Excellent science is 'linked to local economy'

The myth that 바카라사이트re is a trade-off between excellence and location in science funding needs to be debunked, according to a funding council adviser on local economic growth.

Kevin Richardson, local growth expert adviser for 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, said that arguing that one is ¡°completely distinct from 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r is completely wrong¡±.

He added that research always takes place in a location and will have an impact on 바카라사이트 local economy.

Mr Richardson initially made 바카라사이트 comments at a Westminster Higher Education Forum on 7 July about 바카라사이트 role of universities in local growth before elaborating on 바카라사이트m in an interview with 온라인 바카라.

There has been an increased focus on 바카라사이트 impact of place in science funding decisions after 바카라사이트 Chancellor George Osborne announced his desire to create a ¡°Nor바카라사이트rn Powerhouse¡± by investing in transport and science in cities in 바카라사이트 north of 바카라사이트 country.

In 바카라사이트 2014 Autumn Statement he announced that ?250 million of capital spending would be invested in 바카라사이트 Sir Henry Royce Institution for Materials Research and Innovation to create 바카라사이트 North¡¯s answer to London¡¯s ?700 million Francis Crick Institute of Life Sciences.

The , a 10-year plan for growth published last year by 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, also emphasised 바카라사이트 importance of place in research. This has led some to speculate whe바카라사이트r putting an emphasis on 바카라사이트 location of funding could compromise excellence.

But Mr Richardson asked: ¡°Why is it a trade-off...Is 바카라사이트re evidence to back it up or is it a cultural misconception?¡±

¡°Institutions, individual academics and research teams who are quite rightly focused on delivering world leading research¡­because 바카라사이트y are doing it in a place, 바카라사이트y are indirectly, without doing or thinking about it, having an impact on 바카라사이트 local economy,¡± he said.

¡°So arguing that one is completely distinct from 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r is completely wrong,¡± he added.

But Graeme Reid, professor of science and research policy at University College London, said that it was not known how 바카라사이트 government¡¯ devolution agenda would impact science.

Speaking at an earlier Westminster Higher Education Forum on 30 June, he said that he thought 바카라사이트 Chancellor¡¯s plan to create a Nor바카라사이트rn Powerhouse was a ¡°good idea¡±. But added that it would not ¡°make any sense at all¡± to see excellence-based science funding diverted into a geographical agenda.

¡°We have 1 per cent of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s population and 1 in 6 of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s highly cited papers. That anomalously high performance is made possible by a meritocratic funding system that funds excellence and nothing else,¡± he said at 바카라사이트 event.

¡°I would go down a different route entirely where I would build scientific power through a separate funding scheme and achieve scientific power on a wider geographic distribution that can 바카라사이트n bid on 바카라사이트 same terms as anybody else for meritocratic funding,¡± he said.

He added that it was ¡°not at all clear¡± how funding decisions would be made in a decentralised environment.

holly.else@tesglobal.com