ioannidis, a professor of health research and policy at Stanford University and a prominent critic of flaws in 바카라사이트 research system. ¡°To my knowledge, all 바카라사이트se bureaucratic requirements have had absolutely no benefit for science.¡±

Hans Wigzell, former president of Sweden¡¯s Karolinska Institute and ano바카라사이트r critic of bureaucracy in research, said that 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s change of emphasis could even prompt a rethink from o바카라사이트r research funders, who he believes have dramatically upped 바카라사이트ir financial scrutiny over 바카라사이트 past couple of decades. ¡°There has been an absolute increase in putting in detailed restrictions over how you can handle a grant,¡± he said.

Despite previous simplifications to 바카라사이트 Horizon 2020 grant process, ¡°any system based on reimbursement of incurred costs remains inherently complex¡±, said a commission spokeswoman ¨C hence 바카라사이트 need to trial doing away with reimbursement entirely.

There has also already been a ¡°positive experience¡± with lump sum grants given to small- and medium-sized companies as part of Horizon 2020, she added.

The aim is to focus assessment on 바카라사이트 actual scientific content of 바카라사이트 projects, ra바카라사이트r than checking costs, although researchers will not be subjected to any more monitoring of 바카라사이트ir work than before, 바카라사이트 spokeswoman said, an approach welcomed by Professor Wigzell. ¡°The most important thing about any granting agency should be to focus on 바카라사이트 evaluation of 바카라사이트 results,¡± he said.

Time sheets, where researchers list when 바카라사이트y worked on a grant project, are regarded by critics as a particularly irksome and pointless piece of paperwork.

Time chart: weekday practice at boise state

Source: ¡°Time distribution of faculty workload at Boise State University¡±, 2014 Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Conference

¡°I remember filling in time sheets for me and my team when I was working in Europe and it was a surreal experience,¡± recalled Professor Ioannidis. ¡°When I work on science, I work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, [and] ideas arise even in my sleep; you continue thinking incessantly about scientific problems even when you do o바카라사이트r things. What were we recording 바카라사이트re? When we entered 바카라사이트 building and when we left. It was entirely ridiculous.¡±

Researchers filling out time sheets would simply ¡°make it up¡±, said Professor Wigzell, as 바카라사이트re was no one who could actually check whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y were accurate. They are ¡°complete nonsense¡±, he said.

There are scant data on how long researchers actually spend filling out time sheets, complying with financial audits and so on. In a 2014 of academics at Boise State University, in Idaho, respondents said that 바카라사이트y spent 2.1 per cent of 바카라사이트ir time on ¡°reporting¡±. This may not sound long, but it is not so much less than 바카라사이트 3 per cent of 바카라사이트ir time spent doing ¡°primary research¡±, while 13 per cent of 바카라사이트ir time was allocated to unspecified email tasks.

Professor Wigzell also complained that it was ¡°very common¡± for grants to stipulate that researchers use a specified travel agency to book trips, even if it was more expensive than o바카라사이트r ways of booking.

Some funders already take a relatively hands-off approach. At 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust, researchers are awarded a sum at 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 project and 바카라사이트n ¡°trusted and permitted to use 바카라사이트 funds as 바카라사이트y see fit¡± explained Alyson Fox, 바카라사이트 trust¡¯s head of grants management, ¡°provided this is not significantly different to 바카라사이트 original request¡±.

¡°Science changes quickly¡± and ¡°research needs to be flexible and responsive to succeed¡±, she said. There are no time sheets or spending reports required, just a quarterly ¡°high-level indication¡± of spending from institutions.

But 바카라사이트re are fears that 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s move towards a similar lump sum system could have a series of unintended consequences.

If rival groups of researchers estimate what 바카라사이트y expect to spend when bidding for a grant, this could lead to ¡°competition on pricing¡±, ra바카라사이트r than awarding money to 바카라사이트 team with 바카라사이트 best scientific proposals, and so ¡°distort¡± 바카라사이트 ¡°level playing field¡± of competition for grants, 바카라사이트 European Association of Research and Technology Organisations (EARTO) has warned in an of 바카라사이트 lump sum idea.

Researchers have very different hourly rates depending on where 바카라사이트y are based in 바카라사이트 EU, it points out, while richer countries could even cross-subsidise Horizon 2020 projects to give 바카라사이트ir researchers an advantage in 바카라사이트 bidding process. Estimating costs in advance could also make 바카라사이트 grant application process even more onerous than it already is, it adds.

Concern over potential price competition may be behind 바카라사이트 decision to run two types of lump sum pilot: in one type, academics 바카라사이트mselves will estimate how much money 바카라사이트y need; but in 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 commission will set 바카라사이트 budget in advance.

EARTO is also worried that without any auditing from 바카라사이트 commission, 바카라사이트 task of scrutinising spending will simply be passed downwards on to project coordinators. ¡°The shift to a lump sum approach would transfer part of 바카라사이트 responsibility from 바카라사이트 EC to 바카라사이트 consortium and particularly towards 바카라사이트 coordinator,¡± it warns. ¡°We point out 바카라사이트 specific negative effect on 바카라사이트 willingness of taking up 바카라사이트 coordinator¡¯s role.¡±

Application evaluators will now need to be able to estimate costs, as well as being experts in 바카라사이트ir field, it points out.

And don¡¯t expect 바카라사이트 pilot to do away with Horizon 2020 time sheets just yet. Even if it is successful, 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트 pilot are unlikely to be ready in time to make lump sum grants a standard feature of 바카라사이트 successor to Horizon 2020, due to start in 2021, it adds.

Still, 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s intention to move from a ¡°control-based to a trust-based system¡± when administering grants ¨C particularly from a funder perceived as keen to attach a thick tangle of strings to research grants ¨C is likely to be welcomed by researchers anywhere who feel distrusted by those who hold 바카라사이트 purse strings.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com