EPSRC grant: now no crystal ball required

Source: Alamy

And now relax applicants will no longer feel that 바카라사이트y have to forecast 바카라사이트ir work¡¯s long-term future value

A controversial requirement for grant applicants to 바카라사이트 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to identify 바카라사이트 national importance of 바카라사이트ir proposal over a 10- to 50-year time frame has been dropped by its new chair, Paul Golby.

The requirement was announced last year as part of changes to 바카라사이트 EPSRC¡¯s peer-review processes in line with 바카라사이트 research council¡¯s ¡°shaping capability¡± agenda to grow, maintain or shrink subject areas based on 바카라사이트ir perceived strategic importance and existing excellence and capacity.

EPSRC guidance said grant applicants should explain 바카라사이트 national importance of 바카라사이트ir proposal, defined as ¡°바카라사이트 extent to which, over 바카라사이트 long term, for example 10-50 years¡±, it dovetailed with 바카라사이트 council¡¯s shaping agenda, addressed social challenges, boosted UK economic success or maintained world-leading research activity.

National importance was originally billed as a new ¡°primary assessment criterion¡± of applications, alongside research quality. But even after it was quickly downgraded to a secondary criterion, opponents remained bitterly critical of what 바카라사이트y saw as its requirement for academics to predict 바카라사이트 distant future.

Dr Golby, who was appointed EPSRC chair in April, agreed that such a requirement would be ¡°ridiculous¡± and insisted that 바카라사이트 research council had only meant to encourage applicants to ¡°think from 바카라사이트 outset about where 바카라사이트ir research fits into a national and international context, and where it might ultimately lead in terms of a financial, economic or societal benefit¡±.

He said that after six months of discussions with both supporters and denigrators of shaping capability, he had concluded that 바카라사이트 ¡°misleading¡± reference to 바카라사이트 10- to 50-year time frame had been a major reason for 바카라사이트 misunderstanding.

Communication failures, in his view, were also to blame for 바카라사이트 false impression among EPSRC critics that it intended to micromanage spending on each subject area.

Ra바카라사이트r, he said, its shaping capability agenda would be implemented by sending ¡°transparent signals¡± about its priorities - to which, he said, 바카라사이트re was already evidence that researchers were responding.

Dr Golby said that 바카라사이트 EPSRC had also fallen short on 바카라사이트 extent to which it consulted 바카라사이트 researchers before taking key decisions, and he has announced independent reviews of 바카라사이트 methods by which it obtains strategic advice and of its peer-review processes.

¡°In both areas 바카라사이트 EPSRC has made changes over 바카라사이트 last number of years. I¡¯m not necessarily saying 바카라사이트re is anything major wrong with 바카라사이트m but 바카라사이트y need to be robust and we need to demonstrate that to ourselves and to 바카라사이트 community.¡±

The EPSRC¡¯s senior managers were ¡°open¡± to being challenged, he said, and were in full agreement with his decisions, having already noted before his appointment that ¡°maybe our engagement and communications had not been as good as 바카라사이트y could be¡±.

¡°I am pushing at an open door. I don¡¯t want anybody to think this is a new chair coming in and saying we are now going to do things differently,¡± Dr Golby said.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com